Air Force Reserve Space Operations Achieve Milestone Published April 12, 2009 By Capt. Jeremy J. Cotton 6th Space Operations Squadron SCHRIEVER AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. -- The satellite races along at 17,000 MPH, circling the globe approximately 14 times daily; capturing intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance data that is recovered and downloaded every hour and twenty minutes. The Air Force Reserve's 6th Space Operations Squadron made contact April 3 with a Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP) satellite for the 20,000th time since the unit's activation in 1998. "DMSP is critical for operations at the strategic, operational, and tactical levels--you don't launch jets, move troops, or determine asset management without having the environmental intelligence data this constellation provides," said Lt. Col. Michael P. DiTondo, the 6th SOPS Commander. "This squadron is thrilled just to be able to be a part of this." Due to the nature of the program's data delivery requirements and the satellite's orbit, there are approximately 70 scheduled DMSP contacts daily. On every satellite support, the 6th SOPS collects approximately two and one half hours of data from various satellite sensors used to monitor several aspects of both the space and earth environments. Even more amazing is that the unit accomplishes this daunting task while maintaining a 99.9% mission success rate. For 20,000 supports, that translates to approximately 50,000 hours of weather data provided by the unit in the last 11 years. "There's probably no satellite program in existence with as much legacy as DMSP," said 310th Space Wing vice commander Col. Mark D. Hustedt. "As a former 6 SOPS commander, I can appreciate the significance of this milestone. The unit continues to do such a great job on both operations and sustainment and that's why we're celebrating this 20,000th satellite contact today. " The 6th SOPS is responsible for DMSP operations as the "hot" (or immediate) back-up to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration after primary operations were transferred to the Department of Commerce by the Clinton Administration in the late 1990's. Since then, the 6th SOPS assists with launch and early orbit operations, daily proficiency contacts, and has taken the constellation as the primary operations center 22 times. "The 6th SOPS provides unparalleled support to the military, civilian, and research communities," commented 310th Space Wing's commander Col. Karen A. Rizzuti. "We are continuously trying to exploit the full potential of this 60-year-old mission. The 6th SOPS is truly a showcase for the capabilities the Citizen Airmen of the 310th Space Wing provide."