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SMC hosts first in-person NSSI Space 100 training

  • Published
  • By Walter Talens
  • Space and Missile Systems Center Public Affairs

The Space and Missile Systems center hosted 14 U.S. Air and Space Force members during the Space 100: Space Fundamentals Course held on the installation for the first time, July 12-14.

Led by Mark Mitchell, National Security Space Institute (NSSI), digital learning strategy director, the course is taught at the unclassified level and teaches a basic understanding of space systems and how SMC personnel support global joint military operations.

Mitchell, along with George Glass, a Space 100 faculty member and both U.S. Air Force veterans supporting the NSSI, travel across the country to provide mobile and in-resident training to space professionals.

“We are their first experience in space education,” said Mitchell. “Many students start class in key, space support roles but know very little about the space domain.”

According to Mitchell, the demand for their classes never waned during the global Covid-19 pandemic and notes how the on-line enrollment increased and continued uninterrupted. He credits past students recognizing the value of the instruction and promoting it to their peers and leadership for the course’s continued success.

U.S. Space Force 1st Lt. Morgan Records, SMC GPS III/IIIF mission operations lead engineer, is responsible for ensuring mission launch, orbiting system readiness, and checkouts for GPS III/IIIF constellation and systems.

“This course helped me understand the design concepts and mission requirements of my program, what the capabilities are and how different systems are needed to perform a certain mission,” Records said. 

“You’re not going to completely grasp any of these concepts unless you take a class like this or are offered instructions similar to this,” he continued. “Having taken this course and looking at some of our critical design review packages for our space vehicle, I grasp the concept 1,000 percent better than I did previously.” 

The NSSI Space courses are intended for U.S. Department of Defense personnel, international partners, and non-operations USSF cadre with minimal space operations experience. Space 100 fulfills the Air Force space professional development requirements and mandating its availability to international partners.

Since 2014, the course has been available for LA AFB members but this is the first time it’s been taught on base.

“We were delighted by the classroom size and the technology and equipment available in the classroom to meet our course requirements,” said Mitchell. “It enabled a flawless execution of our course and our return to the Space and Missile Systems Center.”

In addition to the Space 100 course, the NSSI also offers two classified level courses. Space 200 for mid-career space professionals to develop their ability to think critically about space power application by investigating space systems development and space power. Space 300 is a capstone course that develops space professionals to understand national policy considerations and strategic thought within an international geopolitical environment. 

Interested personnel can register through the NSSI web page.

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