Onizuka Air Force Station
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Onizuka Air Force Station
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| Part of Air Force Space Command (AFSPC) | |
| Sunnyvale, California | |
 Onizuka Air Force Station, looking west. The end of the Moffett Field runways are visible at upper right. US Route 101 is at upper left |
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| Type | Air Force Station |
| Coordinates | 37°24′27.35″N 122°1′36.40″W / 37.4075972°N 122.0267778°W |
| Built | 1960 |
| In use | 1960 - present |
| Controlled by | United States Air Force |
| Garrison | 21st Space Operations Squadron |
Onizuka Air Force Station is a United States Air Force installation in Sunnyvale, California, at the intersection of U.S. Route 101 and State Route 237. Its main building, known locally as the Blue Cube, is large, pale blue, and windowless, with an array of parabolic dish antennas used for communication with remote tracking stations used to control military satellites. Onizuka AFS is operated by the 21st Space Operations Squadron, a geographically separated unit (GSU) of the 50th Space Wing.
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[edit] History
Built in 1960 on land near Moffett Field purchased from Lockheed Martin (then Lockheed), the station was originally known as the Air Force Satellite Test Center. It was later renamed the Air Force Satellite Control Facility, and Sunnyvale Air Force Station. In 1986, the base was renamed Onizuka Air Force Base in honor of Col. Ellison Onizuka, one of the astronauts who, on January 28, 1986, died in the Space Shuttle Challenger explosion. On January 26, 1994, Onizuka Air Force Base was renamed Onizuka Air Force Station.
[edit] Closure
Realignment of Onizuka Air Force Station was recommended and accepted as part of the 1995 round of the Base Realignment and Closure Program. On May 13, 2005, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld recommended closing the Onizuka Air Force Station in Sunnyvale as part of a fifth round of military base closures and re-sizing. In summary, the 750th Space Group was to be deactivated and its functions relocated to Falcon AFB, CO. Detachment 2 of the Space and Missile Systems Center would relocate to Falcon AFB (now Schriever AFB), CO and Kirtland AFB, NM, while some other undisclosed tenants would remain in the existing facilities for some time.[1] The date by which the realignment and closure must be completed is September 15, 2011.[2]
In April 2007, the mission of the National Reconnaissance Office at Onizuka AFS ended after 46 years.[3]
[edit] References
- ^ "Onizuka Air Station, California". Air Force Real Property Agency. http://www.afrpa.hq.af.mil/library/BRAC/95commbases/onizuka.html. Retrieved on May 5, 2006.
- ^ "Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) of Onizuka Air Force Station (AFS) Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)". City of Sunnyvale, California. http://sunnyvale.ca.gov/Departments/Office+of+the+City+Manager/Community+Resources/Frequently+Asked+Questions+%28FAQ%29.htm. Retrieved on May 8, 2007.
- ^ "Mission accomplished for NRO at Onizuka AFS". 21st Space Operations Squadron. http://www.schriever.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123050054. Retrieved on May 8, 2007.
[edit] External links
- Onizuka Air Force Station
- 750th Medical Squadron at Onizuka
- Roster of 750 MDS Staff
- BRAC 2005: Closings, Realignments to Reshape Infrastructure
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