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Firm wins Space Force funding to provide an “aircraft carrier” in orbit

In 2023, the US Space Force demonstrated tactically responsive launch capabilities, aiming to rapidly deploy satellites in response to threats, exemplified by Firefly's Alpha rocket launch.
The US military seeks tactically responsive launch capability to address rapidly developing threats in space, such as the disabling of a national defense satellite.
Gravitics, a Seattle-based space company, received a $60 million STRATFI award from SpaceWERX, the Space Force's commercial outreach arm, to develop an Orbital Carrier, a derivative of commercial space station modules, designed to house and deploy maneuverable space vehicles in multiple orbits, potentially as early as next year.
According to CEO Colin Doughan, the Orbital Carrier is a "game-changer, acting as a pre-positioned launch pad in space," bypassing traditional launch constraints and enabling rapid on-demand deployment of satellites.
The Orbital Carrier is intended to shield satellites from the harsh space environment, obfuscate them from observation, and offer a faster, more flexible response to orbital threats from nations like Russia and China, contributing to the US and its allies' space superiority.

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Defense One

Center

Space Force plans to put a multisatellite ‘carrier’ into orbit

Gravitics gets an up-to-$60 million contract to build a satellite that can spit out other satellites as needed.

7 days ago·Washington, United States

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Space News

Center

Gravitics wins SpaceWERX award for tactically responsive space system

Gravitics, a company developing commercial space station modules, has won a Space Force award to leverage that technology for tactically responsive space. The post Gravitics wins SpaceWERX award for tactically responsive space system appeared first on SpaceNews.

8 days ago·Mojave, United States

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Ars Technica

Center

Firm wins Space Force funding to provide an “aircraft carrier” in orbit

Taking tactically responsive space to the next level. Literally.

8 days ago·United States

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Futurism

Lean Left

The Space Force Is Working on an Aircraft Carrier for Space

Orbital Carrier Space startup Gravitics has been awarded a $60 million contract by the US Space Force to develop an "orbital carrier" that can deploy satellites from orbit. As Ars Technica reports, such a spacecraft could give the military a much faster way to respond to threats to national security in orbit compared to sending a satellite on a rocket into space. While many questions remain about what exactly this carrier could be capable of — u…

8 days ago

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futurezone.at

Space Force appoints a "Airplane Carrier for Space"

The Orbital Carrier is to be stationed in space and launch hunting satellites if necessary.

5 days ago

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Génération-NT

U.S. Space Force explores the idea of a space carrier

In the face of growing space threats, it will be necessary to be able to respond quickly. Among the solutions under consideration, the Space Force evaluates the value of a satellite-carrying device ready to be deployed.

6 days ago

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