He United States Space Command has held its first exercise Apollo Maneuvers with real satellites that maneuvered in orbit within simulated conflict scenarios. According to Space.com, the tests had international partners and sought to advance techniques for fighting in space.
This command brings together resources and personnel from the different branches of the Armed forcesincluding the Space Force. It has not been detailed how many satellites participated or what they were, but The operations covered low, medium and geosynchronous orbitsaccording to Air & Space Forces.
The exercise aims to practice how to move ships to gain tactical advantage and maintain logistical support when an adversary tries to prevent it. It also serves to develop procedures that allow the operations of the United States and its allies to be coordinated.
The general Stephen N. Whitingcommander of Space Command, explained the objective before the tests. ‘We will use some of our current satellites and work with partners to demonstrate what are some of the requirements and capabilities needed to maneuver to gain an advantage, and not just when it is necessary to change orbital position.’
Whiting already pointed out in the Space Symposium of the Space Foundation in 2025 that The United States needs ‘orbital interceptors’ to fight in space. ‘And what do we call this? We call them weapons, and we need them to deter a space conflict and to prevail if we end up in a conflict of that type,’ he stated.
The ability to move in a sustained manner occupies a central place in these military plans. ‘The side that can maneuver sustainably and on a large scale will set the pace of operations in orbit’says a Space Command document.
Military officials use the English expression dogfighting to describe some of these maneuvers between satellites. In aviation it refers to close-range aerial combat between fighters, in which pilots compete in skill and firepower.
Its adaptation to space describes coordinated movements of approach and departure between nearby ships. The general Michael A. Guetleinvice head of Space Operationsexplained it as ‘objects in space that maneuver towards, away from and moving around each other in a synchronized and controlled manner’. Guetlein made this statement at a 2025 conference when commenting Chinese satellite operations observed in the previous year. The use of the term dogfighting does not imply that weapons were used and the information available on Apollo Maneuvers describes maneuvers in a simulated conflict.
Although this is the first edition of Apollo Maneuvers, United States had already carried out orbital warfare training and tests with real ships.
A recent precedent is the mission Victus Hazewhich in June 2026 brought a satellite into orbit Puma of Rocket Lab and a ship jackal of True Anomaly. Both vehicles maneuvered close to each other to simulate ‘dynamic confrontations’.
These tests are part of the preparations for a possible conflict that affects the satellites. Several countries develop capabilities to approach an adversary’s vehicles and destroy them, disable them or interfere with their communications and in obtaining intelligence information.