Russian Cosmos-2612 Stalks U.S. Radar Satellite — SkimNews
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- Russian Cosmos-2612 satellite has changed its orbit repeatedly to approach ICEYE-X36, a U.S.-registered commercial radar-imaging satellite at approximately 550 km altitude.
- ICEYE-X36 is operated by a company that currently supplies radar data to Ukraine, tying the orbital encounter directly to the Russia-Ukraine war.
- Marco Langbroek, an astronomer and TU Delft lecturer, estimated on October 17 that the two satellites were only 1-2 km apart — a very small distance in Earth orbit.
- Langbroek projected that if their existing trajectories continued, the satellites could come within meters of each other.
- No attack of any kind had been established as of 10 am IST on October 18.
Why it matters: The shadowing of ICEYE-X36 — whose operator aids Ukraine — at a distance of 1-2 km in orbit shows the Russia-Ukraine conflict extending into space, where even small proximity between satellites risks collision or signal interference against assets serving a belligerent's ally.
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