BY ORDER OF THE
SECRETARY OF THE AIR FORCE
AIR FORCE INSTRUCTION 36-3701
20 MAY 2010
Personnel
SPACE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
PROGRAM
COMPLIANCE WITH THIS PUBLICATION IS MANDATORY
Publications and forms/IMTs are available for downloading or ordering on
the e-publishing website at www.e-publishing.af.mil
There are no releasability restrictions on this publication.
OPR: HQ AFSPC/A1MH
Certified by: HQ USAF/A1D
(Mr. Daniel R. Sitterly)
Pages: 33
This instruction implements Air Force Policy Document (AFPD) 36-26, Total Force
Development, and establishes the Air Force (AF) Space Professional Development Program
(SPDP) for career management and professional development of AF space professionals. It
outlines SPDP roles and responsibilities and describes the SPDP certification program, designed
to develop a cadre of space professionals to effectively support AF space operations, planning,
programming and acquisition. SPDP certification is founded on education, training and
experience milestones that ensure purposeful development of space professionals. Experience
tracking and documentation is accomplished through the use of Space Professional Experience
Codes (SPEC), alpha-numeric identifiers that characterize space-unique experience and the
requirements associated with space billets. SPDP certification is also the basis for award of the
Space Badge. This Air Force Instruction (AFI) does not supersede existing AFIs. It applies to
Air Force Reserve Command (AFRC) and Air National Guard (ANG) units. The guidance in this
AFI complements and should be implemented in conjunction with existing personnel, career
field management, and military education and training AFIs. Refer recommended changes and
questions about this publication to the Office of Primary Responsibility (OPR) using the AF IMT
847, Recommendation for Change of Publication; route AF IMT 847s from the field through
the appropriate functional’s chain of command. Ensure that all records created as a result of
processes prescribed in this publication are maintained in accordance with AFMAN 33-363,
Management of Records, and disposed of in accordance with the Air Force Records Disposition
Schedule (RDS) located at https://www.my.af.mil/gcss-af61a/afrims/afrims/.
This instruction applies to Total Force space professionals but is focused on officer and enlisted
members since the civilian portion of SPDP is still in development. Future versions of this
instruction will outline SPDP in detail for civilian space professionals.
