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 — unsurprising, considering the sensitive nature of the plans — it's yet another sign that the US military is looking to beef up its presence in orbit, highlighting a brewing "space arms race."

Space Superiority

Gravitics officials told Ars that the carrier will provide unpressurized space to house one or more satellites, which can be deployed at will in orbit. The goal is to isolate them from the hostile space environment, sparing their batteries and other sensitive electronics.

The carrier could also help hide the satellites from adversaries.

"The Orbital Carrier is a game-changer, acting as a pre-positioned launch pad in space," said CEO Colin Doughan in a statement. "It bypasses traditional launch constraints, enabling space vehicle operators to rapidly select a deployment orbit on-demand."

Other than developing an orbital carrier, Gravitics has already started working with space startup Axiom Space on a pressurized space module.

Given the latest development, the company is now looking to expand into the national defense sector as well.

"The vision is space superiority," Doughan told Ars. "We think that vision is very compatible with both a Department of Defense product line as well as a commercial one."

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