🇷🇺 For the space nerds: Kosmos 2612's approach to ICEYE-X36, mapped
Astronomer Jonathan McDowell says new tracking data shows Kosmos 2612 maneuvered again on October 16 and is now stationkeeping within 5 km or less of X36. He calls it the first rendezvous of two active satellites in low Earth orbit without the other owner's approval, an unprecedented step, though he doesn't think it breaks the Outer Space Treaty.
US Space Force engineer Adam Cohen modeled the maneuvers from public orbital data:
The animation shows Kosmos 2612's recent motion relative to ICEYE-X36
The timeline charts show it matching X36's orbital plane and closing a gap of thousands of kilometers down to almost nothing by October 13
Sudden jumps between tracking updates point to deliberate maneuvers
The final plots show it parked right behind X36, with a projected drift to within a few hundred meters
Visuals: Adam Cohen / Orbital Engineering Lab
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🇷🇺 For the space nerds: Kosmos 2612's approach to ICEYE-X36, mapped Astronomer Jonathan McDowell says
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