19th Space Defense Squadron talks astronomy, space surveillance with the Naval Postgraduate School
Located at the Naval Support Facility in Dahlgren, Virginia, the 19th Space Defense Squadron provides tasking to the Space Surveillance Network, a worldwide network of satellite-tracking radar sensors and optical telescopes. 19 SDS, alongside its sister unit, the 18th Space Defense Squadron, located at Vandenberg Space Force Base, California, functions as hub for foundational space awareness and is responsible for maintaining custody of man-made objects in orbit, processing space events (launches, reentries, de-orbits, breakups, maneuvers, etc.), and predicting the likelihood of on-orbit collisions. 19 SDS is a geographically separated unit of Space Delta 2-Space Domain Awareness and Space Battle Management, headquartered at Peterson Space Force Base, Colorado. (Courtesy image)