The 10th Aerospace Defense Group was inactivated on 31 December 1970 by the United States Air Force (USAF).

The 10th Aerospace Defense Squadron was activated in late 1963[1] to operate Weapons System 437, using nuclear equipped Thor missiles.

As the program approached operational status, AFSC transferred the 6595th to Air Defense Command (ADC)[note 2] in November 1962.

[7] The DMSP generates terrestrial and space weather data for United States operational forces worldwide.

[8] The Block 5 DMSP satellites launched during the time the squadron was active used Thor launchers (similar to those used by WS 437) to boost them into orbit.

Launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base, the Thor/Burner II booster rose majestically through the atmosphere, reached the edge of space, exhausted its propellant, and the DMSP satellite whistled back to Earth—a total loss.