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3rd Test and Evaluation Squadron
Squadron emblem
Active	1990 – 2002 2006 – present
Country	United States
Branch	United States Space Force
Type	Space operations
Role	Technology experimentation, demonstration, and test
Part of	Space Delta 12
Home base	Schriever Space Force Base, Colorado
Motto(s)	"Unequalled excellence"
Mascot(s)	Komainu (Japanese for 'guardian lion-dog')
Systems	EELV Secondary Payload Adapter X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle
Decorations	Air Force Outstanding Unit Award
Website	Official website
Commanders
Current commander	Lt Col David Heinz

The 3rd Test and Evaluation Squadron (3 TES) (formerly 3rd Space Experimentation Squadron (3 SES)) is a space test and evaluation unit located at Schriever Space Force Base in Colorado.

As part of the United States Air Force, the squadron was described, in 2008, as "AFSPC's premier organization for space-based demonstrations, pathfinders and experiments. The unit identifies concepts of employment, training, education and technical skill sets required to field selected future AFSPC missions. The 3d SES will develop a core cadre of space professionals to serve as subject matter experts for all future AFSPC space-based endeavors, demonstrate operational utility of selected demonstrations and apply lessons learned from demonstrations and pathfinders for use in future initiatives."

History

The 3d SES was first constituted as the 3d Surveillance Squadron on August 10, 1990, at Misawa AB, Japan. However it was not activated at that time. In preparation for its activation and operations, Det. 3, 73d Space Group activated in January 1991 to oversee construction and site preparation for the 3d. The home for the 3d SS (project name RINGO) was completed on March 16, 1991. Two antennas, an operations building, support building, pump housing and entry control point were constructed beginning on October 1, 1991, and was completed on May 31, 1992. Later that year, the unit was redesignated 3d Space Surveillance Squadron and it activated on October 1. The unit's Deep Space Tracking System obtained initial operating capability in April 1994. The squadron inactivated on February 20, 2002.

Assigned to the 73d Space Group, the 3d was tasked with operating passive sensors for the Deep Space Tracking System. The squadron was one of two Deep Space Tracking System squadrons located throughout the world. The DSTS tracked objects orbiting more than 22,300 miles above the Earth. More than 9,500 man-made objects orbit the Earth, ranging in size from a baseball to the Mir space station. The 3d SPSS forwarded this data to the 1st Command and Control Squadron and the Space Control Center, Cheyenne Mountain Air Station, CO. The 1st CACS and the center use this information, along with other data, to catalog and identify all man-made Earth-orbiting objects. Several agencies use this information for everything from collision avoidance to intelligence.

On February 23, 2006, Air Force Space Command ordered the unit redesignated 3d Space Experimentation Squadron and activated it effective March 10, 2006, with its new home at Schriever AFB, Colorado.

On August 23, 2021, the United States Space Force, Space Training and Readiness Command (STARCOM), ordered the unit redesignated 3d Test and Evaluation Squadron and activated it effective August 27, 2021.

Lineage

• Constituted as 3d Surveillance Squadron on 10 Aug 1990

Re-designated: 3d Space Surveillance Squadron on 1 October 1992

Activated on 1 October 1992

Inactivated on 20 February 2002

Re-designated: 3d Space Experimentation Squadron on 16 February 2006

Activated on 10 March 2006

Re-designated: 3d Test and Evaluation Squadron on 27 Aug 2021

Assignments

• 73d Space Group, 1 October 1992 – 25 April 1995
• 21st Operations Group 26 April 1995 – 20 February 2002
• 595th Space Group, 10 March 2006 – 30 March 2013
• 50th Operations Group, 1 April 2013 – 18 June 2020
• 750th Operations Group, 19 June 2020 – 23 July 2020
• STAR Delta-P, 24 July 2020 – 26 August 2021
• Space Delta 12, 27 August 2021 – Present

Detachments

• Detachment 1, 3d Space Surveillance Squadron - Osan AB, Republic of Korea

Stations

• Misawa AB, Japan (1 Oct 1992–20 Feb 2002)
• Schriever Space Force Base, Colorado (10 Mar 2006 – present)

Space Systems

• Deep Space Tracking System (1992–2002)

Decorations

• Air Force Outstanding Unit Award
  • 1 Jan 2000-31 Aug 2001
  • 1 Jan 1999-31 Dec 1999
  • 1 Jan 1998-31 Dec 1998
  • 1 Oct 1997-30 Sep 1999
  • 1 Oct 1995-30 Sep 1997

List of commanders

This list is incomplete; you can help by adding missing items. (October 2021)

• Lt Col Robert Preston (Misawa - 1st Commander)
• Lt Col Richard Lucas (Misawa)
• Lt Col Jim Maestas
• Lt Col Jeff Hokett, 1 June 2007
• Lt Col Joseph Prue, 26 May 2009
• Lt Col Sam Johnson, 13 June 2011
• Lt Col Matthew S. Cantore, 14 June 2013
• Lt Col Zachary S. Owen, 13 February 2015
• Lt Col Kevin Amsden, 6 April 2017
• Lt Col William Burich, 31 May 2019
• Lt Col Anna Gunn-Golkin, 14 June 2021
• Lt Col David Heinz, 22 June 2023

References

 This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency

1. Air Force Space Command: Space Innovation and Development Center Factsheet Archived 2008-06-06 at the Wayback Machine
2. AFSPC Special Order GA-10, 2001
3. USAF FOIA Request-2009-01074
4. AFSPC Special Order GA-97, 2000
5. AFSPC Special Order GA-62, 6 Dec 1999
6. AFSPC Special Order GA-58, 6 Dec 1999
7. AFSPC Special Order GA-09, 1 Nov 1997
8. "3rd SES welcomes new commander".
9. "3rd SES hails, bids farewell to leadership". 28 May 2009.
10. "3 SES changes command".
11. "3 SES changes leadership".
12. "3 SES welcomes new commander".
13. "3 SES changes command".
14. "3rd Space Experimentation Squadron changes command".
15. "Space Training and Readiness Command on Facebook". Facebook. Archived from the original on 2022-04-26.

v t e United States Space Force
Leadership	Department of the Air Force Secretary of the Air Force Under Secretary of the Air Force Space Staff Chief of Space Operations Vice Chief of Space Operations Chief Master Sergeant of the Space Force Director of Staff Deputy Chiefs of Space Operations General Officers Generals Lieutenant Generals Oversight House Armed Services Committee Strategic Forces subcommittee Senate Committee on Armed Services Strategic Forces subcommittee
Structure	Field commands Space Futures Command Space Operations Command Commander Space Systems Command Commander Space Training and Readiness Command Commander Component Field Commands United States Space Forces Central United States Space Forces Europe and Africa United States Space Forces Indo-Pacific United States Space Forces Korea United States Space Forces – Space Deltas Space Delta 1 Mission Delta 2 Mission Delta 3 Mission Delta 4 Space Delta 5 Space Delta 6 Space Delta 7 Space Delta 8 Space Delta 9 Space Delta 10 Space Delta 11 Space Delta 12 Space Delta 13 Space Delta 15 Space Delta 18 Space Delta 21 Space Delta 23 Space Delta 26 Space Launch Delta 30 Mission Delta 31 Space Launch Delta 45 Space Base Delta 1 Space Base Delta 2 Space Base Delta 3 Squadrons 1st Delta Operations 319th Combat Training 328th Weapons 392d Combat Training 533rd Training 21st Operations Support 15th Space Surveillance 18th Space Defense 19th Space Defense 20th Space Surveillance 3rd Combat Training 4th EW 5th EW 16th EW 23rd EW 2nd Space Warning 3rd satellite Communications 5th Space Warning 6th Space Warning 7th Space Warning 10th Space Warning 11th Space Warning 12th Space Warning 13th Space Warning 55th Combat Training 21st Space Operations 22nd Space Operations 23rd Space Operations 62nd Cyberspace 63rd Cyberspace 64th Cyberspace 65th Cyberspace 68th Cyberspace 69th Cyberspace 645th Cyberspace 71st ISR 72nd ISR 73rd ISR 74th ISR 75th ISR 76th ISR 1st Space Operations 2nd Navigation Warfare 3rd Space Operations 4th Space Operations 10th Space Operations 53rd Space Operations 527th Space Aggressor 1st Test and Evaluation 3rd Test and Evaluation 17th Test and Evaluation 25th Space Range 2nd Space Launch 5th Space Launch 1st Range Operations NSSI Direct reporting units Space Development Agency Space Rapid Capabilities Office Space Warfighting Analysis Center
Locations	Space Force Bases Buckley Los Angeles Patrick Peterson Schriever Vandenberg Space Bases Pituffik Space Force Stations Cape Canaveral Cape Cod Cavalier Cheyenne Mountain Clear Kaena Point New Boston
Personnel and training	Astronauts Awards and decorations Badges Ranks Training Academy Reserve Officer Training Corps Officer Training School Basic Military Training Uniforms
History and traditions	Delta Flag History Seal "Semper Supra" Air & Space Forces Association Space Force Association Former wings and deltas 21st Space Wing 50th Space Wing 460th Space Wing Space Training and Readiness Delta (Provisional)

v t e Space Operations Command
Air Forces	Fourteenth (Strategic)
Centers	Space and Missile Systems Space Innovation and Development 614th Air and Space Operations
Bases	Buckley Los Angeles Patrick Peterson Schriever Thule Vandenberg
Stations	Cape Canaveral Cape Cod Cavalier Cheyenne Mountain Clear Eldorado (closed) Kaena Point New Boston Onizuka (closed)
Space wings	21st 30th 45th 50th 310th 460th
Air Base groups	61st 821st Air Base Group
Squadrons	Command and Control 1st 2d 3d 4th 55th Mobile 119th 153d 222d 721st Mobile Space Control 1st 4th 16th 20th 25th 76th 380th Space Launch 1st 2nd 3d Space Launch Squadron 4th 5th Space Operations 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th 9th 19th 21st 22d 23d 111th 148th AFSPC Space Warning 2nd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th 9th 10th 11th 12th 13th 137th 213th Others 26th Space Aggressor (AFRC) 527th Space Aggressor (ACC) 3d Space Communications 50th Space Communications 850th Space Communications 1st Space Development Squadron 2d Space Development Squadron 3d Space Development Squadron 3rd Space Experimentation 1st Space Surveillance 3d Space Surveillance 5th Space Surveillance 1st Air and Space Test 2d Test Operations Squadron 3d Space Test Squadron 4th Space Test Squadron 55th Space Weather

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