Space and Physics
PUBLISHED
Three Russian satellites launched into space on February 5, 2025, appear to have released a mystery object into Earth orbit. It's not clear what the purpose of the satellites nor their new companion is, though US officials speculate that they are demonstrating "attack and defense tactics", showing that they are capable of surrounding and targeting enemy spacecraft.
The rest of this article is behind a paywall. Please sign in or subscribe to access the full content.The three satellites – Kosmos 2581/2582/2583 – were launched into low-Earth orbit on board the small-lift launch vehicle Soyuz 2-1v.
These satellites continued to orbit, but attracted attention in mid-March due to apparent maneuvers taking place. One US defense official told CNN that the Russians were practicing space attacks, though astronomer Jonathan McDowell points out that this is far from conclusive.
However, on March 18 one of the satellites appears to have released another object into the equation.
"Space Force have cataloged a new object associated with the Kosmos-2581/2582/2583 launch," McDowell explained on X. "It may have separated from Kosmos-2583 on Mar 18."
Russia, like the US and China, can be secretive about its space operations and has released no details of what the satellites are up to, per Space.com. They could be performing maneuvers as a test, carrying out surveillance, or any number of other possibilities. Space Force, which spotted the new object, will likely be watching closely to find out.
