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The US may be taking space warfare too seriously, so much so that the US Space Force is preparing for warfare in space.
To that effect, the US space military branch is teaming up with two companies to showcase how it would tackle threats in space, marking a significant step in preparing for potential foes beyond Earth.
The US Space Force has granted contracts totaling $62 million to Rocket Lab and True Anomaly as part of its Victus Haze mission. As outlined in a statement released on Thursday, these contracts are expected to simulate real-life scenarios where the US space military branch would respond to threats in orbit.
According to the statement, Rocket Lab is contracted to construct and launch a spacecraft using its Electron rocket. True Anomaly is tasked with developing a spaceship capable of rendezvous, surveillance, and proximity operations. It also has to provide a command and control center. The mission is slated for 2025 and will give each company mission plans to execute.
During the mission, the Space Force will use the two spacecraft to simulate potentially threatening situations in space. This could include scenarios such as satellites posing a danger to US spacecraft or foreign satellites and spacecraft engaging in espionage activities against US military satellites.
Colonel Bryon McClain, program executive officer for Space Domain Awareness and Combat Power at the Space System Command, highlighted the importance of leveraging innovations from the commercial space industry to counter emerging threats, particularly from countries like China. “VICTUS HAZE will demonstrate, under operationally realistic conditions, our ability to respond to irresponsible behavior in orbit,” he is quoted to say.
This latest development aligns with the Space Force’s previous depiction of a futuristic battle in orbit, where a spaceplane intercepted an “adversary” satellite to protect a “friendly” satellite.
The Space Force is critical to safeguarding America’s interests in space. Its responsibilities include managing space launches, tracking orbiting objects, and maintaining essential satellites such as global positioning, weather, and communication satellites.
The collaborative effort with private companies underscores the Space Force’s dedication to staying ahead in space defense, preparing for any potential conflicts that may arise beyond Earth’s atmosphere.
