Over the last few days, a Russian satellite deliberately maneuvered within “extreme proximity” of an Iceye satellite, according to space domain awareness data provider LeoLabs.
Russia’s COSMOS 2612 began moving closer to ICEYE-X36 on Oct. 15, LeoLabs detailed in an event report released Monday. The COSMOS spacecraft closed a distance from approximately 400 kilometers away to about 210 kilometers.
LeoLabs reported that COSMOS 2612 maneuvered within 2 km to 3 km of ICEYE-X36 on Oct. 16 and over the next two days shifted positions ahead of and behind the satellite.
At times, LeoLabs said it was difficult to distinguish between the two spacecraft, with COSMOS 2612 coming within roughly 500 meters. However, LeoLabs noted that exact estimates may be uncertain. The satellite began to transition away on Oct. 18 and 19 with LeoLabs confirming that close proximity activity ended.
Iceye is “aware of the situation and tracking it closely,” a spokesperson said in a statement to Via Satellite. “Our constellation architecture is designed for continuity and resilience.”
LeoLabs stated this shows how commercial satellites are operating a “contested and strategically important environment,” while noting the observations do not establish hostile intent.
“These actions require planning, maneuverability, precise navigation, and significant fuel. They may also indicate the use of onboard sensors capable of measuring the relative position of another spacecraft” LeoLabs stated, explaining what the demonstration revealed, “It does demonstrate capabilities that could support intelligence collection, on-orbit inspection, coercive signaling, interference, or preparation for future counterspace operations.”
Iceye is a satellite operator based in Finland with operations in the U.S. It operates a constellation of synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellites and has been a key provider of satellite data to Ukraine throughout Russia’s war, expanding its agreement with the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine earlier this year.
This is not the first time a Russian satellite has approached an Iceye satellite. COSMOS 2612 launched in April of this year as part of a group of six Russian satellites. In May, a number of these satellites made close approaches to Iceye satellites, according to an analysis by space situational awareness software company COMSPOC.
