Overview
- Gen. B. Chance Saltzman unveiled seven naming themes at the Spacepower Conference, mapping mission areas to Norse gods, mythological creatures, serpents, sharks, sentinels, ghosts and constellations.
- Two systems received names under the scheme: the UHF Follow-On satcom constellation is now Ursa Major and the ORS-5 space domain awareness satellite is Bifrost.
- A two-letter mission-prefix alphanumeric designation will accompany nicknames for spacecraft, with examples such as RG-XX for geostationary reconnaissance.
- Guardians helped develop the taxonomy over roughly a year following an October 2024 call for inputs, and the convention will apply to both new and legacy platforms.
- Officials said more names will roll out without a set timeline, framing the effort as part of broader force design, culture building and acquisition streamlining highlighted at Spacepower 2025.