Ukraine’s Covert Space Launches: A Strategic Move Against Hypersonic Threats
In a recent development that could shift the balance of military technology, Ukraine has quietly executed the launch of two rockets into space using an airborne platform. This innovative approach is being considered as a potential tool to counteract Russia’s advanced hypersonic missile capabilities, particularly the experimental Oreshnik missile.
Fedir Venislavskyi, who chairs the Ukrainian parliament’s subcommittee dedicated to state security and defense innovations, revealed this information to the local media outlet RBC Ukraine. These space launches occurred amidst the ongoing conflict with Russia. “During the war, Ukraine launched a rocket launcher from a transport aircraft at an altitude of approximately 8,000 meters, which could potentially also be used to launch various types of spacecraft into orbit,” Venislavskyi stated in a recent interview.
The timing of these launches remains undisclosed, but Venislavskyi confirmed they took place during the tenure of Kyrylo Budanov as head of Ukraine’s intelligence services, known as GUR. Budanov held this position until January, after which he transitioned to leading Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s office.
Airborne space launches are not an entirely new concept, though still relatively niche. Notably, Northrop Grumman has been working on the Pegasus rocket, designed to launch from aircraft flying at 39,000 feet. Similarly, between 2017 and 2023, Richard Branson’s Virgin Orbit successfully conducted four missions launching payloads into low-Earth orbit from a Boeing 747.
According to Venislavskyi, one of the Ukrainian rockets ascended to 62 miles, while the other reached 124 miles. The 62-mile threshold is often recognized as the Kármán line, which marks the boundary of space. Launching rockets from an altitude of 8,000 meters, or approximately 26,000 feet, offers the advantage of reduced fuel consumption by bypassing the denser layers of the atmosphere.
Ukraine’s strategic vision includes establishing a network of seven to ten satellites for improved surveillance and communications. “We have created an air system that can become an air spaceport in the short term. It can be used for peaceful purposes as well as to counter ‘Oreshnik.’ That is, launch missiles not from the ground, but from the air,” Venislavskyi elaborated.
The Oreshnik missile is a sophisticated Russian hypersonic ballistic weapon, known for its evasive trajectory and ability to deliver a Multiple Independently Targetable Re-entry Vehicle (MIRV) payload. This feature allows it to split into multiple targets, complicating interception efforts. Russia has termed the Oreshnik “unstoppable,” with its first recorded use against Ukraine in November 2024, reportedly involving dummy explosives.
The launch of this missile has pressured Western nations and Ukraine to devise countermeasures. Meanwhile, China is also developing similar or even more advanced hypersonic technology. Air-based space launches could potentially provide a cost-effective and rapid deployment method for air defenses or detection systems. The U.S. is currently exploring space-based interceptors designed to detect and neutralize hypersonic missiles within the upper atmosphere.
