111th Space Operations Squadron
Encyclopedia
The United States Air Force
's 111th Space Operations Squadron (111 SOPS) is an Air National Guard
space communications unit located at Sky Harbor International Airport, Arizona
. 111 SOPS is the military's first unit to operate free-floating balloons in the near space
environment.
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
's 111th Space Operations Squadron (111 SOPS) is an Air National Guard
Air National Guard
The Air National Guard , often referred to as the Air Guard, is the air force militia organized by each of the fifty U.S. states, the commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the territories of Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the District of Columbia of the United States. Established under Title 10 and...
space communications unit located at Sky Harbor International Airport, Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
. 111 SOPS is the military's first unit to operate free-floating balloons in the near space
Near space
Near space is the region of Earth's atmosphere that lies between 65,000 and 325,000–350,000 feet above sea level, encompassing the stratosphere, mesosphere, and thermosphere. A more understandable definition would be above where a commercial airliner flies but below the realm of an orbiting...
environment.
Previous designations
- 111th Space Operations Squadron (2003–Present)
- Det 2, Arizona Air National Guard (???)