The United Launch Alliance (ULA) expects its new, powerful Vulcan Centaur rocket to play a key role in defending satellites from potential threats from space.
The upper stage of the Vulcan Centaur, the Centaur, was designed for orbital use. At the recent Spacepower Conference in Orlando, Florida, ULA CEO Tory Bruno said Centaur could be upgraded to provide a defense capability in orbit.
If an adversary puts U.S. Space Force assets at risk, the Centaur can operate as a “space interceptor” capable of acting quickly for defense. “What I’m working on is essentially a rocket that operates in space.” Bruno said on December 12:According to SpaceNews.
Bruno described his vision for space defense as follows: December 4th blog postHe noted that while the military is more dependent on space than ever before, America’s military assets in space are currently defenseless. “To maintain peace, we must also have a reliable space defense system,” Bruno wrote.
In the post, Bruno mentions satellites used to damage or disrupt other spacecraft, calling them “satellite killers.” But he said that because of its small thrusters and limited low-energy propellant storage, the satellite only has the ability to move slowly. So currently, it may take days or even weeks for satellites to reach their targets.
Bruno’s proposed orbital defense would use powerful thrusters and a sufficient energy supply to move quickly through space, stopping potential satellite killers within hours before they reach their target. “I mean a squadron of lightning-fast, long-range and lethal interceptors,” Bruno wrote. “To use a naval analogy, we need a destroyer in orbit, a greyhound in space.”
Bruno’s Medium post also discusses the importance of disabling hostile satellites in a way that does not create large debris fields, as space debris can remain in orbit for weeks in low orbits, or centuries in high orbits.
Space junk threatens to damage everything in its path. “There are no borders in space,” Bruno wrote. “This is a common environment that we all share.”
Meanwhile, the Space Force is positioned as a “cornerstone” of U.S. defense and can face challenges that arise as space becomes more crowded and more competitive, he said.
“Space is no longer a sanctuary. It is a contested domain,” said Brig. General Anthony J. Mastarir He said this at the 2024 Spacepower conference. In Orlando, Florida. “Our mission is to enable operations in those areas and to provide ongoing support across all conflict zones.”
Following the successful completion of the Vulcan Centaur’s second certification mission on October 4, ULA plans to launch the Vulcan Centaur on its first national security mission with the Space Force, currently scheduled for late 2024 or early 2025.
If the Centaur upper stage can be upgraded to remain in orbit for longer periods of time to provide satellite defense for Space Force assets, ULA will have a significant new capability that could benefit the company in the highly competitive spaceflight industry. You can.
