Russian spacecraft maneuvers in "extreme proximity" to satellite used by Ukraine

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A Russian military satellite maneuvered in “extreme proximity” of a commercial Earth-imaging satellite in recent days in the first known example an unsanctioned rendezvous in low-Earth orbit, according to the orbital intelligence company LeoLabs. The Russian spacecraft, Kosmos 2612, “conducted a deliberate series of maneuvers toward ICEYE-X36, a US-operated commercial imaging satellite,” LeoLabs said. “Kosmos 2612 closed from hundreds of kilometers away to extreme proximity to ICEYE-X36. It then maneuvered around ICEYE-X36, remained nearby for an extended period, and then began moving away.”

据轨道情报公司 LeoLabs 称，一颗俄罗斯军事卫星近日在近地轨道上与一颗商业地球成像卫星进行了“极近距离”机动，这是已知首例未经授权的轨道交会事件。LeoLabs 表示，俄罗斯航天器“宇宙 2612”（Kosmos 2612）“针对美国运营的商业成像卫星 ICEYE-X36 进行了一系列蓄意机动”。“‘宇宙 2612’从数百公里外靠近至与 ICEYE-X36 极近的距离。随后，它绕着 ICEYE-X36 机动，在附近停留了很长一段时间，然后开始远离。”

US military officials and independent analysts have tracked Kosmos 2612 since its April launch on a Soyuz rocket from a spaceport in northern Russia. Within weeks, it became apparent that at least four of the six satellites from that launch were stalking ICEYE-X36 after they adjusted orbits to line up with the orbit of the ICEYE spacecraft.

自“宇宙 2612”于四月从俄罗斯北部航天发射场搭乘联盟号火箭发射以来，美国军方官员和独立分析人士一直在对其进行追踪。几周内，人们明显发现，该次发射的六颗卫星中至少有四颗在调整轨道以对齐 ICEYE 航天器的轨道后，一直在跟踪 ICEYE-X36。

The situation remained stable until last week, when Kosmos 2612 began rapidly moving toward ICEYE-X36. By Friday, Kosmos 2612 was holding station 2 to 3 kilometers away before shifting positions ahead of and behind the ICEYE satellite, LeoLabs said. The satellites were within 500 meters (1,640 feet) of one another over the weekend, and “likely quite a bit closer than that,” said Adam Marsh, LeoLabs’ vice president of technical solutions.

这种情况一直保持稳定，直到上周“宇宙 2612”开始迅速向 ICEYE-X36 移动。LeoLabs 表示，到周五时，“宇宙 2612”已在 2 到 3 公里的距离处保持驻留，随后移动到 ICEYE 卫星的前方和后方。LeoLabs 技术解决方案副总裁亚当·马什（Adam Marsh）表示，周末期间，两颗卫星之间的距离在 500 米（1640 英尺）以内，而且“很可能比这还要近得多”。

LeoLabs operates a global network of radars to track objects as small as 2 centimeters, about the size of a marble, in low-Earth orbit. The proximity of Kosmos 2612 and ICEYE-X36 “occasionally made it difficult to distinguish the two spacecraft independently,” LeoLabs said. “This was not a routine conjunction or ‘fly by,’” LeoLabs said. “The sequence included a controlled approach, changes in relative position, close-proximity loitering, additional small maneuvers, and a controlled departure. The behavior is consistent with sophisticated rendezvous and proximity operations (RPO).”

LeoLabs 运营着一个全球雷达网络，用于追踪近地轨道上小至 2 厘米（约弹珠大小）的物体。LeoLabs 表示，“宇宙 2612”与 ICEYE-X36 的接近程度“有时使人难以独立区分这两颗航天器”。LeoLabs 称：“这不是常规的会合或‘飞越’。这一过程包括受控接近、相对位置变化、近距离徘徊、额外的微小机动以及受控离开。这种行为与复杂的交会和近距离操作（RPO）一致。”

Satellites often fly near one another in orbit, usually by happenstance and at high closing velocities. Russia has previously deployed satellites in orbits close to the US government’s most sophisticated and secret spy satellites. The difference this time is that Russia’s target was a commercial satellite. Kosmos 2612 got much closer to ICEYE-X36, then stayed a while. The deliberate nature of the Russian maneuvers makes this weekend’s event “strategically important,” LeoLabs said.

卫星在轨道上经常会彼此靠近，通常是偶然发生的，且相对速度很高。俄罗斯此前曾将卫星部署在靠近美国政府最先进、最机密的间谍卫星的轨道上。这次的不同之处在于，俄罗斯的目标是一颗商业卫星。“宇宙 2612”不仅极其靠近 ICEYE-X36，还停留了一段时间。LeoLabs 表示，俄罗斯机动的蓄意性使得周末发生的这一事件具有“战略重要性”。

“To my knowledge, this is the first LEO rendezvous of two active satellites where the owner of one of the sats (satellites) did not give approval,” Jonathan McDowell, an astrophysicist who tracks global launch and satellite activity, wrote on X. “There are parallels that have happened in geosynchronous orbit, but they’re not even close to the same as this,” Marsh told Ars. “As far as this kind of event, rendezvousing in, staying there for a few days, and getting very, very close in low-Earth orbit, this is the first time we’ve ever seen this without consent. We’ve seen them test it with their own satellites before, but not like this.”

追踪全球发射和卫星活动的天体物理学家乔纳森·麦克道威尔（Jonathan McDowell）在 X 上写道：“据我所知，这是首次在近地轨道上发生两颗现役卫星的交会，且其中一颗卫星的所有者并未给予批准。”马什告诉 Ars：“地球同步轨道上曾发生过类似事件，但与这次的情况完全不同。就这种在近地轨道上进行交会、停留数天并极其靠近的事件而言，这是我们首次见到未经同意的情况。我们以前见过他们用自己的卫星进行测试，但不是以这种方式。”

As of Monday, Kosmos 2612 is moving away from the ICEYE satellite at a relative velocity of about 10 mph (17 kilometers per hour), according to Marsh. ICEYE is a Finnish company with a fleet of high-resolution radar imaging satellites capable of resolving features on Earth’s surface through cloud cover or darkness, which inhibit conventional optical reconnaissance satellites. The company has launched 80 satellites to date, and four more ICEYE satellites are set to launch this week on a SpaceX rideshare mission.

据马什称，截至周一，“宇宙 2612”正以每小时约 10 英里（17 公里）的相对速度远离 ICEYE 卫星。ICEYE 是一家芬兰公司，拥有一支高分辨率雷达成像卫星群，能够穿透云层或黑暗识别地球表面的特征，而这些条件会阻碍传统的光学侦察卫星。该公司迄今已发射了 80 颗卫星，本周还将通过 SpaceX 的拼车任务再发射 4 颗 ICEYE 卫星。

The company’s US subsidiary, ICEYE US, owns the ICEYE-X36 satellite. ICEYE satellites provide imagery to numerous military users, including Ukraine, which has used ICEYE’s “near-real-time space-based intelligence” since the Russian invasion in 2022. A Russian government official in 2022 said civilian satellites supporting Ukraine’s military are a “legitimate target.” Taking out a single satellite in a constellation of dozens would have little effect on ICEYE’s capacity to support its customers, which also include the US military and several European defense ministries.

该公司的美国子公司 ICEYE US 拥有 ICEYE-X36 卫星。ICEYE 卫星为众多军事用户提供图像，其中包括乌克兰。自 2022 年俄罗斯入侵以来，乌克兰一直使用 ICEYE 的“近实时天基情报”。2022 年，一位俄罗斯政府官员曾表示，支持乌克兰军队的民用卫星是“合法目标”。摧毁由数十颗卫星组成的星座中的一颗卫星，对 ICEYE 支持其客户（包括美国军方和几个欧洲国防部）的能力影响甚微。

“We are aware of the situation and tracking it closely,” an ICEYE US spokesperson told Ars. “Our constellation architecture is designed for continuity and resilience.”

“我们已经意识到这种情况并正在密切追踪，”ICEYE US 的一位发言人告诉 Ars。“我们的星座架构旨在实现连续性和韧性。”

Gen. Stephen Whiting, head of US Space Command, said in April that it was “evident” that Russia is operationalizing anti-satellite weapons. US government leaks have also suggested Russia is eyeing the placement of a nuclear weapon in orbit. The US military disclosed last month that it, too, has placed weapons in space, without elaborating.

美国太空司令部司令斯蒂芬·怀廷（Stephen Whiting）将军在四月份表示，俄罗斯正在将反卫星武器投入使用，这一点“显而易见”。美国政府的泄密信息也表明，俄罗斯正考虑在轨道上部署核武器。美国军方上个月透露，他们也已在太空部署了武器，但未作详细说明。

There were no reports of physical damage to the ICEYE-X36 satellite by the time Kosmos 2612 started its retreat Sunday. But getting so close to a US-owned satellite with military utility was a provocation, said retired Lt. Gen. John Shaw, a former deputy commander of US Space Command. “So far, the best interpretation of the Russian activity is clear messaging that they will intentionally conduct aggressive activity near platforms they perceive as actual or potential threats to their interests,” Shaw said. “A broader point is the acknowledgment this activity in the space domain is not at all different from what we often see Russia conduct in the other domains—close-in aggressive and provocative behavior.”

截至周日“宇宙 2612”开始撤离时，没有关于 ICEYE-X36 卫星受到物理损坏的报告。但美国太空司令部前副司令、退役中将约翰·肖（John Shaw）表示，如此靠近一颗具有军事用途的美国卫星是一种挑衅。“到目前为止，对俄罗斯活动的最佳解读是，这传达了一个明确的信息：他们将故意在他们认为对其利益构成现实或潜在威胁的平台附近进行侵略性活动，”肖说。“更广泛的一点是，人们认识到，太空领域的这种活动与我们经常看到俄罗斯在其他领域进行的活动并无二致——即近距离的侵略性和挑衅性行为。”

Russian Air Force aircraft routinely fly in a buffer zone near US and Canadian airspace, and fighter jets downed a US military drone over the Black Sea in 2023. “If the Russians were willing to do this

俄罗斯空军飞机经常在靠近美国和加拿大领空的缓冲区飞行，战斗机曾在 2023 年在黑海上空击落了一架美国军用无人机。“如果俄罗斯人愿意这样做