LeoLabs said a Russian military satellite came within roughly 500 meters of a U.S.-registered craft operated by Finnish company ICEYE, whose radar satellite fleet supplies imagery to Ukraine.
The Russian craft, Kosmos-2612, approached ICEYE-X36 after weeks of orbital adjustments. LeoLabs gave its roughly 500-meter estimate to The War Zone and cautioned that the precise closest distance was uncertain. It described the maneuvers as deliberate but said its observations did not establish hostile intent.
Orbital analyst Marco Langbroek traced the approach to maneuvers beginning Sept. 30. LeoLabs said the final approach accelerated on Oct. 15. Via Satellite reported that a LeoLabs event report placed the two craft 2 to 3 kilometers apart on Oct. 16.
Over the following two days, Kosmos-2612 shifted between positions ahead of and behind ICEYE-X36, LeoLabs said. Langbroek identified another maneuver on Oct. 18. LeoLabs said on Oct. 19 that the close activity had ended as the Russian craft moved away.
ICEYE said Jan. 19 that it had signed a new agreement with a customer within Ukraine’s Ministry of Defence. The agreement expanded their cooperation and continued the ministry’s access to imagery from ICEYE’s satellite fleet. The company says its radar technology can collect images at night and through clouds, helping Ukrainian forces monitor conditions on the ground.
Astrophysicist Jonathan McDowell said he knew of no earlier low Earth orbit rendezvous involving two operational satellites when one operator had not consented.
ICEYE told Via Satellite it was monitoring the encounter. LeoLabs called for further observation of Kosmos-2612.
