STARCOM launches 593rd Test and Evaluation Squadron to expand space test workforce

The U.S. Space Force has activated the 593rd Test and Evaluation Squadron, a new unit designed to strengthen how the service builds expertise in testing and evaluating space systems before they enter operational use.

Stood up during an April 20 ceremony and aligned under Space Delta 12 within Space Training and Readiness Command, the squadron formalizes a mission that has grown through the Space Force’s partnership with the U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School at Edwards Air Force Base. “This marks a significant milestone in how we develop the expertise needed to test and evaluate space systems,” said Lt. Col. David Heinz, 593rd TES commander. “It allows us to grow a professional workforce that can keep pace with the speed of modern capability development.”

The squadron will support education and development pipelines for both Airmen and Guardians who perform test and evaluation. Through the collaboration with the Test Pilot School, students complete a yearlong, graduate-level program that teaches how to plan tests, evaluate system performance, analyze results, and report findings to decision-makers. The course integrates classroom instruction with practical exercises and domain-specific training events, preparing graduates for immediate impact in test organizations.

“Our job is to develop test experts,” Heinz said. “They leave here with the knowledge and experience to understand complex systems, design effective tests and deliver results that decision-makers can trust.”

Training cohorts bring together students from multiple disciplines—pilots, engineers, and space operators—who learn a common core of test and evaluation principles while following specialized tracks tailored to their operational roles. In recent years, the curriculum has expanded from a shorter offering into a full academic program that awards a master’s degree in flight test engineering with a space test concentration. The school runs two classes annually, returning trained graduates to the force every six months.

“The 593rd will serve as the center of mass for the Space Force’s test community,” Heinz said. “It allows us to scale the development of test expertise across the force.”

Service officials say the activation reflects a broader push to build a dedicated test workforce capable of assessing emerging capabilities at the pace they are developed. “I’m incredibly proud of our team out here at Edwards AFB, and grateful for the exceptional support of our partners in the Test Pilot School and the 412th Test Wing,” said Col. Sacha N. Tomlinson, Space Delta 12 commander. “This is the next step in modernizing the space test enterprise. The highly skilled, innovative, professional test leaders this squadron will develop will revolutionize test to keep pace with acquisition and operations, delivering combat capabilities for the joint force.”