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The Space Force may invest in a maneuverable space vehicle that can be available for an on-demand launch in response to \u201cemerging threats,\u201d according to a new industry notice.<\/p>\n
In a Sept. 18 request for information<\/a>, Space Systems Command\u2019s Space Safari program office\u2014which leads the service\u2019s Tactically Responsive Space program\u2014said they\u2019re interested in buying a commercial spacecraft that can perform what are known as rendezvous proximity operations and dock to other satellites. The notice specifies a potential need for the capability as soon as fiscal 2029.\u00a0\t\t<\/p>\n \u201c[The] Space Safari program rapidly acquires, integrates, and deployed space systems to address urgent combatant commander needs and emerging threats outside traditional programs of record,\u201d the notice states. \u201cTo achieve this, the office seeks innovative, cost-efficient solutions for unpredictable mission requirements.\u201d<\/p>\n The notice doesn\u2019t spell out how many of these vehicles the Space Force might buy but identifies a target \u201ctasking-to-launch\u201d timeline of 14 days. It also stresses the need for modular systems that can integrate a variety of payloads should the service need to swap a system at the last minute.<\/p>\n The Space Force defines Tactically Responsive Space, or TacRS<\/a>, as the ability to quickly respond to on-orbit threats in any number of ways\u2014from launching a rocket on demand to maneuvering an at-the-ready satellite to replace or augment another to buying commercial space capabilities during a conflict.<\/p>\n Space Safari has been demonstrating and progressing new TacRS capabilities over the last few years. In 2023, Firefly\u2019s Alpha rocket launched a Millennium Space Systems payload just 27 hours after receiving launch orders as part of the service\u2019s Victus Nox mission. Then in late 2025 and early 2026, it conducted a tabletop effort and field exercise called Victus Diem aimed at refining its processes for repeatable rapid launch.<\/p>\n