The U.S. Space Force is quietly funding a powerful new weapon in orbit—one that could launch satellites in seconds, dodge enemy attacks, and rewrite the rules of space warfare.

美国太空部队正在悄悄地资助一种强大的轨道新武器，这种武器可以在几秒钟内发射卫星，躲避敌人的攻击，并改写太空战的规则。

The U.S. Space Force has approved up to $60 million in funding to develop an orbital carrier — a spacecraft designed to act as a mobile launchpad in space, capable of deploying satellites or defensive assets without relying on Earth-based infrastructure. The project is led by Gravitics, a Seattle-based aerospace firm, and represents a significant leap toward permanent, tactically responsive platforms in orbit.

美国太空军已批准高达 6000 万美元的资金，用于开发轨道运载器——这种航天器旨在充当太空中的移动发射平台，无需依赖地球基础设施即可部署卫星或防御资产。该项目由西雅图航空航天企业 Gravitics 牵头，标志着朝向打造具有战术响应能力的永久性轨道平台迈出了重大一步。

The orbital carrier concept is being developed under the Space Force’s SpaceWERX division through a Strategic Funding Increase (STRATFI) program. Gravitics, in its public statement, called the platform “a pre-positioned launch pad in space” and said it would give U.S. space operators the ability to “rapidly sext a deployment orbit on demand.”

这一轨道运载概念正在太空军 SpaceWERX 部门的战略资金增量计划（STRATFI）下推进研制。格雷维蒂克斯公司在公开声明中将该平台称为"太空中的前置发射台"，表示它将赋予美国太空操作人员"按需快速选择部署轨道"的能力。

Designed for high-agility deployment, the carrier would enable the rapid launch of payloads in orbit in response to real-time threats — bypassing the weeks or months typically required for ground-based launch systems. The capability comes amid a growing focus on anti-satellite weapons, as both China and Russia accelerate the testing of orbital disruption technologies.

该运载平台专为高度机动部署设计，可绕开地面发射系统通常需要的数周乃至数月准备周期，实时响应威胁快速实施轨道载荷投送。此项能力问世之际，中俄两国正加速测试轨道干扰技术，反卫星武器日益成为关注焦点。

Orbital Launch Without Rockets

无火箭轨道发射


According to Gravitics’ official press release, the company will demonstrate the system through a combination of government funding, Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grants, and private capital. The orbital carrier would carry multiple maneuverable spacecraft capable of performing tasks such as replacing damaged satellites, conducting surveillance, or blocking hostile lines-of-sight.

根据格雷维蒂克斯公司官方新闻稿，该公司将通过政府拨款、小企业创新研究(SBIR)补助金和私人资本相结合的方式验证该系统。该轨道运载平台将搭载多艘可机动航天器，能执行替换受损卫星、开展监视活动或阻断敌对视线等任务。

Gravitics CEO Colin Doughan described the carrier as a “critical initiative” for Space Force operations, noting that it “bypasses traditional launch constraints” and adds “unprecedented flexibility” to U.S. space missions.

Gravitics 公司首席执行官 Colin Doughan 将这一轨道载具称为美国太空军行动的"关键项目"，指出其"绕过了传统发射限制"，为美国太空任务增添了"前所未有的灵活性"。

The U.S. has already seen success with rapid-response launch operations. In late 2023, the Space Force’s Victox Nox mission used Firefly Aerospace to launch a payload within 27 hours of receiving the order — a record-setting feat for responsive launch. With the orbital carrier, that speed could be eclipsed by removing the launchpad from Earth altogether.

美国在快速响应发射任务方面已取得突破。2023 年末，太空军"维克托克斯·诺克斯"任务借助萤火虫航天公司，在接到指令 27 小时内完成有效载荷发射，创下快速发射新纪录。而轨道载机通过彻底摆脱地面发射台限制，或将实现更快的响应速度。

defending satellites in real time

实时卫星防御

Space Force officials have repeatedly warned that adversaries are developing non-kinetic space warfare tools like laser dazzling, cyberattacks, and radiofrequency jamming. According to a 2022 report from the National Air and Space Intelligence Center (NASIC), China’s and Russia’s space programs are investing in “space-based weapons and jamming technologies” that could neutralize U.S. satellites during conflict.

美国太空军官员多次警告称，对手正在研发激光致眩、网络攻击和无线电频率干扰等非动能太空战手段。根据美国国家空中与太空情报中心（NASIC）2022 年的报告，中国和俄罗斯的太空项目正积极研发"天基武器和干扰技术"，这些技术可在冲突期间使美国卫星失效。

The orbital carrier, according to Space.com’s coverage, is intended to counter such tactics. If a reconnaissance satellite is disabled or targeted by hostile action, a backup payload stored on the carrier could be launched within minutes, restoring mission functionality. The system could also deploy shielding assets to block line-of-sight interference or reconstitute capabilities damaged in orbit.

据太空网报道，该轨道运载器旨在应对此类战术。若侦察卫星遭致破坏或成为敌对行动目标，存储在运载器上的备用载荷可在数分钟内发射，迅速恢复任务功能。该系统还能部署防护装置来阻挡视线干扰，或重组在轨受损的功能单元。

This aligns with Space Force doctrine on space resilience, a strategic shift toward redundancy, repositioning, and in-theater capability — without the delays of planetary logistics.

这与太空军关于太空韧性的原则相一致，体现了向冗余能力、轨道机动及战区即时部署能力的战略转型——摆脱了地球后勤运输的延迟束缚。


Big Capabilities, Bigger Risks

性能强大，风险更大

While the concept promises flexibility, it carries significant risk. As USAMM’s deep-dive analysis points out, the platform itself would be a singular, high-value target. Its destruction or disablement could represent a catastrophic loss in both technological and symbolic terms.

这一概念虽有望提供灵活部署能力，却也蕴含着巨大风险。正如美国军事分析中心（USAMM）的深度报告所指，该平台本身将成为独特的高价值目标——其损毁无论在技术层面还是象征意义上都将造成灾难性损失。

Moreover, construction in orbit presents daunting challenges. The orbital carrier would need to be assembled in space, as current rockets are incapable of lifting a structure of this mass in a single launch. That means modular assembly via autonomous robotics, a field still in early development. According to USAMM, the number of launches required could rival those of the International Space Station, which took over 30 missions and cost approximately $150 billion to build and operate.

此外，轨道建造工程面临着严峻挑战。由于现有火箭无法单次发射运送如此质量的整体结构，轨道载体必须通过太空组装完成。这意味着需依赖仍处于早期发展阶段的自主机器人模块化组装技术。据 USAMM 评估，所需发射次数或可比肩国际空间站建设规模——后者累计执行 30 余次发射任务，建造及运营总成本高达约 1500 亿美元。

Propulsion adds another layer of complexity. Conventional chemical thrusters are inefficient for a structure of this size. Gravitics and other aerospace planners have floated options like nuclear thermal propulsion (NTP) and ion engines, which could allow sustained orbital maneuvering, but neither system is currently spaceflight-ready on the required scale.

推进系统带来了另一重复杂性。对于这种规模的飞行器，传统化学推进器效率低下。Gravitics 等航天规划机构提出了核热推进（NTP）与离子发动机等方案，可以实现持续性轨道机动，但目前这两种系统都达不到该项目所需的规模要求。

And there’s the broader strategic concern: centralization. Military doctrine has increasingly moved toward distributed architectures — small, modular systems that offer redundancy and are harder to disable. As noted in USAMM’s report, the orbital carrier risks becoming the equivalent of a floating Battlestar Galactica — powerful, but vulnerable.

此外还有一个更广泛的战略担忧：集中化。现代军事理论日益倾向于分布式架构——即小型模块化系统，因其具备冗余性且更难以被瘫痪。正如美国军事分析报告所指出的，该轨道载机平台可能沦为太空版移动堡垒，虽威力强大却易受攻击。

A Fork in the Future of Space Warfare

太空战未来发展的分水岭

The orbital carrier marks a turning point in how the U.S. envisions defending its interests beyond Earth. If proven viable, it could accelerate a new doctrine of space permanence: forward-positioned platforms that project power, reinforce resilience, and operate independent of Earth’s launch windows.

轨道运载器的问世标志着美国在太空利益防御构想上的重大转折。若被证实可行，这一载体或将催生"太空常驻"新战略——通过前置部署的太空平台实现力量投射、增强防御韧性，并摆脱地球发射窗口期的束缚。

But the project also raises urgent questions. Will a pre-positioned launchpad in space lead to greater stability — or provoke faster escalation? Can such a system be adequately protected against cyber, kinetic, and electronic threats? And is the investment in a centralized mega-platform strategically sound, given the rise of low-cost satellite swarms?

但该项目也引发了紧迫问题。一个预先部署的太空发射平台会带来更大稳定性，还是会导致冲突更快升级？面对网络、动能和电子威胁，这类系统能否得到充分保护？鉴于低成本卫星群的崛起，投资集中式大型平台的战略合理性究竟如何？

With adversaries advancing their own orbital technologies and debris already threatening the viability of near-Earth space, the future of such mega-platforms may hinge less on engineering than on timing, diplomacy, and geopolitical risk.

随着对手的轨道技术不断进步，太空碎片已威胁近地空间的可用性，这类巨型平台的未来或许更取决于时机把握、外交博弈与地缘政治风险，而非工程技术本身。

Who is the author, Arezki Amiri?

作者阿雷兹基·阿米里是谁？

Arezki is an Editor-in-Chief and Project Manager based in Japan, specializing in science and technological innovation. Originally from Algeria, he holds a Foreign Languages Diploma from Lycée Zamoum Mohamed, a BA in English from Université Mouloud Mammeri de Tizi Ouzou, and a Nursing Diploma from the Bel Air Institute in Boghni. Bridging science, communication, and humanity, he explores how space research and emerging technologies shape the future of health and society, leading global editorial projects at The Daily Galaxy that translate complex ideas into engaging, cross-cultural stories.

阿雷兹基是常驻日本的主编兼项目经理，专注于科学与技术创新领域。他原籍阿尔及利亚，拥有穆罕默德·扎穆姆高中的外语文凭、提济乌祖姆鲁德·马默里大学的英语学士学位，以及博格尼贝尔航空空研究所的护理文凭。横跨科学、传播与人文学科的他，致力于探索太空研究与新兴技术如何塑造健康与社会的未来，目前主持《每日银河》全球编辑项目，将复杂概念转化为引人入胜的跨文化叙事。