scope:

The Space Test Program (STP) is a Department of Defense (DoD) activity under Air Force executive management that provides spaceflight for DoD research and development experiments. This instruction implements Air Force Policy Directive (AFPD) 10-12, Space, by providing the policies, procedures, and responsibilities for STP management. It guides potential sponsors and R&D experimenters in preparing and submitting spaceflight requests and defines the relationship among sponsors, experimenters, and STP managers. It also describes the procedures for ranking STP experiments, selecting experiments for a space mission, and developing and managing payloads.

This instruction applies to theSTP Office, to all DoD organizations that STP supports, and to DoD organizations supporting STP. Federal agencies outside the DoD that want spaceflight support from STP must follow this instruction. Participating DoD and other agencies issue directives for STP procedures within their organizations. These directives must comply with this instruction.