The 45th Space Wing (45 SW) is a United States Air Force unit. It is assigned to the Fourteenth Air Force, stationed at Patrick Air Force Base, Florida. It commands Patrick AFB and the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. The mission of the 45th Space Wing (45 SW) is to assure access to the high frontier and to support global operations.
The wing currently operates a number of rockets and missiles, including the Delta IV and Atlas V, and provides support for the Department of Defense, NASA, and commercial manned and unmanned space programs. The wing formerly operated the recently discontinued Titan IV rocket. It employs 9,512 military and civilians. Since August 4, 2015, it is under the command of Brigadier General Wayne R. Monteith.
The wing commander formerly served as the deputy DOD manager for the Department of Defense Manned Space Flight Support Office.
Major units assigned to the 45 SW are:
45th Launch Group
The 45th Launch Group participates in receipt, inspection, processing, test, and launch of all flight hardware to ensure the successful launch of satellites to support national and Combatant Commander requirements
5th Space Launch Squadron
45th Operations Group
Located at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida, the 45th Operations Group operates the Eastern Range and launches space vehicles for Department of Defense (DoD), NASA, the United States, and international commercial customers.
45th Medical Group
45th Mission Support Group
See also: 45th Operations Group; 45th Launch Group; 6555th Aerospace Test Group for additional lineage and history.
Organized to maintain and operate the proving ground facilities in coordination and collaboration with other agencies of the national guided missile program. Provided static and flight testing to meet requirements of Army, Navy, and Air Force research and development programs, including operational experimentation and training.
From May 1950 to May 1951, had separate operating agency status, assigned directly to Headquarters, United States Air Force. Maintained and operated the Eastern Test Range and affiliated facilities in support of Department of Defense (DOD), National Air and Space Administration (NASA), US Air Force, and other test and evaluation agencies, 1951–1977 and after 1979.
Operated "Down-Range" facilities at Antigua, Ascension Island, and Cape Canaveral AFS, Florida, 1951–1977 and after 1979.
After Oct 1979, launched DOD payloads into orbit and collected flight data for evaluation of ballistic missile systems launched from Eastern Launch sites for DOD, NASA, and commercial customers. Gave support for DOD manned/unmanned, NASA manned/unmanned, and commercial unmanned space programs while providing "host wing" responsibilities at Patrick AFB.
45th Space Wing accomplishments are:
Completing the Initial NAVSTAR II Constellation
U.S. Military Technology Missions
Foreign Military Missions
Civilian/Commercial Space Launches
Missions have included:
X-Ray, Gamma Ray, Infrared, Microwave Anisotropy, and Extreme Ultraviolet Astronomy Missions
Solar Wind Missions
Asteroid Probes and Comet Encounters
Missions to Mars and Mercury
Kepler Spacecraft ‘Planetary Search’ Mission
PALAPA B2R and PALAPA B4
Britain’s BSB-R2 and Telenor’s THOR II and THOR III
ASC-2, AURORA II and SATCOM 4
INMARSAT-2 F-1 and INMARSAT-2 F-2
DFS KOPERNIKUS 3
GALAXY I-R and GALAXY IX
KOREASAT-1 and KOREASAT-2
BONUM-1
GLOBALSTAR-1 through GLOBALSTAR-7
DELTA III, Delta IV, Titan IV and Atlas V Missions
NASA Space Shuttle launches
Atlas V Carrying X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle
NASA'S Geostationary Environmental Satellite (GOES-P)
Atlas V launch of Solar Global Observatory
Delta IV launch of Wideband Global SATCOM (WGS) high-capacity communications satellites
Intelsat-14 commercial communications satellite
NASA Ares 1-X launch
USAF Delta II final launch in 2009, inactivation of 1st Space Launch Squadron (45th LCG)
Established as Air Force Division, Joint Long Range Proving Ground and organized on 1 Oct 1949
Re-designated:
Long Range Proving Ground Division on 16 May 1950
Re-designated:
Air Force Missile Test Center on 30 Jun 1951
Re-designated:
Air Force Eastern Test Range (AFETR) on 15 May 1964
Inactivated on 1 Feb 1977
Re-designated Eastern Space and Missile Center (ESMC) and activated on 1 Oct 1979
Re-designated:
45th Space Wing (45 SW) on 12 Nov 1991
Headquarters Command, USAF, 1 Oct 1949
United States Air Force, 16 May 1950
Air Research and Development (later, Air Force Systems) Command, 14 May 1951
National Range Division, 15 May 1964
Air Force Systems Command, 1 Feb 1972-1 Feb 1977
Space and Missile Test Organization, 1 Oct 1979
Space Systems Division, 1 Oct 1989
9th Space Division, 1 Oct 1990
Air Force Space Command, 1 Oct 1991
Fourteenth Air Force, 20 Sep 1993–Present
Wings
4800th Guided Missile Wing (later, 6555th Guided Missile Wing; 6555th Guided Missile Group): 30 Dec 1950-7 Sep 1954
6541st Missile Test (later, 6541 Operations Group [Range]): 4 Sep 1951-7 Sep 1954
Groups
45th Launch Group: 1 Dec 2003–present
previously designated as 45th Logistics Group, 12 Nov 1991-30 Nov 2003
45th Operations Group: 12 Nov 1991–present
45th Medical Group: 12 Nov 1991–present
45th Mission Support Group: 12 Nov 1991–present
6550th Test Group (Missile): 1 Jul-1 Oct 1955
6555th Guided Missiles Group (Test and Evaluation) (later, 6555th Aerospace Test): 15 Aug-21 Dec 1959; 1 Oct 1979-1 Oct 1990
Squadrons
1st Space Launch Squadron: 1 Oct 1990–Aug 2009
3rd Space Launch Squadron: 1 Oct 1990-Jun 2005
5th Space Launch Squadron: 14 Mar 1994-29 Jun 1998, 1 Dec 2003-present
duties absorbed by 3 SLS on 29 Jun 1998
45th Launch Support Squadron: 30 Jun 2005–present
45th Operations Support Squadron: 12 Nov 1991–present
1st Range Operations Squadron: 1 Dec 2003–present
previously 45th Range Operations Squadron, then 45th Range Squadron, 12 Nov 1991-1 Dec 2003
45th Security Forces Squadron: 12 Nov 1991–present
1st Pilotless Bomber: 1 Oct 1951-1 Feb 1952 (detached)
6550th Operations Squadron: 7 Sep 1954-1 Jul 1955; 1 Oct 1955-1 Feb 1960
6555th Guided Missile (later, 6555th Guided Missiles Squadron): 7 Sep 1954-1 Jul 1955; 1 Oct 1955-15 Aug 1959
Patrick AFB, FL, 1 Oct 1949-1 Feb 1977; 1 Oct 1979-Present
