Russian military satellite makes ‘close approach’ to U.S. radar satellite in orbit

Russia and Ukraine are at war on the ground — and two satellites around 550 km above have come to the centre of a similar confrontation. The Russian Cosmos-2612 satellite has changed its orbit repeatedly to approach ICEYE-X36, a commercial radar-imaging satellite registered in the U.S. and whose operator currently supplies radar data to Ukraine.

While no attack of any kind had been established as of 10 am IST on October 18, astronomer and TU Delft lecturer Marco Langbroek had estimated late on the previous day that the two satellites were only 1-2 km apart — considered a very small distance in earth orbit — and expected them to get within metres of each other if their existing trajectories continued.