Space Force keeping the 'responsive launch' dream alive

Millennium Space Systems built the Victus Nox satellite for the Tactically Responsive Space-3 mission. Credit: Millennium Space Systems For decades, the promise of a faster and more responsive launch capability has seduced military strategists who have looked for ways to get satellites to orbit quickly in response to adversary threats or intelligence demands. With help from congressional advocates, the U.S. Space Force is embarking on new initiatives to compress mission timelines that typically take months or years to weeks or even days. One such effort is Victus Nox, a mission the Space Force awarded to Firefly Aerospace and Millennium Space…