What Happened
Orbital Encounter Raises Concerns Over Space Security
A Russian military satellite, Cosmos 2612, has made a close approach to ICEYE-X36, a US-registered commercial radar satellite operated by Finnish-founded ICEYE, raising concerns over space security and potential anti-satellite threats. The encounter, which may have been within a few hundred meters, has sparked worries about the intentions of the Russian spacecraft and the potential risks to commercial satellites supporting military operations. According to independent orbital tracking analysis, Cosmos 2612 began repositioning on September 30, 2026, to match ICEYE-X36’s orbital plane. This incident was first reported by AeroTime.