Two private space companies, True Anomaly and Rocket Lab, are now flying orbital missions on behalf of the US Space Force, according to TechCrunch.
TechCrunch describes the work as "Top Gun-style" satellite fly-bys carried out for the US military. In plain terms, that means privately operated spacecraft maneuvering close to other objects in orbit — the space equivalent of a fighter jet flying up alongside another aircraft to get a close look.
The framing points to a shift in how the military approaches operations in orbit. Rather than relying solely on government-built and government-flown hardware, the Space Force is drawing on commercial operators to conduct these maneuvering missions. TechCrunch characterizes the people running them as "private space pilots," underscoring that the flying is being done by companies outside the traditional defense-manufacturing world.
True Anomaly is a startup focused on spacecraft built for close-approach operations, while Rocket Lab is an established launch and space-systems company. Their involvement signals that the commercial space sector is moving beyond launching satellites and into actively operating them for national-security purposes.
The available reporting does not specify the number of missions, the specific satellites involved, contract values, or operational outcomes, so those details remain unstated.
Why it matters: The story shows the US military increasingly leaning on private companies not just to reach orbit but to conduct sensitive maneuvering missions there — a sign of how commercial firms are becoming central players in space as a contested strategic domain.