20th Space Control Squadron - History

History

The personnel of the 20th SPCS operate the Air Force Space Surveillance System and maintain the AN/FPS-85 radar, the Air Force's only phased-array radar dedicated to tracking earth-orbiting objects. The AN/FPS-85 radar can track approximately 90 percent of all manmade objects in earth orbit. The radar can track near-earth objects the size of a softball moving at 300 miles (500 km) and deep space objects the size of a basketball moving at 22,300 nautical miles (41,300 km) above earth. Located at Site C-6 on Eglin, the squadron is a geographically separated unit of the 21st Space Wing and the only Air Force Space Command unit on Eglin.