Are Satellites Becoming Military Targets?
News Desk
Moscow: Space is increasingly emerging as a new frontier of military competition among global powers, with satellites no longer serving merely as instruments of communication, navigation and data collection but also playing a critical role in national security and military operations.
Growing concerns over this emerging threat have intensified following a recent incident in which a Russian military satellite reportedly approached a Western commercial satellite at an exceptionally close distance in low Earth orbit, raising questions about the possibility of space-based attacks and the vulnerability of critical satellite infrastructure.
According to the British news agency Reuters, American space experts have raised concerns that the Russian satellite’s movements could represent a rehearsal for a potential attack on Western satellites. The situation has become more concerning as two additional Russian military satellites from the same group are reportedly moving towards another commercial spacecraft operated by a Western company.
In mid-October, Russian military satellite Kosmos 2612 reportedly approached ICEYE-X36, a commercial satellite owned by Finnish company ICEYE, coming within less than one kilometre of the spacecraft. Some space experts believe the distance may have narrowed to just a few hundred metres or even less.
The incident attracted attention after US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Thomas D’Nino stated on social media platform X that the Russian satellite had deliberately manoeuvred dangerously close to a commercial spacecraft, displaying behaviour associated with military operations in space.
ICEYE-X36 uses synthetic aperture radar (SAR) technology to capture detailed images of the Earth’s surface, including under cloudy conditions and at night. Its imagery is used by Western governments and military organisations, including Ukraine, making the satellite’s security particularly significant.
Three space experts described the encounter as one of the closest known approaches by a Russian military spacecraft to a commercial satellite in low Earth orbit.
Greg Galinger, a senior space analyst at US-based Integrity ISR, told Reuters that the manoeuvre appeared to resemble a rehearsal for a potential attack. He said he had rarely witnessed such an aggressive Russian posture towards another country’s satellite infrastructure.
According to Galinger, the movements of Kosmos 2612 suggest that Russia may have been testing its ability to physically damage another spacecraft. He argued that if the objective had simply been intelligence gathering or electronic interference, such an extremely close approach would not necessarily have been required.
Public records cited by US space intelligence company Slingshot Aerospace identify Kosmos 2612 as a military satellite designed to inspect other spacecraft in orbit. It belongs to a group of six Russian military satellites launched in April.
The activity reportedly began months before the October encounter. In May, Russia manoeuvred four satellites from the same group close to ICEYE-X36. The Finnish company subsequently adjusted the satellite’s orbit, prompting the Russian spacecraft to alter their movements as well.
ICEYE’s chief executive, Rafal Modrzewski, reportedly informed Reuters in September about the developments.
By early October, Kosmos 2612 was positioned several hundred kilometres behind ICEYE-X36. However, within a few days, it rapidly reduced the distance, eventually approaching the commercial satellite at an exceptionally close range in mid-October.
Although the Russian satellite subsequently moved away to approximately 400 kilometres, concerns over its activities have continued.
Galinger said two other satellites from the same Russian group were now moving towards another ICEYE spacecraft, X-37. The US-based space-tracking company ComSpoc has also reported movements indicating that the two Russian satellites are positioning themselves for closer approaches to the spacecraft.
A Growing Risk to Satellites in Orbit
Space experts warn that such manoeuvres can serve several purposes, including inspecting another spacecraft, gathering intelligence, monitoring its activities or potentially interfering with its systems.
A German space commander has cautioned that the risks associated with these encounters depend on the technical capabilities of the satellites involved. Possible consequences range from temporary disruption of satellite operations to permanent damage or complete incapacitation.
However, experts also emphasise that approaching another satellite does not automatically establish hostile intentions. Publicly available orbital data alone cannot conclusively determine whether such manoeuvres are intended for surveillance, technical inspection or military action.
Meanwhile, Ann Stevens, head of US operations at ICEYE, told Reuters that the company’s X-37 satellite continues to operate and is expected to remain operational. She added that ICEYE operates a constellation of radar-imaging satellites, meaning that any disruption affecting a single spacecraft would not necessarily compromise the wider network.
A former senior Royal Air Force officer and space expert has also warned that such close encounters increase the possibility of satellite damage, whether through deliberate action or accidental collision.
Space: The Next Arena of Global Military Competition
The incident comes amid an intensifying military race in space, with the United States, China and Russia increasingly investing in space-based defence capabilities.
Satellites have become indispensable to modern warfare, supporting military communications, intelligence gathering, surveillance, navigation, missile warning systems and battlefield coordination. Any disruption to these networks could have serious consequences for national security and military operations.
The United States has acknowledged the development and deployment of military capabilities in orbit. The head of US Space Command has also previously warned that Russia has deployed a space-based weapon capable of threatening satellites considered critical to American national security.
As major powers expand their military presence beyond Earth’s atmosphere, the possibility of confrontation in space is becoming an increasingly serious international security concern.
What was once considered a domain of scientific exploration and technological cooperation is gradually turning into a strategic military environment, where even a manoeuvre between two satellites can trigger international alarm.
The close encounter involving Kosmos 2612 and ICEYE-X36 therefore raises a broader question: as global powers prepare for the possibility of future conflicts extending into space, how secure are the satellites on which modern societies and military systems increasingly depend?
