Rhea Space Activity (RSA), an astrophysics start-up focused on national security objectives, has been awarded a crucial contract by the U.S. Space Force to enhance its autonomous navigation software, AutoNav. This initiative, named VANGUARD (Vision-based Autonomous Navigation and Guidance for Unassisted Approach, Rendezvous, and Deployment), aims to bolster autonomous rendezvous and proximity operations (RPO) for military spacecraft in Earth-centric orbits. At its core, the technology leverages optical navigation, which allows spacecraft to determine their position and guide themselves by imaging celestial objects like stars and satellites, cross-referencing them with known positions. This capability is particularly vital for operations in GPS-denied environments, ensuring resilience and robustness against potential jamming or spoofing. RSA's Jervis Autonomy Module (JAM), a commercially available optical navigation product, was originally developed for NASA deep space missions and is now being adapted for military applications. Beyond space-based missions, Rhea Space Activity has expanded its defense applications. The company recently launched an Australian subsidiary to provide GPS-denied navigation solutions for AUKUS submarines, demonstrating the versatility of their technology across different domains. The U.S. Army and Air Force are also exploring RSA's optical navigation systems, such as StereoJAM for passive ranging and targeting in GNSS-denied situations, and Sky Auger for USAF reentry vehicles. This development underscores a growing demand for autonomous, resilient navigation technologies in the evolving landscape of military space operations and global defense. SpaceNews is generally considered a credible source with a center bias and high factuality for reporting on such developments within the space industry.