rolph
4 hours ago
when you get right down to it, any satellite, can be an anti-satellite if there is a disparity of value with respect to investment, and risk.
that means, a game of demo derby with a satellite near its deorbiting window anyway, is efficient, vs launching a weapons platform to start taking potshots, or spraying tetsubishi in orbit.
AnimalMuppet
4 hours ago
Space is pretty big. Satellites are pretty small. Actually engineering a collision, if the satellite was not designed for it, may not be as easy as you think.
ck2
4 hours ago
according this much more detailed article they may be designed to intercept
> In April 2026, Russia launched six satellites, Cosmos 2609 through Cosmos 2614, into low Earth orbit (LEO). A month later, five of the satellites executed high-energy maneuvers that raised their inclinations to match the orbital plane of the ICEYE satellite. These moves were unusual because satellites in LEO typically avoid plane-change maneuvers as they require a large amount of fuel
* https://www.csis.org/analysis/could-russia-be-poised-use-orb...
ck2
4 hours ago
yup they could take any sat that's expired and ready to deorbit and just reuse it for destruction
> a series of manoeuvers by Kosmos2612 starting on Sept 30 were clearly designed to bring the two objects very close and synchronise their orbital periods, orbital altitude and eccentricity
so it's been in planning for a few weeks now
considering the SAR is US owned, that's going to be interesting politically if it suddenly stops responding
ISS has to move out of the way of debris a few times a year now, imagine what that's going to be like next decade
jacquesm
4 hours ago
Well, Trump will pop a cork and call his buddy to congratulate him. Keep in mind they just arranged for russia's missile barrages to rain down on Kyiv unopposed.