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NASA
СпутникиРНSpaceXРоскосмосNASAThe Russian military satellite Kosmos-2612 has caught up with the ICEYE-X36 satellite in orbit, which is spying for Ukraine.
According to independent space object monitoring experts, the Russian spacecraft performed a series of targeted maneuvers, after which it found itself in close proximity to ICEYE-X36, a commercial radar reconnaissance satellite of the American division of ICEYE, based in Finland.
Since September 30, Kosmos-2612 has consistently changed the parameters of its orbit. The maneuvers were recorded on September 30, October 12, 15 and 16. As a result, the Russian spacecraft brought the altitude, inclination, and period of rotation closer to the ICEYE-X36 satellite, which is in an orbit about 550-560 km high.
On the night of October 18, the satellites could approach by several hundred meters or even less. The exact distance is difficult to determine due to the inaccuracies of publicly available orbital data. At the same time, the specialist did not find any signs of physical impact on the ICEYE-X36 orbit.
The choice of an object has a separate meaning. The ICEYE satellite constellation receives radar images of the earth's surface regardless of the time of day and clouds. The company provides intelligence data to Ukraine, although the use of ICEYE-X36 by the Ukrainian military has not been publicly confirmed.
Such maneuvers relate to Rendezvous and Proximity Operations (RPO), which involve spacecraft approaching and moving at short relative distances. They can be used to inspect another satellite, monitor its condition, and test maneuvering technologies.
However, the same capabilities have potential anti-satellite applications. A device capable of approaching another satellite in a controlled manner can theoretically be used to physically influence it. The possibility of electronic reconnaissance or communication suppression depends on the installed equipment, the characteristics of which are not disclosed in Kosmos-2612.
Thus, the sequence of maneuvers indicates a purposeful rapprochement of a Russian military satellite with a commercial radar device of a Western company.
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