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SYRACUSE, N.Y. — New York Air National Guard Airmen assigned to the 222nd Command and Control Squadron hosted a delegation of Brazilian space operators and engineers for an exchange of ideas and best practices in space operations at Hancock Field Air National Guard Base in Syracuse, N.Y., Aug. 18–22, 2025.
The 222nd is a space operations unit whose Airmen provide support to the National Reconnaissance Office which manages the nation’s satellite surveillance systems.
The weeklong event brought together representatives from the Air Force Research Laboratory, U.S. Space Force, and Brazil’s Space Operations Center, along with the Air Guardsmen, to discuss advanced satellite operations, space weather, and surveillance initiatives.
Organizers said the exchange helped align procedures and identify future opportunities for cooperation.
The New York National Guard has had a State Partnership Program relationship with the Brazilian military since 2019. The program pairs U.S. National Guards with foreign militaries for training and information exchanges.
New York Air National Guard Staff Sgt. Jason Capostagno, a space systems operator with the 222nd from Rochester N.Y., said the Brazilian team arrived with “highly skilled” operators who shared insights on joint commercial operations, software tools, and space weather.
He added that the discussions gave Airmen a clearer picture of Brazil’s priorities and how their feedback could be integrated into U.S. systems.
Capt. Leah Elsbeck, also with the 222nd, explained that while the exchange wasn’t training in the traditional sense, it broadened Airmen’s understanding of international cooperation.
She emphasized the value of continuity in the Guard’s State Partnership Program, noting that she has watched Brazil expand from a single satellite to a robust program.
“Brazil space folks are extremely proficient and extremely talented,” she said.
“Their program being newer and smaller than ours, they all have to be experts in their field, but they also have to be experts in most space fields for operational purposes,” Elsbeck added.
Senior Airman Max Dean said Brazil plays a role in Joint Commercial Operations, which provides near real-time space domain awareness to partner nations. He said that system helps build trust and “makes space safer for everyone involved.”
“I think that this is beneficial towards building trust and transparency between the US and partner nations,” he added.
The Airmen also stressed the personal side of cooperation.
Capostagno described his Brazilian counterparts as kind and generous, adding, “I never leave a joint event without learning something useful.”
Brazil has been a leader in South American space development since the 1960s, when it created the National Institute for Space Research to oversee satellites and atmospheric science programs.
According to the institute, Brazil launched its first sounding rockets in the 1970s and later established the Alcântara Launch Center, which provides unique advantages due to its equatorial location.
The Space Operations Center, inaugurated in 2020, now coordinates satellite operations across the Brazilian armed forces. In 2024, U.S. Space Command announced it would embed a liaison officer at COPE to further cooperation.
For the 222nd, the Syracuse exchange was another step in that long-standing partnership,
Events like this reinforce how much partner nations can contribute to U.S. space capabilities, Dean added.
“The stronger the relationship,” he said, “the stronger the mission.”
| Date Taken: | 09.04.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 09.09.2025 10:14 |
| Story ID: | 547626 |
| Location: | SYRACUSE, NEW YORK, US |
| Hometown: | LOCKPORT, NEW YORK, US |
| Hometown: | ROCHESTER, NEW YORK, US |
| Web Views: | 454 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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