What happened
Russia's Cosmos 2612 military satellite closed to roughly 5 km of the US-owned ICEYE-X36 radar satellite, down from a previous distance of more than 300 km. According to Axios, the satellite maneuvered on October 16 to station-keep near its target.
Why it matters
Astronomer Jonathan McDowell says this may be the first low Earth orbit rendezvous between two active satellites where one owner did not give approval. Space analytics firm LeoLabs said the movement "appears to be a deliberate approach" and warrants continued monitoring.
What the target does
ICEYE-X36 is a synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellite that can image through cloud cover and at night. It is registered to ICEYE US, the US arm of the Finland-founded company, and launched in March 2024 on a SpaceX Falcon 9. It is part of a fleet that has supplied Ukraine with information since 2022.
Reactions
Experts assess that the approach is unlikely to be accidental given the fuel cost, and may be a provocation or an attempt to spy on the satellite. Satellite operators generally keep at least 9.7 km apart. ICEYE and the US Defense Department declined to comment.
