Two Russian satellites came as close as 10 feet and went back. No one knows why

Two Russian satellites carried out a deliberate close approach just 3 metres apart in orbit. The unexplained manoeuvre has renewed scrutiny of military activity and collision risks in low Earth orbit.

In Short

• Kosmos 2581, 2582 and 2583 were launched from Plesetsk in February
• Analysts tracked a smaller object deployed earlier by Kosmos 2583
• Rendezvous operations can support servicing missions but also military uses

Two secretive Russian satellites have alarmed space trackers after they manoeuvred to within just 10 feet (3 metres) of each other in orbit, carrying out what analysts describe as highly sophisticated movements whose purpose remains unknown.

The satellites, Kosmos 2581 and Kosmos 2583, performed the close approach on April 28 while orbiting Earth roughly 585 kilometres above the planet, Space.com reported.

According to Pennsylvania-based space situational awareness company COMSPOC, the encounter was not accidental and involved a series of deliberate manoeuvres to maintain the tight formation.

“This wasn't a coincidental pass,” COMSPOC said in a statement posted on X. “COSMOS 2583 performed several fine manoeuvres to maintain this tight configuration.”

The satellites are part of a trio, Kosmos 2581, 2582 and 2583, launched by Russia aboard a Soyuz rocket in February 2025 from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome. Their exact mission has never been disclosed by Moscow, fuelling speculation among analysts that they may be linked to military inspection, surveillance or anti-satellite technology tests.

Space analysts said all three satellites, along with a smaller object deployed earlier by Kosmos 2583, were involved in a series of “rendezvous and proximity operations,” or RPOs, controlled orbital manoeuvres in which spacecraft intentionally approach one another.

Such capabilities are important for satellite servicing and debris removal missions, but can also have military applications.

COMSPOC said the satellites displayed “complex proximity events,” with Kosmos 2582 trailing the pair while another deployed object passed nearby without manoeuvring. Analysts tracking the mission noted that the Russian spacecraft have repeatedly carried out close approaches over recent months.

“Whatever Russia is testing, it's sophisticated,” the company said.

Russia is also working on building its own space station, and the test could be part of refining docking technologies. However, there are no reports that the two satellites docked in space.

The incident has renewed concerns about growing military activity in low Earth orbit as major powers increasingly develop technologies capable of closely inspecting or potentially interfering with satellites.

Russia has previously been accused by the United States of testing “inspector satellites” and orbital systems with possible anti-satellite capabilities, claims Moscow has denied.

Experts say close orbital manoeuvres are becoming more common as space around Earth grows increasingly crowded. However, approaches measured in mere metres remain extremely rare because even a tiny miscalculation could trigger a collision and generate dangerous debris.

The 2009 crash between an Iridium communications satellite and a defunct Russian spacecraft highlighted the risks posed by orbital accidents.

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