Russian military satellite Cosmos 2612 has closed to roughly 3 miles of ICEYE-X36, a U.S.-owned synthetic aperture radar satellite, after previously staying more than 200 miles away. Astronomer Jonathan McDowell said the unapproved rendezvous in low Earth orbit may be the first of its kind. LeoLabs described the movement as appearing to be a deliberate approach with uncertain intent.
Analysts tracked a series of maneuvers. In May, most of six Russian military satellites launched in April shifted their orbits to match X36's plane. Cosmos 2612 made burns from Sept. 30 through Oct. 16 to match altitude, eccentricity, and orbital period, and by Saturday night was estimated to be within a few hundred meters or closer. Dutch tracker Marco Langbroek, initially skeptical, called it 'completely non-consensual.'
ICEYE-X36 is registered to ICEYE US and is part of a fleet that has supplied Ukraine with information since 2022. There is no strict legal limit on satellite spacing, but countries generally keep at least 6 miles apart, according to space law professor Aaron Brynildson. The Center for Strategic and International Studies said policymakers should assume the Russian satellite could take an action that threatens the commercial satellite. Russia has not issued a statement. The approach follows a 2020 incident in which Russia's Cosmos 2543 released an object in space, an action condemned by the U.S. and U.K.