The United States Space Force has successfully completed his first tactical interception of an orbital targeta test in which two satellites from private companies maneuvered in space to simulate the detection, approach and inspection of a potentially adversary ship, Space.com reports. The interception should not be understood as an impact or a physical capture, but rather consisted of locate the target, approach it, track it, photograph it, characterize it and then move away to a safe orbit.
The mission is called Victus Haze and is part of the program TacRSthe acronym in English for Tactically Responsive Space. If a non-cooperative satellite appears in an orbit of interest, the United States wants to demonstrate that it can react in a matter of hours and not months. First with a quick launch and then with an orbital maneuver capable of identifying what that object is and what it is doing.
The test comes shortly after Rocket Lab broke a record for preparation for space flight. The company launched the satellite Pumaclass Pioneeraboard a rocket Electron on June 19 from New Zealandonly 16 hours and 42 minutes after receiving the launch order from the Space Force.
Puma was the second satellite of Victus Haze. In orbit I was already waiting JACKAL-0004a vehicle True Anomaly released in May in a Falcon 9 of SpaceX.
Puma was once in space, Jackal was tasked with acquiring the target, approaching it and obtaining images from different angles. True Anomaly assures that the orbital operation is completed in 61 hours, 11 hours before the set limit of 72. The company has explained that ‘Jackal worked exactly as planneddemonstrating precise propulsion ignitions and a nominal approach, autonomous closed-loop tracking, precision pointing, imaging and characterization of the target before moving away and returning to its base orbit.’
The maneuver is new for the Space Force in this operational format, but it does not make the United States the first country to bring satellites closer to other objects in orbit. Russia and China have carried out encounter and proximity operations for years with inspection or surveillance satellites, dual-use technologies that can be used for inspection, maintenance or military intelligence. Another distinct category is destructive anti-satellite tests, such as those carried out by China in 2007, India in 2019 or Russia in 2021which destroyed targets and generated space debris.
The achievement of Victus Haze is in demonstrating the US military’s ability to respond quickly to a suspicious object. ‘Victus Haze is prepared to continue demonstrating our willingness to rely on our business partners to deny, disrupt and counter any adversary advantage, no matter where they try to operate in space‘said the colonel Bryon McClainacting portfolio acquisition officer for the Space Force.
True Anomaly summarizes the mission objective in that ‘Victus Haze demonstrates that responsive launching and responsive characterization are a single capability. Acquire a new object in a matter of hours, close the geometry and deliver the images. The next step is cadence: faster, more frequently and in more orbits‘.