Patrick Space Force Base, Florida, is the home of the United States Space Force’s 45th Space Wing. The base covers about 2,300 acres (930 hectares) south of Cape Canaveral . The 45th Space Wing tracks rocket launches and orbiting vehicles in a range that extends southeast across the Atlantic Ocean into the Indian Ocean. The wing tracks National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and SpaceX launches from Cape Canaveral.
The base was established in 1940 as the Banana River Naval Air Station. During World War II (1939-1945), it served as a base for antisubmarine patrol planes. It was transferred to the Air Force in 1948. In 1950, it was renamed Patrick Air Force Base after Major General Mason M. Patrick, who was chief of the Army Air Corps in the 1920’s. In 2020, the base was designated as Patrick Space Force Base.
