Launch and Range Systems Wing
Encyclopedia
The United States Air Force
's Launch and Range Systems Wing is a unit located at Los Angeles Air Force Base
in El Segundo
, California
.
LRSW ensures Assured Access to Space for the Department of Defense through the Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle (EELV) and Delta II families of rockets. The Launch and Test Range System (LTRS) provides DOD, NASA and commercial customers a highly reliable, integrated system to support spacecraft launch, ballistic missile and aeronautical testing.
The EELV program is designed to improve our nation's access to space by making space launch vehicles more affordable and reliable. The program is replacing the existing launch system (Delta II) with two families of launch vehicles (Delta IV & Atlas V), each using common components and common infrastructure. EELV's operability improvements over current systems include a standard payload interface and increased off-pad processing. As the Air Force's space-lift modernization program, EELV was designed to reduce launch cost by at least 25 percent over heritage Atlas, Delta and Titan space launch systems.
LTRS consists of ground based surveillance, navigation, flight operations and analysis, command and control, communications and weather assets located at the Eastern Range (Patrick AFB, FL.), and the Western Range (Vandenberg AFB, CA.). There are two major efforts underway for the LTRS program: modernization and sustainment. Modernization efforts seek to revamp and recapitalize current systems in the Instrumentation, Control and Display and Network segments. The current modernization efforts will replace approximately 20% of the system. Depot support projects enhance the existing systems on the ranges to reduce the operations and sustainment costs.
Organization
The LRSW Wing, located at the Space and Missile Systems Center at Los Angeles Air Force Base, CA, is home to more than 650 government, military, aerospace, and contractor personnel. The $57B billion portfolio of launch and ground systems includes LTRS, EELV and Delta II.
LRSW, formerly a system program office, became an Air Force Wing on August 1, 2006. The Wing was formed from the merger of three separate program offices: Launch Systems, EELV and Range.
http://www.losangeles.af.mil/library/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=6808
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
's Launch and Range Systems Wing is a unit located at Los Angeles Air Force Base
Los Angeles Air Force Base
Los Angeles Air Force Base is a United States Air Force Base located in El Segundo, California. Los Angeles Air Force Base houses and supports the headquarters of the Air Force Space Command's Space and Missile Systems Center . The center manages research, development and acquisition of military...
in El Segundo
El Segundo, California
El Segundo is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Located on the Santa Monica Bay, it was incorporated on January 18, 1917, and is one of the Beach Cities of Los Angeles County and part of the South Bay Cities Council of Governments...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
.
Mission
The Launch and Range Systems Wing's mission is to develop & acquire expendable launch systems and manage launch integration, mission assurance and launch campaigns, and provide range systems for space launch missions and ballistic missile and aeronautical testing at the Eastern and Western Ranges.LRSW ensures Assured Access to Space for the Department of Defense through the Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle (EELV) and Delta II families of rockets. The Launch and Test Range System (LTRS) provides DOD, NASA and commercial customers a highly reliable, integrated system to support spacecraft launch, ballistic missile and aeronautical testing.
History
The Delta II rocket was developed when the Air Force decided to return to a mixed fleet of expendable launch vehicles following the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster and other launch failures. The Delta II entered the Air Force inventory in February 1987 after the Air Force awarded a contract to McDonnell Douglas for the construction of 18 Delta IIs to launch NAVSTAR Global Positioning System (GPS) satellites, which were originally programmed for Space Shuttle launch. The first Delta II launched a GPS satellite Feb. 14, 1989.The EELV program is designed to improve our nation's access to space by making space launch vehicles more affordable and reliable. The program is replacing the existing launch system (Delta II) with two families of launch vehicles (Delta IV & Atlas V), each using common components and common infrastructure. EELV's operability improvements over current systems include a standard payload interface and increased off-pad processing. As the Air Force's space-lift modernization program, EELV was designed to reduce launch cost by at least 25 percent over heritage Atlas, Delta and Titan space launch systems.
LTRS consists of ground based surveillance, navigation, flight operations and analysis, command and control, communications and weather assets located at the Eastern Range (Patrick AFB, FL.), and the Western Range (Vandenberg AFB, CA.). There are two major efforts underway for the LTRS program: modernization and sustainment. Modernization efforts seek to revamp and recapitalize current systems in the Instrumentation, Control and Display and Network segments. The current modernization efforts will replace approximately 20% of the system. Depot support projects enhance the existing systems on the ranges to reduce the operations and sustainment costs.
Organization
The LRSW Wing, located at the Space and Missile Systems Center at Los Angeles Air Force Base, CA, is home to more than 650 government, military, aerospace, and contractor personnel. The $57B billion portfolio of launch and ground systems includes LTRS, EELV and Delta II.
LRSW, formerly a system program office, became an Air Force Wing on August 1, 2006. The Wing was formed from the merger of three separate program offices: Launch Systems, EELV and Range.
http://www.losangeles.af.mil/library/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=6808