Tag: Space Systems Command
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Rocket Lab Launches U.S. Space Force Mission in Under 17 Hours After Call-Up
Rocket Lab has successfully launched a responsive space mission for the U.S. Space Force, deploying a spacecraft less than 17 hours after receiving a launch order as part of the Victus Haze mission. The mission, conducted under the U.S. Space Force’s Tactically Responsive Space (TacRS) program, lifted off aboard a Rocket Lab Electron rocket from…
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Space Systems Command Expands COMSO Working Capital Fund
How is Space Systems Command streamlining commercial space acquisitions? Space Systems Command’s Commercial Space Office (COMSO) is expanding its Working Capital Fund and finalizing Commercial Augmentation Space Reserve (CASR) funding structures to accelerate commercial space acquisitions for national security missions. The initiative aims to reduce procurement timelines from traditional multi-year defense contracting cycles to months,…
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ULA’s Vulcan Rocket Completes Space Force Mission Despite Booster Anomaly
United Launch Alliance’s Vulcan rocket successfully carried multiple U.S. Space Force payloads to geosynchronous orbit on Feb. 12, despite encountering a performance anomaly with one of its solid rocket boosters early in flight, the company said. The mission, designated USSF-87, lifted off shortly after 4 a.m. from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida on…
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DiskSat Gains Commercial Traction After Successful Launch to Orbit
A newly developed disc-shaped satellite platform known as DiskSat has entered commercial use shortly after reaching orbit, with two companies signing agreements to adapt the design for specialized missions. Developed with support from NASA and the Space Systems Command, DiskSat is engineered for rapid deployment via rideshare launches and optimized for operations in very low…
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Vulcan suffers solid rocket booster problem during USSF-87 launch
An anomalous plume is visible from one of the Vulcan’s solid rocket motors during the launch of the USSF-87 mission on Feb. 12, 2026. Image: Adam Bernstein/Spaceflight Now. United Launch Alliance said an issue affected one of the four solid rocket boosters that helped propel its Vulcan rocket into space Thursday on a mission for…
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ULA to launch geosynchronous orbit surveillance satellite for the U.S. Space Force
United Launch Alliance’s Vulcan rocket, designation V-005, is seen at the pad at Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station prior to the launch of the USSF-87 mission for the U.S. Space Force. Image: Michael Cain/Spaceflight Now United Launch Alliance is gearing up for a predawn launch of its Vulcan rocket on…
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U.S. Space Force Nears Contractor Decisions for RG-XX GEO Surveillance Satellites
The U.S. Space Force expects to select contractors by March 2026 for its Geosynchronous Reconnaissance & Surveillance (RG-XX) program, a new generation of satellites aimed at improving monitoring of objects and potential threats in geostationary orbit, program officials said. The RG-XX effort is designed as a “proliferated” constellation, relying on a larger number of commercially…
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U.S. Space Force Updates Command Plan, Sets 2026 Commitments to Speed Capability Delivery
The U.S. Space Force’s Space Systems Command (SSC) has updated its command plan and outlined key commitments for 2026, aiming to accelerate the delivery of resilient and combat-ready space capabilities as threats in orbit continue to grow. Lt. Gen. Philip Garrant, head of SSC, presented the revised plan during a keynote address at AFCEA’s Space…
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TrustPoint Demonstrates GPS-Independent Time Transfer for LEO Navigation System
TrustPoint said it has completed a key ground-to-space time-transfer and tracking demonstration for its Low Earth Orbit Navigation System (LEONS), a milestone the company described as advancing its goal of offering a commercial, GPS-independent positioning, navigation and timing service. The work was carried out under the SpaceWERX Alternative PNT (AltPNT) Challenge, according to a Jan.…
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U.S. Space Force switches rockets for upcoming GPS satellite launch
The GPS III Space Vehicle 09, the ninth GPS III spacecraft, is pictured traveling by road from Lockheed Martin facilities in Denver, CO, to Florida’s Space Coast. Image: Lockheed Martin The next Global Positioning System satellite is switching from a United Launch Alliance Vulcan rocket to a SpaceX Falcon 9, a spokesperson for the U.S.…