DIU and SSC Launch Joint GHOST-R Mission to Enhance Geosynchronous Orbit Reconnaissance
The Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) and Space Systems Command (SSC) have announced a joint initiative called GHOST-R, aimed at providing low-cost reconnaissance capabilities in geosynchronous orbit (GEO). This effort falls under SSC’s RG-XX program, which is the official program for the Space Force’s proliferated in-space reconnaissance layer. Scheduled for launch in 2028, GHOST-R intends to utilize commercial space vehicles, buses, and electro-optical payloads to identify and characterize resident space objects, assess battle damage, and improve positive identification. Colonel Bryon McClain, acting portfolio acquisition executive for Space Combat Power, stated that this approach reduces technical risk, lowers lifecycle costs, and delivers vital capabilities to warfighters more rapidly, ensuring a more resilient architecture. Successful prototypes from this initiative are expected to transition directly into the program of record. GEO is considered a critical area for the Pentagon, currently monitored by a ...