The mission of the 20th Space Surveillance Squadron is to execute multiplatform, tactical space warfighting domain characterization, recognition, and responsiveness to achieve Space Force’s Delta 2 and United States Strategic Command’s intents.
The approximately 250-member squadron consists of Space Force Guardians, civilians and contractors. Eglin AFB Site C-6, Florida conducts 24/7/365 command and control operations of two weapon systems, the AN/FPS-85 phased array radar, which has been operational at Eglin since 1968, and the geographically separated AN/FSY-3 Space Fence located in the Kwajalein Atoll, Marshall Islands. 20th SPSS utilizes both phased array radars to conduct near-earth and deep-space tracking, space object identification, and characterization to provide targetable intelligence in support of the space domain awareness mission
The 20th SPSS has the preponderance of Department of Defense space domain awareness assets and has the capability of finding, fixing, tracking, and targeting manmade objects in multiple orbital regimes, from golf ball sized objects 7,000 kilometers away with the Eglin radar to objects the size of a basketball 40,000 kilometers away with the more advanced Space Fence system. The 20th SPSS has a robust, in-garrison intelligence section that fuses multi-source data into operations, mission planning, and assessment for benign (e.g. space debris) and hostile targets in support of national security interests.