Onizuka Air Force Station

Last updated
Onizuka Air Force Station
Sunnyvale, California in the United States
Lockheed's "Blue Cube".jpg
Onizuka AFS in 2009
Air Force Space Command.png
USA California location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Onizuka AFS
Usa edcp location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Onizuka AFS
Coordinates 37°24′17.5″N122°1′43.5″W / 37.404861°N 122.028750°W / 37.404861; -122.028750
TypeUS Air Force station
Site information
Owner Department of Defense
Operator United States Air Force
Controlled by Air Force Space Command
ConditionClosed
Website Official website (archived)
Site history
Built1960 (1960) (as Sunnyvale AFS)
In use1960 – 30 September 2010 (2010-09-30)
FateDemolished (2014)

Onizuka Air Force Station or Onizuka AFS was a United States Air Force installation in Sunnyvale, California, at the intersection of State Route 237 and North Mathilda Avenue. [1] It operated from 1960 to 2010.

Contents

One of its distinguishing feature was Building 1003, known locally as the Blue Cube and the "Cube" given its shape, color, and lack of windows. The station's other distinguishing features were its three primary parabolic dish antennas, used for communication with remote tracking stations used to control military satellites; these antennas were named Sun East, Sun West, and Sun 3.

History

In the United States space program's formative stages, Air Force Systems Command (AFSC) contracted with the Philco Ford division of Ford Motor Company to provide interim operational facilities at its Palo Alto, California, location. Operation began in the late 1950s. By 1958, the US Air Force sought a permanent home, with larger facilities. Ultimately, the Air Force purchased from Lockheed Corporation about 19 acres (7.7 hectares) of land, which included Lockheed Building 100 and was named Sunnyvale Air Force Station. Construction of the station's original facilities was completed in 1960. More structures were built as operations expanded.

Aerial view of Sunnyvale AFS during the 1980s Air Force Satellite Control Facility at Sunnyvale AFS, California (CSTC).jpg
Aerial view of Sunnyvale AFS during the 1980s

The station was home to the AFSC operational unit known as the Air Force Satellite Test Center (STC, colloquially called the "stick"), and other non-AFSC operational organizations. By 1979, the Air Force Satellite Test Center was renamed the Air Force Satellite Control Facility.

In 1986 the base was renamed [2] in honor of Air Force Lieutenant Colonel Ellison S. Onizuka, an astronaut who died in the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster on January 28, 1986.

Onizuka AFS and the Air Force Satellite Control Facility were transferred from Air Force Systems Command to Air Force Space Command and operated by the 21st Space Operations Squadron, a geographically separated unit (GSU) of the 50th Space Wing. The non-AFSC operational organizations remained under their respective commands.

Closure

When the station was opened in 1960, the Sunnyvale area was rural and the station was predominantly surrounded by orchards. By the late 1970s, the region had become Silicon Valley and the station's physical security vulnerabilities became apparent. AFSC therefore planned the Consolidated Space Operations Center (CSOC), which would lie several miles east of Colorado Springs, Colorado, at the to-be-built Falcon Air Force Station (later renamed Schriever Air Force Base). Spacecraft operations would be split between the two locations and each location would serve as a backup to the other. To maintain this redundancy, when Onizuka AFS was selected for closure by the Base Realignment and Closure Commission, the Air Force determined to move Onizuka's remaining operational units to the new Ellison Onizuka Satellite Operations Facility at Vandenberg Air Force Base. [3]

Satellite antenna at Onizuka AFS during 2007 Radio Telescopes Front and the Moon.jpg
Satellite antenna at Onizuka AFS during 2007

Realignment of Onizuka Air Force Station was recommended and accepted as part of the 1995 round of the Base Realignment and Closure Program. The 750th Space Group was to be inactivated and its functions moved to Falcon AFS. Detachment 2 of the Space and Missile Systems Center would move to Falcon AFB and Kirtland AFB, New Mexico; some other, undisclosed tenants would stay in the existing facilities for some time. [4] On May 13, 2005, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld recommended closing the Onizuka Air Force Station in Sunnyvale as part of a fifth round of military base closures and re-sizing. The date by which the realignment and closure must be completed was September 15, 2011. [5]

In April 2007, the mission of the National Reconnaissance Office at Onizuka AFS ended after 46 years. [6]

Upon completion of this transition, Onizuka AFS was ceremonially closed on July 28, 2010, and officially closed on September 30, 2010.

Demolition

In April 2014, demolition of the site began. 9 acres (3.6 hectares) of the land was earmarked for conversion to educational space operated by the Foothill–De Anza Community College District. [7] 4.4 acres (1.8 hectares) of the land was to be used by the Department of Veterans Affairs. 1 acre (0.40 hectares) was added to Sunnyvale's existing Fire Station 5 and was subject to a land swap with a developer to relocate Fire Station 5, upgrade it to full service capabilities, and support a shooting range for public safety personnel training. The remaining 5 acres (2.0 hectares) parcel is now owned by the City of Sunnyvale for an unspecified future use. [8]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vandenberg Space Force Base</span> United States Space Force Base near Los Angeles

Vandenberg Space Force Base, previously Vandenberg Air Force Base, is a United States Space Force Base in Santa Barbara County, California. Established in 1941, Vandenberg Space Force Base is a space launch base, launching spacecraft from the Western Range, and also performs missile testing. The United States Space Force's Space Launch Delta 30 serves as the host delta for the base. In addition to its military space launch mission, Vandenberg Space Force Base also hosts space launches for civil and commercial space entities, such as NASA and SpaceX.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Moffett Federal Airfield</span> Joint civil-military airport in California

Moffett Federal Airfield, also known as Moffett Field, is a joint civil-military airport located in an unincorporated part of Santa Clara County, California, United States, between northern Mountain View and northern Sunnyvale. On November 10, 2014, NASA announced that it would be leasing 1,000 acres (400 ha) of the airfield property to Google for 60 years.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">HGM-25A Titan I</span> Early American intercontinental ballistic missile

The Martin Marietta SM-68A/HGM-25A Titan I was the United States' first multistage intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), in use from 1959 until 1962. Though the SM-68A was operational for only three years, it spawned numerous follow-on models that were a part of the U.S. arsenal and space launch capability. The Titan I was unique among the Titan models in that it used liquid oxygen and RP-1 as propellants; all subsequent versions used storable propellants instead.

The Satellite Control Network (SCN), operated by the United States Space Force's Space Delta 6, provides support for the operation, control, and maintenance of a variety of United States Department of Defense and some non-DoD satellites. This involves continual execution of Telemetry, Tracking, and Commanding (TT&C) operations. In addition, the SCN provides prelaunch checkout and simulation, launch support, and early orbit support while satellites are in initial or transfer orbits and require maneuvering to their final orbit. The SCN provides tracking data to help maintain the catalog of space objects and distributes various data such as satellite ephemeris, almanacs, and other information. It was previously known as the Air Force Satellite Control Network (AFSCN) while under Air Force Space Command's 50th Network Operations Group.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Air Force Satellite Control Facility</span> Military unit

The United States Air Force's Air Force Satellite Control Facility (AFSCF) was a space command and control unit located at Onizuka AFS, California. It has the distinction of being heavily involved in the world's first reconnaissance satellite program, CORONA. Due to geological hazards, and the terrorism threat from its proximity to a major transportation link, the facility's command and control functions were moved to Schriever AFB, Colorado.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New Boston Space Force Station</span> United States Space Force facility in Hillsborough County, south central New Hampshire

New Boston Space Force Station (BOSS) is a United States Space Force facility located in Hillsborough County in south central New Hampshire. It was transferred from the United States Air Force to the Space Force in the summer of 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">50th Space Wing</span> Inactive United States Air Force wing

The 50th Wing is an inactive United States Air Force wing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">21st Space Operations Squadron</span> Military unit

The 21st Space Operations Squadron is a satellite control unit of the Space Delta 6 of the United States Space Force, located at Vandenberg Space Force Base, California. Prior to July 2020, it was part of the 50th Network Operations Group. It operated Onizuka Air Force Station from its formation in 1991 until the closure of the station in 2010.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">3rd Space Operations Squadron</span> US Space Force squadron

The 3rd Space Operations Squadron is a United States Space Force unit responsible for conducting on-orbit operations. It is located at Schriever Space Force Base, Colorado.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">5th Expeditionary Space Operations Squadron</span> Unit of the United States Air Force

The 5th Expeditionary Space Operations Squadron is an expeditionary satellite operations unit of the United States Air Force, assigned to the Air Force Space Command for activation or inactivation as required.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">750th Space Group</span> Military unit

The United States Air Force's 750th Space Group was a space operations unit located at Onizuka Air Force Station, California. its predecessor was formed on 1 October 1987; it assumed the designation of the 750th Space Group on 30 January 1992; and it was inactivated on 25 June 1999.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Space Systems Command</span> U.S. Space Force space development, acquisition, launch, and logistics field command

Space Systems Command (SSC) is the United States Space Force's space development, acquisition, launch, and logistics field command. It is headquartered at Los Angeles Air Force Base, California, and manages the United States' space launch ranges.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">10th Aerospace Defense Group</span> Military unit

The 10th Aerospace Defense Group was inactivated on 31 December 1970 by the United States Air Force (USAF). Its last assignment was with Fourteenth Aerospace Force at Vandenberg Air Force Base, California. The 10th Aerospace Defense Group and Squadron were the sole operators of the United States' second nuclear-tipped anti-satellite weapon, Weapons System 437 (WS-437). For this reason the squadron continues the group history through temporary bestowal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cary C. Chun</span> United States Air Force general

Brigadier General Cary C. Chun is a retired senior officer of the United States Air Force. He served as the Deputy Commander, Operations and Interagency Integration, Joint Functional Component Command for Space, United States Strategic Command (USSTRATCOM), and the Director for Mission Operations, National Reconnaissance Office. In this role, he led all Department of Defense space forces aligned with USSTRATCOM and provided tailored, responsive, local and global effects in support of national, USSTRATCOM and combatant commander objectives. As Director for Mission Operations, he led operations for all NRO overhead reconnaissance systems, ground stations, operational communications, and the operations center used to conduct intelligence activities essential for the national security of the United States and its allies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Morse Field (Hawaii)</span>

Morse Field is a former military airfield located approximately 12 miles (19 km) south-southwest of Naʻālehu, Hawaii. It was also known as South Cape Airport, South Point Air Force Station, or Ka Lae Military Reservation. It is now abandoned.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sandra Finan</span> United States Air Force general

Sandra E. Finan was the Deputy Chief Information Officer for Command, Control, Communications and Computers (C4) and Information Infrastructure Capabilities, Office of the Secretary of Defense, Pentagon, Washington D.C.

A Space Operations Center (SOC) is a facility such as a Mission Control Center for controlling spaceflight and/or spacelift missions, and may refer to:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Space Operations Command</span> U.S. Space Force space, cyber, and intelligence field command

Space Operations Command (SpOC) is the United States Space Force's space operations, cyber operations, and intelligence field command. Headquartered at Peterson Space Force Base, Colorado, it consists of its mission deltas, and garrison commands.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Christopher Povak</span> U.S. Space Force general

Christopher Stephen Povak is a United States Space Force major general who serves as the deputy director of the National Reconnaissance Office and commander of the Space Force Element to the National Reconnaissance Office. He previously served as the deputy director of the Space Warfighting Analysis Center.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Space Delta 12</span> U.S. Space Force test and evaluation unit

Space Delta 12 is a United States Space Force unit responsible for space test and evaluation. It tests space systems and capabilities in support of weapon system acquisition, operational acceptance, and readiness. It was established on 23 August 2021 following the establishment of the Space Training and Readiness Command, the field command to which it reports. It is temporarily headquartered at Schriever Space Force Base, Colorado, but its final location requires a base selection process.

References

  1. "Onizuka Air Force Station Local Redevelopment Authority Redevelopment Plan (Draft)" (PDF). City of Sunnyvale. 19 November 2008. Retrieved 29 October 2020.
  2. "Former Onizuka Air Force Station".
  3. "Onizuka AFS closes, operations move to Vandenberg". Archived from the original on 2011-09-29. Retrieved 2010-08-05.
  4. "Onizuka Air Station, California". Air Force Real Property Agency. Archived from the original on May 10, 2006. Retrieved May 5, 2006.
  5. "Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) of Onizuka Air Force Station (AFS) Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)". City of Sunnyvale, California. Retrieved May 8, 2007.
  6. "Mission accomplished for NRO at Onizuka AFS". 21st Space Operations Squadron. Archived from the original on July 20, 2011. Retrieved May 8, 2007.
  7. "Wrecking crews demolish iconic 'Blue Cube'". San Jose Mercury News. 16 April 2014. Retrieved April 17, 2014.
  8. "Onizuka AFS Land Areas" (PDF). City of Sunnyvale. Retrieved April 21, 2014.