The US Space Force works with two companies to conduct a demonstration mission that will show how the military department will respond to threats from near-Earth orbit.
As part of the Victus Haze mission, the Space Forces signed a $32 million contract with Rocket Lab and another $30 million contract with True Anomaly to “work out a realistic threat response scenario in the conditions of orbital space,” according to a published statement from the department.
The mission is scheduled to launch in 2025. Rocket Lab is currently building its own spacecraft, which will be launched using an Electron rocket. True Anomaly will create an apparatus capable of performing rendezvous operations, as well as provide a command and control center.
Once in orbit, the Space Forces will use two spacecraft to work out scenarios that can be perceived as a threat: whether it is a satellite aiming to destroy an American spacecraft, or spying on an American military satellite in order to collect intelligence information.
“We recognize the significant opportunity to leverage the commercial space industry’s innovations to counter China as America’s pacing threat. VICTUS HAZE will demonstrate, under operationally realistic conditions, our ability to respond to irresponsible behavior in orbit,” said Colonel Bryon McClain, head of the Space Domain Awareness & Combat Power program.
Previously, such space wars were depicted only as illustrations of retro-futuristic battles in orbit. But now such threats have become a reality. Therefore, the US Space Forces are clearly preparing for the inevitable battle that will take place at the last turn.
The new military department was created in December 2019 to protect America’s growing interests in space. The Space Force is responsible for managing space launches, tracking objects in orbit, maintaining global positioning satellites, various meteorological and communication satellites, and promoting the development of space capabilities. Now the orbital military department is preparing for a space war.
Earlier, we reported on how the general of the US Space Forces did not understand the meaning of the existence of a strange Pentagon unit.
According to gizmodo.com
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