DOD Eyes Commercial Satellites that Can Spy on Other Satellites
•February 18, 2026
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Why It Matters
Ghost Recon will close a critical gap in U.S. space domain awareness, enabling rapid identification and characterization of both friendly and adversarial GEO assets and strengthening defensive and offensive space capabilities.
Key Takeaways
- •DIU requests affordable GEO surveillance satellites within two years.
- •Weekly drive‑by imaging required for each target during first year.
- •Satellites must capture 10 km resolution of other spacecraft.
- •Designs include refueling for extended lifespan and maneuverability.
- •Contract deadline March 3, with government ownership after three years.
Pulse Analysis
Space domain awareness has become a cornerstone of national security as more nations and commercial actors populate geosynchronous orbit. Existing U.S. assets lack the high‑resolution, rapid‑revisit capability needed to track and assess the condition of resident space objects (RSOs) in GEO, leaving a vulnerability that could be exploited by anti‑satellite weapons or uncooperative actors. By commissioning a dedicated constellation of commercial satellites, the Pentagon aims to generate detailed imagery and precise object characterization, bolstering battle‑damage assessment, positive identification, and combat identification processes.
The Ghost Recon solicitation outlines ambitious technical requirements: satellites must execute weekly drive‑by or inclined‑track missions, perform rendezvous and proximity operations, and deliver fully resolved images from no closer than 10 kilometers. Cost‑effectiveness is paramount, with an expectation that designs be scalable, use existing launch standards, and incorporate modular payloads. The program also encourages refueling capabilities to extend mission life and enhance maneuverability, reducing the need for frequent replacements. These specifications open opportunities for commercial space firms specializing in small‑satellite buses, high‑resolution optics, and autonomous navigation, potentially accelerating innovation in the burgeoning on‑orbit servicing market.
If successful, Ghost Recon could reshape the strategic calculus of space operations. Enhanced GEO monitoring would improve the United States’ ability to detect, track, and, if necessary, neutralize hostile satellites, while also providing critical data for collision avoidance and debris mitigation. The initiative signals a shift toward leveraging commercial agility to meet defense needs, a trend likely to influence future procurement models and international norms governing on‑orbit activities.
DOD eyes commercial satellites that can spy on other satellites
The Pentagon is looking for cheap commercial satellites that can maintain surveillance on other satellites in orbit, including close-range inspections, according to a Defense Innovation Unit solicitation published Tuesday.
The Geosynchronous High-Resolution Optical Space-Based Tactical Reconnaissance project — also referred to as “Ghost Recon” (as in the Tom Clancy novels and video games) — is intended to address a vulnerability in America’s space-monitoring capabilities.
The problem is that DOD “lacks sufficient satellites capable of providing high-resolution space-to-space imagery and maintaining custody of both friendly and adversarial satellites in geosynchronous orbit (GEO),” according to the solicitation.
Hence, the Pentagon is looking for commercial satellites that can be launched within two years after the contract begins. Within three years, those satellites would become government owned and operated. Within four years, they will have to demonstrate the ability to “perform at least one drive-by (Sub or Super Sync) or an inclined track design reference mission (DRM) per week through the first year of government operations,” the solicitation states.
The goal is relatively inexpensive and scalable designs, including space vehicles, satellite buses and payloads that offer “high-resolution space-to-space imagery and accurate object characterization,” DIU said.
“These systems must reduce costs compared to existing and planned programs of record while achieving high-resolution image collection, allowing for increased collection frequency and detailed characterization of resident space objects (RSOs) in GEO. The successful deployment of these capabilities will significantly improve GEO RSO Characterization, Battle Damage Assessment (BDA), Positive Identification (PID), and Combat Identification (CID),” the solicitation notes.
DIU envisions a spacecraft that can move close to other satellites. The result would be “fully resolved imagery of an ESPA Grande-sized spacecraft and its key subsystems (i.e. star tracker, communications payload, mission payload) from a distance of no closer than 10 kilometers,” according to the solicitation. Ghost Recon satellites would also need to maneuver above or below GEO altitude to maximize solar lighting of the target.
Interestingly, DIU suggests satellites from other nations may be less than cooperative when it comes to having their picture taken, such as moving away from American space vehicles. The solicitation cites the possibility of using “several space vehicles to support collection of tasked RSO, which are used to support collection for uncooperative RSOs.”
While Ghost Recon satellites would mainly track space objects that have already been detected, they may have to search for targets themselves, including “detection and localization of untracked or non-cooperative RSOs,” according to the solicitation.
Contractors are asked to detail the capabilities of their designs, including the cost for a Ghost Recon satellite to revisit another space object every 30 days for 10 years. Companies must also specify slew rate, mission payload angular resolution and modular transfer function.
Minimum requirements include the ability to “successfully perform rendezvous and proximity operations,” according to the solicitation. Satellites must also be capable of operating for at least three years in GEO, meet National Security Space Launch medium and large standards for launch integration, and use Unified S-Band protocols.
Though DIU wants affordable spacecraft that can be deployed within two years, the solution mentions the possibility of refueling these platforms “to extend spacecraft lifespan, increase maneuverability for follow-on missions, and reduce replacement cadence.”
The project deadline is March 3.
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