Jackal
True Anomaly
Jackal is True Anomaly's autonomous orbital vehicle built for space domain awareness and rendezvous and proximity operations, combining a high-thrust 20-thruster propulsion stack with a multi-spectral sensor suite for contested-space missions.
Technical specifications
- Thruster configuration
- 20-thruster high-performance propulsion stack
- Form factor
- ESPA-Grande with large propellant tank
- Delta-v (baseline)
- Up to 800 m/s
- Delta-v (GEO & cislunar)
- Up to 1,000 m/s
- Payload capacity (baseline/LEO)
- Up to 50 kg & 200 W
- Payload capacity (GEO & cislunar)
- Up to 200 kg & 1,000 W
- Sensor suite
- Integrated multi-spectral RPO suite powered by Mosaic autonomy software
- Flight heritage/status (mid-2026)
- Mission X (Mar 2024): first two Jackal AOVs reached orbit but did not complete RPO demonstration due to anomalies. Follow-on launched Dec 2024. Mission X-3 (JACKAL-0004) with Mosaic software declared successful; now supporting U.S. Space Force's VICTUS HAZE mission with Rocket Lab. Dedicated GEO/cislunar missions scheduled for 2026.
About
Jackal is True Anomaly’s flagship autonomous orbital vehicle, designed to give the U.S. and allied militaries a highly maneuverable, payload-agnostic, low-cost platform for space domain awareness and autonomous rendezvous and proximity operations across LEO, GEO, and cislunar space. Built in an ESPA-Grande form factor, Jackal pairs a 20-thruster high-performance propulsion stack with a large propellant tank, and its integrated multi-spectral RPO sensor suite (powered by True Anomaly’s Mosaic autonomy software) provides long-range detection and tracking through close-range imaging in all lighting conditions. The spacecraft uses modular, rapid-fit mission hardpoints to host diverse payloads, with GEO variants adding radiation-tolerant electronics and cislunar variants adding deep-space communications. Target customers are defense and national security organizations, notably the U.S. Space Force. As of mid-2026, Jackal has flown across three Mission X demonstration flights: the first two Jackal AOVs launched in March 2024 but did not complete on-orbit RPO objectives due to anomalies; a follow-up launched in December 2024; and Mission X-3 (JACKAL-0004) with the Mosaic software stack was declared successful, and has since begun operations supporting the U.S. Space Force’s VICTUS HAZE tactically responsive space demonstration with Rocket Lab.
Documentation
No public datasheet yet — request the datasheet / ICD from the supplier.