The Space Force this weekend launched a space domain awareness satellite from an aircraft - its first tactically responsive space launch mission and the first capability supported in partnership with its new Space Safari program office. The technology demonstration mission;TacRL-;took off Sunday from Vandenberg Space Force Base;CA;on Northrop Grumman's Pegasus commercial space launch vehicle. The three-stageair-launched rocket was carried aboard the company's modified Stargazer aircraft and released into low Earth orbit. The launch was managed by the small launch and targets division as well as a new organization within the Space and Missile Systems Center's special programs directorate;Space Safari. Modeled off the Air Force's Big Safari office;Space Safari aims to quickly integrate mature technology to meet specialized needs.
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