{"id":20149,"date":"2021-04-20T22:10:15","date_gmt":"2021-04-20T22:10:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/uncategorized\/2021\/04\/20\/test-pilot-school-looks-to-the-cosmos-in-new-space-program\/"},"modified":"2026-08-20T12:28:47","modified_gmt":"2026-08-20T12:28:47","slug":"test-pilot-school-looks-to-the-cosmos-in-new-space-program","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/news\/your-air-force\/2021\/04\/20\/test-pilot-school-looks-to-the-cosmos-in-new-space-program\/","title":{"rendered":"Test Pilot School looks to the cosmos in new space program"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The Air Force\u2019s Test Pilot School on April 6 graduated its first 15 space testers from a new three-month program, broadening the school\u2019s role in educating a new generation of experts in the field as their role evolves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The space enterprise is no stranger to the schoolhouse at Edwards Air Force Base, California, which has trained astronauts, shuttle specialists and space mission systems testers. But the Space Test Fundamentals course offers an expanded opportunity to learn about the job than in previous courses, without an air-centric lens.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThere is no space analog to the Test Pilot School that presents a broad education \u2014 in this case, preparing space professionals to become government testers,\u201d course manager Andrew Freeborn said Monday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the classroom, students learn about testing fundamentals, like writing a test report; space sciences; and a final capstone where each person builds and executes a test plan, then presents the analysis. They also had nearly 50 visits with companies like SpaceX, operational bases like Schriever AFB, Colorado, and Vandenberg AFB, California, and the Air Force Research Lab\u2019s space systems branch at Kirtland AFB, New Mexico.<\/p>\n\n\n\t