Courtesy Photo | Space Test Course Students prepare for an XVI satellite pass in Test Pilot School's...... read more read more
The Antelope Valley in Southern California, also known as "America’s Aerospace Valley," has long been a hub of aviation and space innovation. From the Bell X-1 breaking the sound barrier to the development of the F-35, the region has played a crucial role in advancing aerospace technology. Beyond aeronautics, the valley has significantly contributed to space exploration, hosting early spaceflight milestones such as the X-15, Saturn V engine tests and Apollo astronaut training. The U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School has continued this legacy by partnering with the U.S. Space Force to train the next generation of space test leaders through the Space Test Course.
Recognizing the need for trained space testers in an increasingly contested domain, the Air Force Test Center initiated the Space Test Fundamentals course in 2021. Despite challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, the course successfully laid the foundation for a rigorous space test curriculum. As the U.S. Space Force took shape, its Test and Evaluation Directorate requested the expansion of the Space Test Fundamentals course into a yearlong program mirroring the Test Pilot School’s renowned Flight Test Course. By 2024, the Space Test Course had evolved into a comprehensive test and evaluation education program, awarding a Graduate Certificate in Space Test Engineering and earning graduates the same distinguished "blue patch" as their air domain counterparts.
Today, Space Test Course students train alongside Flight Test Course students, engaging in shared academic coursework while receiving specialized instruction in astronautical sciences and space mission systems. This integration fosters a multi-domain test capability that is essential for modern warfare capabilities.
“With each class we continue to press forward in multi-domain testing. Test Management Projects have evolved into blended teams of Guardians and Airman executing complex tests that expand upon the current test capabilities that Delta 12 and AFTC have built,” said Maj. Chris Reis, a Guardian graduate of the Flight Test Course and current chief of space test foundations at the Test Pilot School.
Test Management Projects, a long-standing Test Pilot School requirement, now include space-domain projects, providing hands-on experience with real-world test assets. In 2024, Space Test Course students executed the first space-domain projects, characterizing an optical space domain awareness system and a space-range planning capability. Beginning in 2025, projects will focus on incorporating integrated air-space efforts, enhancing cross-domain test expertise even further.
The Space Test Course curriculum continues to evolve, directly supporting the Air Force Test Center’s mission to develop and maintain cutting-edge Air Force weapon systems. Guardian instructors, administratively part of Space Delta 12 operational control unit and embedded within Test Pilot School, are charged with ensuring curriculum relevance by leveraging their space operational and engineering expertise.
Hands-on training has also expanded, with students now operating real on-orbit assets through partnerships with organizations such as the Air Force Research Laboratory’s Small Satellite Portfolio team. The addition of the AFRL XVI satellite allows students to plan, direct and execute space vehicle operations, reinforcing practical test and evaluation principles.
Looking ahead, the Space Test Course aims to further integrate with the National Space Test and Training Complex, advance space-domain test and evaluation techniques, and expand hands-on training with operationally representative hardware. A new Guardian Ph.D. pipeline instructor will join the staff as well, further enhancing the program’s academic rigor. With these advancements, the course remains committed to producing highly skilled test professionals who ensure U.S. space capabilities remain second to none.
"We’re aggressively pursuing additional operationally representative hardware to give students hands-on experience in component, platform and kill-web testing," said Maj. James Ross, Space Test Fundamentals graduate.
The Space Test Course exemplifies the Air Force Test Center’s dedication to readiness and future competitiveness, providing the Department of the Air Force with elite test leaders capable of executing complex space-domain test and evaluation missions. Through continuous innovation and strong partnerships across the aerospace test and evaluation community, the Test Pilot School and the Space Test Course will continue to shape the future of space test for years to come.
| Date Taken: | 02.21.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 02.21.2025 14:16 |
| Story ID: | 491251 |
| Location: | EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE, CALIFORNIA, US |
| Web Views: | 38 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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