The U.S. Department of War is ramping up efforts to expand its space reconnaissance capabilities by turning to the commercial sector. According to a formal request for information published Tuesday by the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU), the Pentagon is seeking affordable commercial satellites capable of monitoring other spacecraft in orbit, including conducting close-proximity inspections.
The initiative, designated the High-Resolution Geosynchronous Optical Space Reconnaissance Project and code-named Ghost Recon, aims to close a significant gap in the nation’s space monitoring infrastructure. According to the DIU solicitation, the War Department currently lacks sufficient satellite assets to conduct high-resolution imaging and persistent surveillance of both allied and adversarial spacecraft operating in geosynchronous orbit.
Under the terms, these spacecraft would transition to government ownership and operational control after three years. By the four-year mark, they must achieve operational readiness, demonstrating the capacity to execute at least one fly-by mission – whether sub-synchronous or super-synchronous – or an inclined-trajectory Design Reference Mission (DRM) per week during their inaugural year of service.
As DIU officials stated, the strategic objective is to develop relatively low-cost and scalable solutions – encompassing spacecraft, satellite platforms, and targeted instrumentation – that can deliver high-resolution imagery and precise object identification in in the geosynchronous orbit regime.