A spokesperson for Space System Command's Space Safari office told Breaking Defense that the Victus Sol launch date, payload type, capability requirements and mission objective "will not be disclosed at this time in accordance with mission requirements."
"This BAA helps NRO advance emerging technologies across launch, on-orbit support, and command & control," said Col. Eric J. Zarybnisky, director of NRO's Office of Space Launch.
Cyber resilience has become a frontline mission for the US military. Breaking Defense’s new eBook rounds up key reporting from the 2025 Alamo ACE conference with the latest developments in cyber offense and defense.
Breaking Defense was given exclusive space tracking information showing the unique path of the Russian system, one experts say is the reason for US government warnings about space-based nuclear weapons.
"This will be a modified mission from the Victus Nox mission," David Ryan, space portfolio manager at the Defense Innovation Unit said, noting that "there are two parts of the mission, and DIU is working on a single part with Space Safari."
"This mission highlights significant progress towards meeting emerging challenges in space,” said Lt. Col. MacKenzie Birchenough, materiel leader for SSC's Space Safari office.
The program, called Victus Haze, builds on the on-going Space Systems Command Victus Nox mission to rapidly launch a prototype satellite for keeping tabs on objects in low Earth orbit.
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"It's challenging. It's not the status quo. We're pushing the envelope with the Space Force," Millennium CEO Jason Kim told Breaking Defense.
“I think now's the time where we need to figure out what is tactically responsive space, and I don't think there's a clear consensus,” said Kurt Eberly, who directs Northrop Grumman’s space launch vehicles business unit.
"We have spent a lot of time admiring the problem of how to be responsive in space," SSC head Lt. Gen. Michael Guetlein said. "We are done admiring the problem and we are getting after the combatant commands' need to truly protect and defend the peaceful use of space."
The Senate version of the 2022 defense appropriations bill also includes $50 million, a House aide explained, but the House version only includes $5 million.
It's been a whirlwind of a year — and the defense establishment has plenty of thoughts on how it's unfolded and what might come next.
The HASC policy bill covers everything from commercial space situational awareness to on-orbit servicing to responsive launch.
The OSP-4 contract vehicle targets both mature launch providers and emerging companies approximately one year from being launch capable, according to SMC.
Space RCO is currently managing 13 classified programs, with another about to be initiated, said Director Mike Roberts.