Private satellites complete first orbital interception in Space Force’s Victus Haze test
A Space Force TacRS mission, Victus Haze, achieved its first tactical interception between two private spacecraft: True Anomaly’s Jackal-0004 and Rocket Lab’s Puma. Jackal conducted proximity ops, imaging, and tracking after Puma’s Puma/ Pioneer platform was launched by Rocket Lab on June 19, 2026 (Jackal launched earlier in May). The intercept beat the 72-hour deadline and wrapped up 11 hours early, with Jackal’s control handed to Mosaic for mission planning. This milestone demonstrates the collaboration between the U.S. Space Force and commercial partners to rapidly acquire and characterize orbital objects, a key capability for space-domain awareness and defense.