United Launch Alliance (ULA) foresees its new, robust Vulcan Centaur rocket as playing a crucial role in protecting satellites from potential dangers in space.
Centaur, which serves as the upper stage of the Vulcan Centaur, is intended for orbital deployment. During the recent Spacepower Conference held in Orlando, Florida, ULA CEO Tory Bruno mentioned that Centaur could be modified to operate defensively in orbit.
Should a rival threaten U.S. Space Force assets, the Centaur could serve as a “space interceptor,” capable of rapid action for defense. “What I’ve been conceptualizing is basically a rocket that functions in space,” Bruno stated on Dec. 12, as reported by SpaceNews.
Bruno articulated a vision for space defense in a blog entry dated Dec. 4, where he highlighted that while the military relies increasingly on space, U.S. military assets in this realm currently lack protection. “To maintain peace,” Bruno wrote, “we must also establish a credible space defense.”
In the entry, Bruno examines satellites designed to harm or disrupt other spacecraft, referring to them as “satellite killers.” However, he mentioned that these satellites are only capable of slow maneuvers due to tiny thrusters and a limited supply of low-energy propellant, resulting in current satellites potentially taking days or weeks to approach their objectives.
The proposed orbital defense by Bruno would employ swift actions in space utilizing powerful thrusters and a significant energy reservoir to thwart any prospective satellite killer within hours, before it can reach its intended target. “What I envision is a fleet of rapid, long-range, destructive interceptors,” Bruno writes. “To draw a parallel with naval terms, we require destroyers in orbit, the Greyhounds of Space.”
Bruno’s blog post further emphasizes the necessity of neutralizing hostile satellites in a manner that avoids generating a large debris field, as space debris lingers in low orbit for weeks and for centuries in high orbit.
Space debris poses a risk to everything in its trajectory. “There are no national boundaries in space,” Bruno points out. “It is a shared environment, utilized by all.”
In the meantime, the Space Force is establishing itself as a “foundation” of U.S. defense and claims it can navigate the challenges resulting from an increasingly crowded and contested space environment.
“Space is no longer a haven. It has become a contested area,” Space Force Indo-Pacific commander Brig. Gen. Anthony J. Mastalir stated at the 2024 Spacepower Conference in Orlando, Florida. “Our objective is to ensure that we can function in that space and continue to offer support across all conflict zones.”
After successfully concluding Vulcan Centaur’s second certification mission on Oct. 4, ULA is aiming to launch Vulcan Centaur on its first national security mission alongside the Space Force, which is presently planned for late 2024 or early 2025.
Should the Centaur upper stage be enhanced to remain in orbit for prolonged periods to provide defense for Space Force assets, ULA could acquire an essential new capability that may assist the company in the fiercely competitive spaceflight market.