A US military exercise in space got underway with barely anyone noticing Rocket Lab launched a US Space Force satellite, Victus Haze Puma, from New Zealand in a discreet military exercise designed to test rapid response capabilities in low-Earth orbit. The mission aims to demonstrate the military’s ability to quickly deploy and assess potential threats in space by having one satellite inspect another. This exercise follows previous successful responsive space missions and aims to reduce satellite fielding time from years to hours.

• Rocket Lab launched a US Space Force satellite, Victus Haze Puma, from New Zealand with minimal public announcement.
• The mission is part of the Victus Haze exercise, designed to test the US military’s rapid response capabilities in low-Earth orbit.
• The goal is to demonstrate the ability to quickly deploy and assess threats in orbit by having one satellite inspect another.
• Victus Haze involves multiple satellites and partners, including True Anomaly, which built the Jackal satellite being inspected.
• The Space Force aims to reduce the time required to field new satellites from years to hours.
• The total cost of the Victus Haze mission is approximately $92 million. Continue reading https://arstechnica.com/space/2026/06/a-us-military-exercise-in-space-got-underway-with-barely-anyone-noticing/