The U.S. army has requested two space firms to launch a satellite on brief discover.
The U.S. Space Force has awarded contracts to Firefly Aerospace and Boeing subsidiary Millennium Area Programs to mount a mission in 2023 known as Victus Nox (Latin for “conquer the night time”).
“This end-to-end mission will show the US’ capacity to quickly place an asset on orbit when and the place we’d like it, making certain we are able to increase our space capabilities with little or no discover,” Area Programs Command’s Lt. Col. MacKenzie Birchenough stated in a statement (opens in new tab).Â
The Area Power plans to make use of Victus Nox for “space area consciousness,” which is a rising precedence of the army as space visitors will increase in orbit. Based mostly on that description, the mission will probably assist the army discover and monitor spacecraft and space debris that would pose a risk to U.S. orbital belongings.
Associated: US Space Force establishes new unit to track ‘threats in orbit’
Firefly is tasked with launching Victus Nox in 2023 utilizing its Alpha rocket, which just delivered its first satellites to orbit on Oct. 1, whereas Millennium will provide space and floor techniques for the mission. (Millennium will construct and function the satellite, for instance.)
The Area Power didn’t launch the worth of the contracts.
The brand new contracts comply with a profitable June 2021 demonstration mission beneath the army’s Tactically Responsive Area program, which goals to loft missions shortly to interchange or increase satellites, particularly in circumstances of crises or speedy deployments.
The Area Power is the primary new U.S. army department because the Air Power, which was created in 1947. (The Area Power is formally, nonetheless, a part of the Air Power.)Â
Its work is of essential significance, the U.S. army has emphasised, because of emergent threats from Russia and China looking for to challenge the United States’ longtime status because the world’s best space energy.
Observe Elizabeth Howell on Twitter @howellspace (opens in new tab). Observe us on Twitter @Spacedotcom (opens in new tab) or Facebook (opens in new tab).Â
