U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School students visit for hands-on experience
In April, nine students and two instructors from the U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School visited Lincoln Laboratory to conduct labs and live radar tests, tour facilities, observe missile defense demonstrations, and attended briefings that showed examples of real space tests with which the Laboratory has been involved. This weeklong visit was part of the Test Pilot School's Space Test Course, a recent addition to the school's program following the U.S. Space Force's establishment as the sixth branch of the Armed Forces in 2019.
Lincoln Laboratory helped to enhance the course by inviting students to gain hands-on experience and instruction from staff who are experts in their fields. Jessica Holland from the Laboratory's Information Integration and Decision Support Group developed this practicum together with staff from across the Space Systems and Technology Division.
"This course builds on the strong relationships the Laboratory has formed and prioritized with our military academic institutions, and the outreach opportunities we provide," says Holland.
The students performed various tasks during their visit, such as using real radar data to perform mission planning, data analysis, and electromagnetic interference mitigation. They also toured the Lincoln Space Surveillance Complex.
"Our visit to the Laboratory was by far the best learning experience in the Space Test Course so far, solidifying the foundational test knowledge we’ve gained in the course," one of the students says. "I appreciated being able to truly focus on walking through executing a test — going from theory to simulation, working from hardware-in-the-loop testing and then progressing to live testing."