Roscosmos put another killer satellite on alert

Russia has launched another spacecraft with anti-satellite capabilities. That's right - another killer satellite in the near-Earth space, which is increasingly crowded with them, writes The Telegraph.

That's all well and good, as long as those spacecraft stay out of the way. In the event of war, however, an orbital collision could scatter millions of high-velocity fragments of plastic and metal, increasing the risk to the satellites we depend on for communication, navigation and other strictly peaceful purposes. Even the International Space Station would be in danger.

In 2019 and 2022, the Russian space agency launched into low orbit a group of small, maneuverable "inspection" satellites whose supposed role is to rendezvous with other satellites and inspect them to diagnose malfunctions.

But with the help of their sensors and manipulators, these same satellites could manipulate or even destroy other satellites.

Russian inspection satellites tend to be short-lived. After a few years, they run out of fuel, lose altitude and burn up in the atmosphere. To maintain an orbital arsenal for a possible future space war, the Kremlin must launch a new batch of inspection satellites every few years.

Thus, on May 16, Russia launched from the Plesetsk cosmodrome in northern Russia a mysterious satellite designated Kosmos 2576. Four days later, on May 20, Ambassador Robert Wood, the US Deputy Representative for Special Political Affairs at the United Nations, stated that "Cosmos 2576 is likely a counterspace weapon and possibly can attack other satellites in low earth orbit".

"It's chilling that Cosmos 2576 apparently already has a target in its notorious crosshairs. "Russia has deployed this new counterspace weapon into the same orbit as a US government satellite," Wood added. This American satellite, designated USA 314, reportedly has intelligence capabilities.

The assumed pattern is familiar. Two years ago, Russia launched an inspection satellite Kosmos 2558 to track the American reconnaissance satellite USA 326.

If Cosmos 2576 actually interfered with USA 314, it would be an act of war. But if Russia wanted just that - open war, then the main priority of Russian space forces would be to blind or disable as many American intelligence and communications satellites as possible, and as quickly as possible.