U.S. Space Force wants satellites that can hunt objects in orbit

The US Space Force is studying responsive satellites able to rendezvous with, inspect and interact with objects across several orbital regimes. Its request for information envisions spacecraft stored for as long as two years, then launched within fourteen days, with more ambitious goals of 36-hour readiness and a twelve-hour launch window. The vehicles would conduct repeated maneuvers in low, medium or highly elliptical orbits and use an open interface for mission payloads. The notice is market research, not a funded acquisition, although the service identifies fiscal 2029 as a potential first-delivery target.