National Harbor, MD. US companies are working to better understand the military needs in the-ravaged in-space servicing, assembly and manufacturing (ISAM) sector as American space force is ready to rely on commercial firms for satellite fuel and other orbital services, industry officials said this week.
The push comes when military space operation develops beyond traditional certain-orbit satellites, which moves towards a more agile spacecraft capable of constantly maneuver to combat threats in space.
“When we begin to talk about dynamic space operations, our US Space Command and US Space Force members ears up,” said Outreach Coordinator for Cosmic Consortium in Aerospace Corp, Monty Greer said, speaking on 23 September during a panel discussion at Air Space and Cyber Conference.
Cosmic, or consortium for space mobility and isam abilities, is a national alliance that is now working to facilitate the operation, technical and policy integration of ISAM capabilities being developed by commercial space firms. The consortium consists of government, academics and representatives of private industry.
Military terminology
Greer said that topics like “Dynamic Space Operations” and “Sustained Space Template” are now part of regular interaction within the consortium. These military phrase refer to the ability to continuously or persistent maneuvers rather than living in certain or highly approximate classes for satellites, and rapidly, unexpectedly and often to combat anti -dangers and enabling responsible actions such as theft and deception in orbit.
In the consortium meetings, military officials emphasized that these abilities are only beyond expanding satellite operating life by adding fuel, but the satellites would also be able to avoid hazards and create challenges for opponents, Greir explained.
Understanding military needs for in-space maneuver and dynamic operation is important for startups and large companies that require space force and American space command as customers, they said. “The first people who want to do so, we think, they are blowing up satellites of the US government.”
Commercial Foundation is taking shape for such services. Companies such as Spacelogistics of Northrop Gramman have demonstrated in-space satellite servicing for commercial customers, and the company is preparing to deploy a new servicing vehicle in 2026.
“There is an opportunity for the government to build on the capacity that we are currently using for the commercial market,” said Rob Hauz, president of Spacelogistics at the conference.
Space Force Major General Dennis Bitewood, special assistant to head of space operation, explained that the army is demanding “the movement and maneuver of spacecraft to gain some level of capacity against an opponent.”
Life beyond detail
In the ISAM region, continuous space maneuver is seen as a more advanced capacity than life expansion, as the army is now imagining the satellites that “can” take action … maybe take the next location and take more action. It is continuous by fuel filling and refinance, “Greer said.
Unlike traditional satellites, satellites with constant maneuver, limited to stations of stations or repulsion, can change their position and orbital path unexpectedly, making them difficult to target or track them by the opponents.
Greer suggested that the sensor and interceptor satellites imagined for the Golden Dome missile defense system may require these capabilities as they could be targeted by the opponent, Greer suggested. He said, “We will see how it plays.
Space force studies requirements
Baiwood stated that space force continues to analyze its needs and is working to define them more clearly. “In some cases, the answer is, I am going to expand a mission that is largely stable or requires a new payload or upgrade. The other missions are naturally run by maneuver,” he said.
The next question is “What is the architecture that we need to make a place that will enable” constant space maneuver, he said.
The Space System Command has established an office focused on space logistics, including filling in-arbituration fuel. Separately, Baiwood said, “We have stopped some concept work that will flow during next year, see what are the military benefits of movement and maneuver.”
“In particular, what kind of movement and maneuver within our domain run the most military benefits, and what are the architectural options that we have to apply to be viable,” he said.
“We are kicking the work which is really ‘hey, this is a good thing,”, in particular, what are we looking for for profit? How will we architect it to distribute that profit, and what are its implications on the structure of the future? ” Bythwood said.
Infrastructure requirements
Hedging said that achieving continuous maneuver in geostative class would probably depend on techniques such as in-arbitra fuel filling and more efficient propulsion systems, as traditional satellites are limited by their onboard fuel, which disrupts both lifetime and maneuver options.
A dedicated logistics infrastructure is required to provide continuous maneuver for satellites, especially in geostationary orbit, to support fuel and repair. With this citizens and commercial applications, the industry is still looking at the army to become an anchor customer.
The space force is funding the development of fuel-filling vehicles and in-orbit fueling experiments. It is also supporting the development of the commercial robotic servicing “Space Tug” spacecraft that enables in-space repair, swapping of components, and can help reproduce satellites, manage unsuccessful or damaged units and provide spare parts in-space.
Officials and industry officials say continuous satellite maneuver requires a multi-layered logistics infrastructure that includes on-orbit fuel-filling spacecraft, servicing vehicles, standardized hardware interfaces, and the industry is looking at space force to help them remove these capabilities.
Test Case: RG-XX Nakshatra
A major test case for “Dynamic Space Operations” would be whether the Space Force will have a fuel infrastructure that will be available to support the future constellations of the future monitoring satellites, the service will need to fill fuel in space.
The future constellations of satellites will be acquired in the coming years to replace the Giosinkronous Space Status Awareness Program (GSSAP) constellation. GSSAP satellites face significant operating obstacles as they cannot maneuver due to fuel restrictions, as their limited onboard fuels severely interrupted their operating flexibility and accountability.
GSSAP satellites are tasked with the “Neberhood Watch” surveillance in the Geosinkronous Orbit, tracking objects and dangers, but because they cannot make maneuvers independently or often without using their finite fuel, their ability to respond rapidly in class or threatening items is limited to their ability to respond rapidly, officials are limited.
The new program, called RG-XX, “needs to be absolutely fuel,” Major General Stephen Puree, Top Acquisition Officer of The Space Force, told reporters at the Air Space and Cyber Conference on 24 September. “I said, and was very extremist about it, to be blunt,” he said. “The US Space Command is very open about that wish for on-orbit servicing and mobility.”
Commercial service model
Puree, who served as the Acting Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for space acquisition and integration, said that the plan is to select several satellite suppliers to build and launch the RG-XX spacecraft. The program is still at the stage of the initial plan, but the puree was clear that anyone who manufactures these satellites must ensure that they can fill the fuel so that the army is able to maneuver these satellites are able to maneuver, as needed without worrying about getting out of fuel.
“I can ask them to bring their own fuel,” he said. “I want the ability to fully fill a fuel.”
These RG-XX satellites depict the concept of constant maneuvers. They need to stay in class for many years and as they get out of fuel, changing them with new people is not an option. It would take many years to secure funding and achieve new satellites, “and it would have been very fast if I was a fuel to fuel it,” he said. “The fuel -filling can be a perfectly contractor, the contractor can operate, and I will buy fuel as a service.”
Purdy stated that the use of commercial services for space maneuver and logistics is part of the long-term commercial strategy of space force and the RG-XX program will help accelerate it. “So it is a matter of active debate on which we are working right now.”
