Space Force turns to private sector to close orbital intelligence gaps

True Anomaly and Rocket Lab have completed the Victus Haze mission, a complex rendezvous and proximity operation—a space maneuver where two spacecraft meet and operate in close proximity—for the U.S. Space Force. The exercise, which was completed last week, represents a significant milestone in private sector orbital reconnaissance. The U.S. military increasingly views scaling up reconnaissance as a challenge best handled by the private sector.

The June mission involved high-speed maneuvers in orbit. According to True Anomaly CEO Even Rogers, “this is probably the most complex rendezvous and proximity operation between two spacecraft in modern history.” During the exercise, Rocket Lab’s Puma spacecraft and True Anomaly’s Jackal spacecraft successfully met up in orbit. The technical specifications of the exercise included:

• Launch response: Rocket Lab launched the Puma spacecraft 16 hours and 42 minutes after receiving notice.
• Target identification: True Anomaly’s Jackal spacecraft used onboard sensors to identify the Puma target from a distance of 2,000 kilometers.
• Orbital speed: Both spacecraft operated while traveling at speeds approaching 17,500 mph.

The exercise comes as the U.S. Space Force, created in 2019, seeks to address what Rogers describes as gaps in its collection capability. Rogers stated that the military currently has gaps in its collection capability, noting that China and Russia regularly launch capabilities to space, making it the Space Force’s job to understand them. This understanding is increasingly critical as the U.S., Russia, and China are deploying novel space weapons. To address these gaps, the military is turning to the private sector through initiatives like the Space Force’s $6.2 billion Andromeda program, a U.S. Space Force program for private sector maneuverable reconnaissance.

True Anomaly, founded in 2022, is positioning itself to compete for future task orders under the Andromeda program. The startup has raised just over $1 billion in total capital, which includes a $650 million funding round in March. Seth Winterroth, a partner at Eclipse Ventures who sits on True Anomaly’s board, stated that the company’s core advantage lies in its deep understanding of tactics and doctrine in this domain, rather than a single spacecraft architecture or software package. Rogers added that demonstrated capability and flight heritage are critical for securing these opportunities.

Why it matters

The Victus Haze mission demonstrates that the private sector can successfully execute complex orbital reconnaissance and inspection tasks for the U.S. military, helping to address identified gaps in collection capability.