Topic: space-force

Private spacecraft are now flying the US Space Force's orbital patrols

• In a sign of how far the military is leaning on private industry in orbit, two commercial spacecraft — one built by a startup, the other by Rocket Lab — carried out a rapid-response chase-and-inspect mission for the US Space Force in June, tracking down and photographing a target satellite in what one executive called one of the most complex maneuvers of its kind.