U.S. Space Command kicked off the first of its classified Apollo Insight tabletop exercises, gathering more than 60 commercial firms to model a nuclear detonation in low‑Earth orbit. General Stephen Whiting outlined the scenario as a “worst‑case” that would cripple thousands of satellites and render swaths of orbit unusable for up to a year.

Allied participants from Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the United Kingdom joined the discussion, which focused on domain awareness, detection, and how existing or future commercial capabilities could mitigate such an event. Officials stressed that the exercise, while secret, revealed gaps in tracking high‑delta‑V maneuvers that adversaries might use to hide or strike assets.

The series will feature three more wargames this year, tackling orbital maneuver warfare and the challenges of proliferated constellations. By pulling in private‑sector innovators, Space Command hopes to translate rapid commercial advances into defensive tools, ensuring the United States can protect its space‑based infrastructure against emerging threats.