1986: Sunnyvale Air Force Station was redesignated Onizuka Air Force Station in honor of Colonel Ellison Onizuka, Air Force test pilot and astronaut who was killed in Challenger disaster on this date in 1986. In April 2007, the mission of the National Reconnaissance Office at Onizuka AFS ended after 46 years. Upon completion of this transition, Onizuka AFS was ceremonially closed on July 28, 2010, and officially closed on September 30, 2010.