SCHRIEVER SPACE FORCE BASE, Colo. -- Space Delta 9 – Orbital Warfare personnel gathered at Schriever Space Force Base, Colorado, to watch a livestream of the Geosynchronous Space Situational Awareness Program spacecraft, GSSAP-5 and GSSAP-6, launch from Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida, Jan. 21, 2022.
The GSSAP spacecraft monitor and characterize the geostationary belt which allows the U.S. Space Force to better understand what’s going on in the domain.
“Think of the GSSAP formation as a neighborhood watch with some pretty neat capabilities like rendezvous and proximity operations,” said U.S. Space Force Capt. David Buehler, DEL 9, 1st Space Operations Squadron engineer flight commander. “These unique capabilities allow GSSAP to support anomaly resolution and enhanced surveillance.”
1st SOPS, under DEL 9, designs and executes tactical mission plans with the GSSAP formation that satisfy the taskings given to them by U.S. Space Command and Joint Task Force – Space Defense. The effects from each orbital engagement help support DEL 9’s protect and defend mission.
“We’ve been waiting patiently for vehicles 5 and 6 to join the current fleet,” said U.S. Space Force Capt. Andrew Marin, DEL 9 Commanders Action Group chief. “With a larger fleet of GSSAP vehicles, we’ll better integrate synchronized operations across find, fix, track, target, engage, assess while also increasing our understanding of activity in the geostationary belt.”
The first GSSAP satellites were launched from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida, July 28, 2014, and GSSAP vehicles 5 and 6 will add to USSF capabilities for the protect and defend mission.