Kosmos 2576: Russian Spacecraft Suspected to be an ‘Inspector Satellite’

On May 16, 2024, from the Plesetsk base in Russia, a significant space launch was conducted, with the insertion of nine satellites into a heliosynchronous orbit (SSO). Initially, this launch appeared to be a standard IMINT (Imagery Intelligence) mission. However, further analysis revealed a more complex and potentially strategic picture.

It seems that the main load, a Russian military satellite called Kosmos 2576, has been maneuvered into a position that closely aligns with the orbit of USA 314, a classified American reconnaissance satellite.

This has prompted concerns within the U.S. government, which suspects that the Russian satellite may be acting as an “inspector” or potentially as an anti-satellite weapon. The Pentagon has expressed considerable concern about this activity, characterizing it as provocative and potentially dangerous.

“On May 16, Russia launched a satellite into low Earth orbit that the United States assesses is likely a counterspace weapon presumably capable of attacking other satellites in low Earth orbit.”

— U.S. Ambassador Robert Wood in a May 20 speech at the United Nations

In response to these allegations, Russia has refrained from providing detailed public explanations regarding the purposes of its satellites. Historically, Russian officials have maintained that their space operations are peaceful and in line with international laws. However, the lack of transparency and the strategic nature of such maneuvers contribute to the tensions and suspicions between the two nations.

A succession of military actions

This is not the first time that the Russian Federation has launched military missions with the aim of approaching and analyzing US satellites. In August 2022, Kosmos 2558 was inserted into the orbital plane of the U.S. spy satellite KH-11 USA 326, making close approaches every 5 days.

In late 2019, the Russians launched Kosmos 2542, which released a second satellite, Kosmos 2543. Subsequently, both satellites proceeded in a similar trajectory to that of the National Reconnaissance Office’s USA 245 satellite. In 2020, after moving away, Kosmos 2543 released an additional small payload at high speed. A few months later, U.S. officials expressed concern about this event, which they described as the launch of a high-speed projectile.

The apparent ability of these Russian satellites to attack other spacecraft has been a source of concern to U.S. defense officials, especially since these satellites have maneuvered in close proximity to U.S. government satellites.

Dr. Marco Langbroek noted that Kosmos 2576 satellite, launched this month, is notable for a minimal Right Ascension of Ascending Node (RAAN) difference of only 0.02 degrees from U.S. 314 and an orbital inclination difference of only 0.8 degrees. Currently, Kosmos 2576 orbits at an altitude of 451 x 436 km, which is quite lower than that of USA 314, which is at an altitude of 769 x 548 km. 

Past events suggest that Kosmos 2576 may raise its orbit in the future or, as occurred with Kosmos 2542 in 2020, may release a second satellite that would move to a higher orbit. These maneuvers and capabilities suggest that Kosmos 2576 could be an inspector satellite with the ability to monitor or interfere with other satellites, thus increasing concerns about space security.

An inspector satellite?

In response to recent U.S. allegations regarding the Kosmos 2576 satellite, Russian authorities strongly rejected such claims, calling them “fake news” and denying any hostile behavior.

A Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman declared that “Kosmos 2576 is not an anti-satellite weapon, but part of our normal space operations.” The Russian Defense Ministry underscored that the satellite’s maneuvers are coherent with routine and space research activities, dismissing the allegations as part of a disinformation campaign.

Currently, there are two Russian satellites in lower earth orbit that are suspiciously co-planar with an American KH-11 ADVANCED CRYSTAL electro-optical reconnaissance satellite: Kosmos 2558 (2022-089A) co-planar with USA 326 (2022-009A); and now Kosmos 2576 (2024-092A) co-planar with USA 314 (2021-032A). Kosmos 2558 currently makes approaches to 50 km to USA 326 every 7 days.

The situation illustrates the larger context of increasing militarization and competition in space. Both nations are developing and deploying technologies that, if used inappropriately, could monitor or disrupt the other’s satellite capabilities. Moreover, especially due to increasing geopolitical tensions, it is becoming increasingly complex to implement international regulations that limit the proliferation of weapons in space. Some steps have been made only to stop destructive anti-satellite (ASAT) tests, which have already caused a great deal of space debris.

Obviously, there is no certainty about the true nature of the Kosmos 2576 satellite’s mission; neither its orientation nor Russia’s previous actions in space constitute strong evidence that Russia is developing satellite weapons, but they certainly raise suspicions that other nations tend not to underestimate.