As the Pentagon eyes increasing threats in space — from on-orbit debris to enemy spacecraft flying too close for comfort — U.S. Space Command wants its surveillance satellites to be more maneuverable.
SPACECOM’s Deputy Commander Lt. Gen. John Shaw said during a Jan. 24 National Security Space Association conference that need for mobility is driving the command to explore options for what he called “dynamic space operations.”
The need, he said, is most evident in the Space Force’s fleet of surveillance satellites that observe activities in space from geosynchronous orbit, about 22,000 miles above the Earth. Ideally, those satellites would move around their orbit to view new areas or to dodge debris or adversary spacecraft. However, because they have a limited amount of fuel and need to stay active until the end of their service life, they’re relatively static.
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