US, China, and now Russia are on the prowl in GEO(stationary orbits)

US, China, and now Russia are on the prowl in GEO(stationary orbits)(arstechnica.com)

3 points by huhtenberg 45 days ago | 1 comment

huhtenberg 45 days ago |

> A new kind of Russian satellite is now in the mix. This satellite, officially known as Kosmos 2589, was launched in June 2025 into a highly elliptical orbit alongside a smaller spacecraft designated Kosmos 2590. The two satellites performed a series of high-altitude rendezvous and proximity operations with one another before Kosmos 2589 began moving toward a more circular geosynchronous orbit, where it arrived in April.

> One of the US military’s GSSAP satellites was waiting for it. The US inspector spacecraft is now looping around Kosmos 2589, swinging near the newly arrived Russian satellite twice per day, coming as close as 8 miles (13 kilometers).

Someone's full-time job is this. Crazy stuff.