Published : 12 Sep 2026, 01:53 AM
Updated : 16 Sep 2026, 11:49 AM
The United States military has carried out its first-ever orbital exercise for military spacecraft, manoeuvring satellites in a simulated conflict environment to test their ability to outmanoeuvre and survive attacks in space, The Independent reports.
The inaugural live-fly drill, dubbed Apollo Maneuvers 2026, was conducted by US Space Command and involved repositioning military satellites across multiple orbits in what officials have described as orbital dogfighting -- a term borrowed from close aerial combat among fighter jets.
General Stephen Whiting, commander of US Space Command, said static and predictable orbits leave military assets exposed.
"Operating from a static, predictable orbit leaves our assets fighting from an easily targeted, fixed position," he said.
"To perform, survive, and gain advantage in the space domain, we need manoeuvrability and survivability in our capabilities."
The exercise involved international partners and comes as rival powers, including China and Russia, are accelerating their own satellite-manoeuvring capabilities -- raising concerns about the potential for spacecraft to be used to spy on, disable, or destroy critical space-based infrastructure such as communications networks and global positioning systems.
Low-Earth orbit has grown increasingly crowded and contested, with military planners warning that the ability to reposition satellites rapidly could prove decisive in any future conflict extending into space.
Whiting said the exercise allowed the military to refine tactics, test logistics under pressure, and identify satellite servicing requirements.
"Executing coordinated activities across multiple orbits through live-fly elements enables us to reinforce the warfighting advantage of our partnerships," he said.
US Space Force Vice Chief of Space Operations General Michael A Guetlein has used the term orbital dogfighting to describe the kind of close-quarters satellite manoeuvring the exercise was designed to rehearse.
The US Space Force was established in 2019 as a distinct branch of the armed forces under President Donald Trump, alongside the reestablishment of US Space Command as a unified combatant command.
Space Command is responsible for directing military operations in space, while Space Force organises, trains, and equips personnel for the domain.
Apollo Maneuvers 2026 marks the first time the United States has publicly conducted a live-fly orbital exercise of this kind, signalling a shift toward treating space as an active warfighting domain rather than a passive support layer for ground-based operations.
