Russian satellite plays 'cat-and-mouse' with a commercial US spacecraft likely used by Ukraine. But why the risky close encounter?
A Russian spacecraft recently executed a remarkably close, non-consensual rendezvous with an American commercial satellite in low Earth orbit. Independent satellite trackers, including Marco Langbroek, reported that the Russian inspector satellite Kosmos 2612 approached ICEYE-X36 between October 15…
A Russian spacecraft recently executed a remarkably close, non-consensual rendezvous with an American commercial satellite in low Earth orbit. Independent satellite trackers, including Marco Langbroek, reported that the Russian inspector satellite Kosmos 2612 approached ICEYE-X36 between October 15 and October 19.
At one point, the two spacecraft may have been separated by only a few meters. ICEYE-X36 is a private Earth-observing craft managed by an American subsidiary of ICEYE, a Finnish firm. The spacecraft uses synthetic aperture radar, a technology that gathers day-and-night data and peers through clouds.
ICEYE provides high-resolution satellite imagery to Ukraine under a contract signed in January to support its armed forces. Russia launched Kosmos 2612 in April, and four members of that fleet maneuvered into a co-planar orbit with ICEYE-X36 in May.
While nations frequently inspect spacecraft in high geostationary orbit, Victoria Samson of the Secure World Foundation noted that uncooperative rendezvous in low Earth orbit are unprecedented for the U.S. and China, though Russia has conducted similar maneuvers near classified U.S. spy satellites. The exact purpose of the close approach remains unknown. Samson suggests the maneuvers may stem from Russian frustration and a desire to demonstrate military prowess in space, where Ukraine is not
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Original publication: 21 October 2026 15:30
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