EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- The Air Force Test Pilot School formally inaugurated its Satellite Operations Center (SOC) June 11. The facility is a strategic investment to train multi-domain test leaders for the Department of the Air Force and bolster national defense.
Space is a vital domain for national security. The SOC will train test leaders to accelerate the development and evaluation of capabilities for warfighters across air, space, and cyber domains, supporting U.S. Space Force core functions.
The school has continued to adapt to national needs for over 80 years. The recently integrated flight and Space Test Course (STC) exemplify this modernization. What began as a three-month Space Test Course by the Air Force Test Center in 2021, quickly grew to a year-long program in 2024. This evolution addresses the need for formally educated space testers.
The SOC enhances the school's capabilities by increasing access to operational assets, providing hands-on training and test exercises. The SOC can control both space and flight test missions simultaneously, enabling multi-domain test operations. It will also support school curriculum and research missions and is designed for interoperability with U.S. Space Force space range capabilities as part of the Space Force's Operational Test and Training Infrastructure (OTTI) effort.
“The Space Operations Center will transform the Space Test Course, unlocking hands-on learning opportunities for our future test leaders across an incredibly diverse array of military and civil space systems,” said Col James Valpiani, former school commandant, now chief combat autonomy officer for the Air Force Test Center.
Air Force Test Pilot School graduates have swiftly become instrumental in developing and testing advanced space capabilities, including counter-space and space domain awareness systems, essential for defending threats and ensuring continued access to space. By accelerating the deployment of robust space systems, graduates contribute to a powerful "deterrence by denial" strategy. TPS's curriculum, including electronic warfare testing from both the flight and space perspectives and its data-driven test program, are essential for developing and validating these crucial capabilities.
While STC graduates currently earn a Graduate Certificate in Space Test Engineering and receive the distinguished blue patch, the school expects to award its students a Master of Science degree beginning in 2026.
The new facility was designed through a collaboration by Meghan Cochran, the school’s lead space program manager, and Maj. Stefanie Coward, the school’s first Director of Space Operations. Planned capabilities for the facility include on-orbit space vehicle for payload testing, space domain awareness activities, and a 36-student analysis facility.
The SOC is a strategic asset, embodying a commitment to advanced space test education, hands-on experience, and direct contributions to national security. The continued investments within TPS further supports the U.S. Space Force's mission and broader National Defense Strategy.