Sandra Erwin
NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. — U.S. companies in the emerging in-space servicing, assembly, and manufacturing (ISAM) sector are working to better understand military needs as the U.S. Space Force prepares to rely on commercial firms for satellite refueling and other orbital services, industry officials said this week.
The push comes as military space operations evolve beyond traditional fixed-orbit satellites toward more agile spacecraft capable of sustained maneuvering to counter threats in space.
“When we start to talk about dynamic space operations, the ears of our U.S. Space Command and U.S. Space Force members perk up,” said Monty Greer, outreach coordinator for the COSMIC consortium at the Aerospace Corp., speaking Sept. 23 during a panel discussion at the Air Space & Cyber conference.
COSMIC, or Consortium for Space Mobility and ISAM Capabilities, is a national coalition working to facilitate the operational, technical and policy integration of ISAM capabilities now being developed by commercial space firms. The consortium includes representatives from government, academia and private industry.
Military terminology
Topics like “dynamic space operations” and “sustained space maneuver” are now part of regular conversations within the consortium, Greer said. These military phrases refer to the ability for satellites to conduct continuous or frequent maneuvering rather than remaining in fixed or highly predictable orbits, and to maneuver rapidly, unpredictably and frequently to counter adversary threats and enable responsive actions such as evasion and deception in orbit.
In consortium meetings, military officials stress that these capabilities go beyond simply extending satellite operational life by adding fuel, but would also enable satellites to survive threats and create challenges for adversaries, Greer explained.
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