US Space Force to launch “hundreds of satellites” to better protect its assets from Russia and China
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket booster carrying a payload of two WorldView Legion satellites. (Photo: US Space Force)
As part of the Evolved Strategic SATCOM programme, the service intends to operate a swarm of smaller, cheaper LEO satellites.
The risks posed by Chinese and Russian anti-satellite weapons (ASAT) have led the US Space Force (USSF) towards focusing on the operation of a swarm of smaller, cheaper low-Earth orbit (LEO) assets instead of relying on powerful, larger-sized, expensive satellites.
The approach is part of the US$8 billion Evolved Strategic (ESS) satellite communications (SATCOM) programme. The new assets will replace the in-service Advanced Extremely High Frequency (AEHF) satellite constellation.
“In the next couple of years, we are looking to launch hundreds of satellites up into LEO to build a resilient constellation of satellites,” claimed Melissa Dalton, undersecretary of the US Air
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