"Note that any two satellites in the same plane with offset periods will have passes like this at some regular cadence," Thomspon added. Decide which cookies you want to allow. This is just one of a number of space apparatus inspectors and other curious satellites that the Kremlin has put into orbit over the past decade. However, concerns have been raised about what satellites could do to one another in space if they got close enough. Instead of drifting away like it usually did, Cosmos 2542 performed a series of maneuvers between Jan. 20 and Jan. 23 and essentially matched orbits with USA 245. How to react to the activities of foreign satellites, such as Cosmos 2542, where it may not be clear what the threat is, or if there even is one, is exactly the kind of issue that the U.S. military, and the new Space Force, in particular, will only increasingly be faced with as time goes on. The appearance of Cosmos 2542 in its new orbit also comes as the U.S. military is very publicly working to address concerns about the increasing vulnerability of various space-based systems that it relies on heavily. Not that they would be useful during peacetime. This might be similar to Kosmos 2521. Yet despite this defensive maneuver, and due to orbital mechanics, the Russian satellites are still close enough to potentially gather valuable intelligence on the capabilities of USA-245 using optical and electronic measurement sensors, and, according to some observers, the Russian and U.S. satellites will likely make at least one close pass (less that 100km distance) of each other by late February 2020. By coordinating the orbits of the KH-11s, the NRO can maintain simultaneous wide and narrow surveillance. Despite this reality, basic definitions of what a conflict in space might entail and how the U.S. might act in response, including possible shows of force or direct retaliation, significant issues that The War Zone has also previously examined in-depth. "There may come a point where we demonstrate some of our capabilities so that our adversaries understand they cannot deny us the use of space without consequence," then-Secretary of the Air Force Heather Wilson had said at the Space Foundation’s 35th annual Space Symposium in 2019. Janssen had also noted that Cosmos 2542 had synchronized its orbit with the American spy satellite.

This site, like many others, uses small files called cookies to help us improve and customize your experience. The NRO is a military agency that specializes in surveillance and operates a large swath of classified satellites that are thought to spy on places all over the world — so it’s entirely possible USA 245 is doing something the US might want to keep secret, the report said. After some time in orbit, a smaller subsatellite, Kosmos 2543, was deployed.

Beyond that, the ability of Cosmos 2542 to get into this position at all is notable and is exactly the kind of orbital maneuvering that the U.S. government had pointed to in the past evidence of potential "killer satellites." The most obvious expression of this recent push is the creation of U.S. Space Force, an entirely new branch of the U.S. military to focus on American military activities in and related to space, as well as the procurement of satellites and other related systems and infrastructure. It is worth noting that this is hardly the first time similar confluences in orbit have occurred and that observers have spotted U.S. satellites possibly examining foreign satellites in the past, as well. Regarding the manoeuvres of these objects in space, these are practices carried out by many countries,” said Sergei Ryabkov, Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister in a statement to the Russian news media. Your email address will not be published. “As I’m typing this, that offset distance shifts between 150 and 300 kilometers [93 and 186 miles] depending on the location in the orbit.”, At that range, Cosmos 2542 can probably take pretty detailed photos of KH-11. Amateur satellite trackers say Russian spacecraft is keep a close watch on classified satellite USA 245. They traditionally maintain orbits that dip as low as 160 miles and climb as high as 620 miles, allowing the satellites to modulate between viewing huge swaths of Earth at low resolution and much smaller sections of the planet at high resolution. “Cosmos 2542 can observe one side of the KH-11 when both satellites first come into sunlight, and by the time they enter eclipse, it has migrated to the other side.”. Please contact the developer of this form processor to improve this message. "In many cases in the Department [of Defense], we’re just so overclassified it’s ridiculous, just unbelievably ridiculous," U.S. Air Force General John Hyten, the present Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said at a recent Air Force Association gathering, speaking broadly about classification issues, according to Defense News.

A highly maneuverable, but small satellite could possibly get close enough to disrupt the operation of, disable, or destroy another object in space using a variety of means, ranging from electronic warfare jammers to directed energy weapons, such as a laser.

Now, Kosmos 2542 … Rendezvous and proximity operations (RPO) in Earth orbit are certainly becoming more common over recent years, with Russia – with its 14F150 Napryazhenie (Cosmos-2542 is this type of satellite) – and the United States – with its Geosynchronous Space Situational Awareness Program (GSSAP – also known as Hornet) satellites – routinely carrying out so-called satellite inspection operations. Technology, performance and design delivered to your inbox.