The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has issued a Request for Information (RFI) to the defense industry regarding the rapid reconstitution of space capabilities. The initiative aims to restore critical satellite services within hours to weeks following an attack, demand surge, or orbital debris collision (Erwin, 2026). Responses to the RFI, managed by DARPA’s Strategic Technology Office under Program Manager Steven Chambers, are due by July 8, 2026 (Easley, 2026).
This request expands upon the U.S. Space Force’s ongoing Tactically Responsive Space (TacRS) program, which demonstrated a 27-hour launch turnaround during the 2023 Victus Nox mission (Albon, 2026). It also builds on the Commercial Augmentation Space Reserve (CASR), a framework modeled on the Civil Reserve Air Fleet, which integrates commercial satellite operators into military contingency planning (Easley, 2026). DARPA’s RFI seeks technical and operational concepts spanning space vehicles, launch vehicles, integration, and operations, specifically highlighting modular satellite designs, software-defined payloads, and alternative positioning, navigation, and timing (PNT) systems (Erwin, 2026).
The urgency of this initiative aligns with the development of counterspace capabilities by the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and the Russian Federation. The PRC’s counterspace arsenal includes direct-ascent anti-satellite (ASAT) missiles, co-orbital systems, electronic warfare, directed-energy weapons, and cyber operations (U.S. Department of Defense, 2024). The PRC demonstrated kinetic ASAT capabilities in 2007 by destroying its Fengyun-1C weather satellite, and in 2022, its Shijian-21 satellite used a robotic arm to move a defunct BeiDou navigation satellite into a graveyard orbit (O’Donnell, 2026). Additionally, state-sponsored cyber actors, such as Volt Typhoon, have targeted U.S. critical infrastructure, potentially threatening the ground stations and networks that support satellite operations (Microsoft Threat Intelligence, 2023).
Similarly, the Russian Federation has actively targeted allied space assets. Major General Paul Tedman, Commander of UK Space Command, reported in October 2025 that Russia attempts to jam British military satellites on a weekly basis and conducts close-proximity maneuvers to collect intelligence (Beale, 2025). Furthermore, Brigadier-General Christopher Horner, Commander of 3 Canadian Space Division, highlighted the threat of a potential nuclear detonation in Low Earth Orbit (LEO), which would generate an electromagnetic pulse (EMP) capable of disabling satellite infrastructure across vast distances (Boucher, 2026).
The strategic implications of these vulnerabilities are addressed in former Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall’s forthcoming book, Lethal Autonomy, which warns that rapid launch capabilities are insufficient if replacement payloads are not pre-built and survivable (Kendall & Stavridis, 2026). DARPA’s RFI seeks to address this gap by fostering an industrial base capable of surging production and delivering reconfigurable space assets during a conflict.
References
Albon, C. (2026, June 18). DARPA seeks tech to reconstitute Space Force satellites during conflict. Air & Space Forces Magazine. DARPA Seeks Tech to Reconstitute Satellites During Conflict
Beale, J. (2025, October 3). Russia targets UK military satellites on weekly basis. BBC News. Russia targets UK military satellites on weekly basis
Boucher, M. (2026, March 3). Canada’s space commander on protecting satellites from jamming and potential nuclear risks. SpaceQ. Canada's space commander on protecting satellites from jamming and potential nuclear risks - SpaceQ Media Inc.
Easley, M. (2026, June 16). DARPA exploring tech for tactically responsive space operations. DefenseScoop. DARPA exploring tech for tactically responsive space operations | DefenseScoop
Erwin, S. (2026, June 15). DARPA to explore ways to rapidly rebuild satellite networks if attacked. SpaceNews. DARPA to explore ways to rapidly rebuild satellite networks if attacked - SpaceNews
Kendall, F., & Stavridis, J. (2026). Lethal autonomy: The future of warfare across all military domains. Simon & Schuster. https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Lethal-Autonomy/Frank-Kendall/9798895656679
Microsoft Threat Intelligence. (2023, May 24). Volt Typhoon targets US critical infrastructure with living-off-the-land techniques. Microsoft Security Blog. Volt Typhoon targets US critical infrastructure with living-off-the-land techniques | Microsoft Security Blog
O’Donnell, W. (2026, June 19). The Pentagon wants backup satellites ready before China takes the first shot. Wes O’Donnell. The Pentagon Wants Backup Satellites Ready Before China Takes the First Shot
U.S. Department of Defense. (2024, December 18). Military and security developments involving the People’s Republic of China 2024. https://media.defense.gov/2024/dec/18/2003615520/-1/-1/0/military-and-security-developments-involving-the-peoples-republic-of-china-2024.pdf
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