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Private space pilots are flying orbital missions for the US Space Force

tech

The U.S. Space Force is outsourcing some of its orbital work to private contractors. According to TechCrunch, companies like True Anomaly and Rocket Lab are now performing satellite missions that were previously conducted exclusively by military pilots. These close-approach operations represent a significant shift in military strategy—a bet that private companies can now handle national defense missions faster and cheaper than government can.

Source: https://techcrunch.com/2026/07/02/private-space-pilots-ar...

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