Space Systems Command last Thursday evening successfully launched the VICTUS NOX tactically responsive space (TacRS) mission in record time, achieving launch-ready status within 24 hours of launch notice and then lifting off 27 hours of that same notice.
In June 2021, SSC launched TacRL-2, setting a then responsive space launch record of 21 days.
For VICTUS NOX, a Firefly Aerospace Alpha launch vehicle lifted a Millennium Space Systems-built satellite into low-Earth orbit for a space domain awareness mission. The launch occurred at 7:28 p.m. PDT on Sept. 14 from Vandenberg Space Force Base in Califorinia.
After reaching orbit, Millennium has 48 hours to initialize the space vehicle and begin operations. Millennium is a Boeing [BA] company.
VICTUS NOX and TacRL-2 are led by Space Systems Command’s Space Safari Program Office, which is driving down the timelines for space missions, stretching from acquisition through on-orbit operations.
“The success of VICTUS NOX marks a culture shift in our nation’s ability to deter adversary aggression and, when required, respond with the operational speed necessary to deliver decisive capabilities to our warfighters,” Lt. Gen. Michael Guetlein, commander of Space Systems Command, said in a statement last Friday. “This exercise is part of an end-to-end Tactically Responsive Space demonstration which proves the United States Space Force can rapidly integrate capabilities and will respond to aggression when called to do so on tactically relevant timelines.”
Space Systems Command is the field command of the U.S. Space Force responsible for delivering space capabilities.
Millennium in October 2022 announced it was selected to build the spacecraft for VICTUS NOX. The satellite was built at the company’s facilities near Los Angeles, about 165 miles southeast of Vandenberg.
VICTUS NOX entered the hot-standby phase on Aug. 30, opening a six-month window in which Firefly and Millennium would be give the go-ahead to proceed. Once the nod to proceed was given, the companies were given an alert that opened a 60-hour window requiring the satellite to be delivered to Vandenberg for final testing, fueling, and integration with the Alpha launch vehicle payload adaptor.
Space Systems Command said the testing, fueling and payload adaptor integration took 58 hours versus the usual weeks or months.
After the 60-hour window closed, the Space Systems Command had up to 30 days to give Firefly a launch notice and final orbit requirements, initiating a 24-hour period for the company to update the flight software, encapsulate the payload, transport it to the launch pad, mate it to Alpha, and then be ready to lift-off at the first available launch window.
After Alpha deployed the satellite at the target destination, Firefly successfully tested an Alpha stage two relight and targeted re-entry. The relight involved re-firing the Lightning engine on the stage. The relight and targeted re-entry was performed to responsibly de-orbit the second stage, the company said.
The mission was Firefly’s third flight. The company said it is ramping up production of Alpha for upcoming launches in support of Lockheed Martin [LMT], NASA, the National Reconnaissance Office, and more.
Firefly is a portfolio company of the private equity firm AE Industrial Partners.