Twenty years ago, the first of three major reorganizations swept across Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif., that helped propel Air Force Space Command to the front seat of America’s space program. The first of these changes occurred on Oct. 1, 1990, and involved what was called the “Launch Transfer.”
The Transfer of Space Launch Responsibilities
At the start of the space program in the late 1950’s, Air Force Systems Command held the dominant role in the acquisition, development, and operation of space systems. When Air Force Space Command was established in September 1982, it was based on the assumption that space launch operations had matured sufficient enough to transfer some of these activities to AFSPC which was label an operational command.
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