STARCOM activates 593rd Test and Evaluation Squadron to grow space test workforce

Published April 24, 2026
By Brandon Kalloo Sanes
Space Training and Readiness Command Public Affairs

EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. (AFNS) -- The U.S. Space Force’s Space Training and Readiness Command activated the 593rd Test and Evaluation Squadron during a ceremony April 20, strengthening how the service develops its test and evaluation experts.

Aligned under Space Delta 12, the squadron will support the education and development of Airmen and Guardians who test systems before they are fielded for operational use. The activation 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.”

Through that partnership, students complete a yearlong, graduate-level program focused on test and evaluation. The curriculum teaches how to plan tests, evaluate system performance, analyze results and report findings to decision-makers.

Attendees stand for the official party’s arrival to the 593rd Test and Evaluation Squadron, Space Delta 12, activation ceremony April 20, 2026, at Edwards Air Force Base, California. The unit’s activation formalizes a mission that has grown through the Space Force’s partnership with the U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School at Edwards AFB. (U.S. Air Force photo by Daniel Kelley, 412th Test Wing Public Affairs)

Lt. Col. David Heinz, commander of the 593rd Test and Evaluation Squadron, accepts the squadron guidon, assuming command, from Col. Sacha N. Tomlinson, Space Delta 12 commander, during the 593rd TES during the activation ceremony April 20, 2026, at Edwards Air Force Base, California. (U.S. Air Force photo by Daniel Kelley, 412th Test Wing Public Affairs)

Lt. Col. David Heinz, commander of the 593rd Test and Evaluation Squadron, gives a speech during the 593rd Test and Evaluation Squadron, Space Delta 12, activation ceremony April 20, 2026, at Edwards Air Force Base, California. “I'm really excited to be able to be a part of that mission set,” he shared. “The mission of the 593rd is to educate and train multidomain professionals who are highly adaptive, critical thinking, integrated testers, and evaluating leaders to drive data formed decisions at speed, and secure national advantage across the spectrum aerospace operations for our joint force and nation.” (U.S. Air Force photo by Daniel Kelley, 412th Test Wing Public Affairs)

The program trains Airmen and Guardians together in the same classes while specializing in their respective career fields.

Each class has students from multiple disciplines, including pilots, engineers and space operators. While all students learn the same core principles of test and evaluation, they follow different tracks based on their roles and operational focus.

“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.”

The course has expanded in recent years 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 each year, returning trained graduates to the force every six months.

Students apply classroom instruction through practical exercises and domain-specific training events, preparing them to support test organizations across the Department of War.

Graduates return to their units with advanced training in test and evaluation, applying those skills across operational and test organizations throughout the force.

“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.”

The activation increases the Space Force’s investment in building a dedicated test workforce and expanding its ability to evaluate new capabilities as 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.”