The 10th Space Operations Squadron (10 SOPS) is the

United States Space Force The United States Space Force (USSF) is the Space force, space service branch of the United States Armed Forces, U.S. Armed Forces, one of the eight Uniformed services of the United States, U.S. uniformed services, and the world's only inde ...

unit responsible for operating the

Mobile User Objective System The Mobile User Objective System (MUOS) is a United States Space Force narrowband military communications satellite system that supports a worldwide, multi-service population of users in the ultra high frequency (UHF) band. The system provides ...

and Ultra-High Frequency Follow-On satellite

constellations A constellation is an area on the celestial sphere in which a group of visible stars forms a perceived pattern or outline, typically representing an animal, mythological subject, or inanimate object. The origins of the earliest constellatio ...

, providing global

communications Communication (from la, communicare, meaning "to share" or "to be in relation with") is usually defined as the transmission of information. The term may also refer to the message communicated through such transmissions or the field of inqui ...

to the

United States Armed Forces The United States Armed Forces are the military forces of the United States. The armed forces consists of six service branches: the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Space Force, and Coast Guard. The president of the United States is ...

History

Navy (1962-2022)

The first military space operations command in history, the Navy Astronautics Group (NAVASTROGRU or NAG) was founded in April 1962. Tasked with operating the Navy's satellites, the unit commanded the Navy Navigational Satellite System, also known as Transit, the world's first

satellite navigation system A satellite or artificial satellite is an object intentionally placed into orbit in outer space. Except for passive satellites, most satellites have an electricity generation system for equipment on board, such as solar panels or radioisoto ...

. The Navy Astronautics Group was redesignated as the Naval Satellite Operations Center (NAVSOC) in June 1990.

Space Force (2022-present)

In September 2021, it was announced that NAVSOC would be transferred from the Navy to the newly-independent US Space Force under

Space Delta 8 Space Delta 8 (DEL 8) is the United States Space Force unit responsible for satellite communications and position, navigation, and timing. The Delta operates, among other constellations, the Global Positioning System for both military and civil ...

. On 6 June 2022, NAVSOC was formally disestablished and 10 SOPS assumed its mission, personnel, resources, and heritage in total. According to Space Delta 8, the squadron was given its number to honor its heritage under 10th Fleet.

Constellations

The unit has operated various types of

military satellites A military satellite is an artificial satellite used for a military purpose. The most common missions are intelligence gathering, navigation and military communications. The first military satellites were photographic reconnaissance missions. So ...

, including:

Command Structure

* Headquarters,

Naval Base Ventura County Naval Base Ventura County (NBVC) is a United States Navy base in Ventura County, California. Formed by the merger of NAS Point Mugu and CBC Port Hueneme, NBVC is a diverse installation composed of three main locations — Point Mugu, Port Huenem ...

Point Mugu Point Mugu (, Chumash: ''Muwu'') is a cape or promontory within Point Mugu State Park on the Pacific Coast in Ventura County, near the city of Port Hueneme and the city of Oxnard. The name is believed to be derived from the Chumash Indian term ...

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the ...

** Detachment A,

Prospect Harbor Prospect Harbor is a bay in Gouldsboro, Maine. It is separated from Gouldsboro Bay to the northeast by Cranberry Point and from Winter Harbor Winter Harbor is a town on the Schoodic Peninsula in Hancock County, Maine, United States. The popula ...

Maine Maine () is a U.S. state, state in the New England and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. It borders New Hampshire to the west, the Gulf of Maine to the southeast, and the Provinces and territories of Canad ...

** Detachment C, Naval Computer and Telecommunications Station,

Dededo Dededo ( ch, Dedidu; formerly in Spanish: , in Japanese: , ''Dededo'') is the most populated village in the United States territory of Guam. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Dededo's population was just under 45,000 in 2020. The village is loc ...

Guam Guam (; ch, Guåhan ) is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States in the Micronesia subregion of the western Pacific Ocean. It is the westernmost point and territory of the United States (reckoned from the geographic ce ...

** Detachment D,

Schriever SFB Schriever is the name of several places in the United States: * Schriever, Louisiana, census-designated place named for John G. Schriever (see below) ** Schriever (Amtrak station) * Schriever Township, South Dakota * Schriever Air Force Base, a U ...

, El Paso County,

Colorado Colorado (, other variants) is a state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It encompasses most of the Southern Rocky Mountains, as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the wes ...

Former site: * Detachment B,

Rosemount Rosemount may refer to: Place names Australia * Rosemount, Queensland Canada * Rural Municipality of Rosemount No. 378, Saskatchewan Ireland * Rosemount, County Westmeath, an area in the Southwest of Westmeath United Kingdom * Rosemount, Aberde ...

Minnesota Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the List of U.S. states and territories by population, 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minne ...

(disestablished August 1997)

List of commanders

Lt Col Lieutenant colonel ( , ) is a rank of commissioned officers in the armies, most marine forces and some air forces of the world, above a major and below a colonel. Several police forces in the United States use the rank of lieutenant colonel ...

Jason Sanders, 6 June 2022

References

External links

* {{United States Space Force Military education and training in the United States