Russian military satellite approaches US commercial imaging satellite at very close range

A Russian military satellite, Kosmos 2612, has moved into "extreme proximity" of ICEYE-X36, a commercial Earth-imaging satellite operated by a US company, over the past several days. According to the orbital intelligence company LeoLabs, it is the first known example of an unsanctioned rendezvous in low-Earth orbit.

What LeoLabs observed

The firm says Kosmos 2612 started out hundreds of kilometers from ICEYE-X36, then closed in to a very short distance, maneuvered around the satellite, stayed nearby for an extended period and finally began moving away. LeoLabs stressed that this was not a routine conjunction or fly-by. The sequence included a controlled approach, shifts in relative position, close-proximity loitering, additional small maneuvers and a controlled departure. The company assesses the behavior as consistent with sophisticated rendezvous and proximity operations (RPO).

How the situation developed

Kosmos 2612 was launched in April on a Soyuz rocket from a spaceport in northern Russia. US military officials and independent analysts have tracked it since liftoff. Within weeks it became clear that at least four of the six satellites from that launch had adjusted their orbits to line up with that of ICEYE-X36.

The situation stayed stable until last week, when Kosmos 2612 began moving rapidly toward ICEYE-X36. By Friday it was holding station 2 to 3 kilometers away and shifting positions ahead of and behind the ICEYE satellite. Over the weekend the two were within 500 meters (1,640 feet) of each other, and "likely quite a bit closer than that," said Adam Marsh, LeoLabs' vice president of technical solutions. The proximity at times made it hard to tell the two spacecraft apart.

LeoLabs operates a global radar network able to track objects in low-Earth orbit as small as 2 centimeters.