A Russian military satellite conducted deliberate maneuvers in extreme proximity to a US-operated commercial Earth-imaging satellite used by Ukraine, according to orbital intelligence firm Leo Labs. The spacecraft, Kosmos 2612, closed from hundreds of kilometers away to within 500 meters of ICEYE-X36, remaining nearby for an extended period before moving away. US military officials and independent analysts have tracked Kosmos 2612 since its April launch on a Soyuz rocket from a northern Russian spaceport.
Within weeks, at least four of the six satellites from that launch adjusted orbits to align with ICEYE-X36’s path. Leo Labs reported that Kosmos 2612 held station 2 to 3 kilometers from ICEYE-X36 by Friday, then shifted positions ahead of and behind the satellite. Over the weekend, the two spacecraft were within 500 meters (1,640 feet) of each other, possibly even closer.
Leo Labs’ global radar network tracks objects as small as 2 centimeters in low-Earth orbit, and the proximity occasionally made distinguishing the two satellites difficult. The firm emphasized this was not a routine conjunction but a controlled sequence involving approach, position changes, close-proximity loitering, small maneuvers, and departure—consistent with sophisticated rendezvous and proximity operations (RPO).
Source: Ars Technica · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing