Russian military satellite comes within 100 metres of Finnish firm ICEYE's spacecraft
Russia's military satellite Kosmos-2612 came within 100 metres of the ICEYE-X36 satellite in low Earth orbit on 18 October. Experts call the manoeuvre alarming because ICEYE supports Ukraine.
A Russian military satellite, Kosmos-2612, approached to within 100 metres of ICEYE-X36, a commercial satellite operated by the Finnish company ICEYE, in low Earth orbit over the weekend. The episode has raised concern about Moscow's activities in space, because ICEYE's systems help support Ukraine's armed forces in the war against Russian aggression, according to orbital tracking data.
How the episode unfolded
Russia launched Kosmos-2612 in April. In late September the satellite began changing course and eventually ended up in the same orbit as ICEYE-X36, which the Finnish company uses under a contract with the United States. Orbital tracking data analysed by the news agency AFP show the two spacecraft were just 100 metres apart on 18 October. On Monday morning Kosmos-2612 moved away, and the satellites were again separated by several kilometres.
Expert assessment
Clayton Swope, a space security specialist at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, told AFP there would be no reason for such a manoeuvre if it had been carried out with benign intent. In his words, it was the combination of factors that made the event so worrying: the Russian satellite not only approached the Finnish spacecraft but also deliberately adjusted its orbit to match it precisely.
Experts note that such a close approach can be used to inspect, observe or interfere with another satellite. Russian satellites have flown close to other countries' spacecraft before.
Why ICEYE matters
The ICEYE constellation provides imagery and space-tracking data that support Ukraine. Its satellites use radar technology able to image the Earth's surface at night and through cloud cover, making them especially valuable for military reconnaissance. An ICEYE representative confirmed to AFP that the company is aware of the incident and is monitoring developments closely.
