Space reports: Space Exploration Launches & Spacecraft 'Whatever Russia is testing, it's sophisticated': 2 Russian satellites get within 10 feet of each other in orbit News By Mike Wall published 6 May 2026 "This wasn't a coincidental pass — COSMOS 2583 performed several fine maneuvers to maintain this tight configuration." When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Click for next article An Angara rocket launches the COSMOS 2560 satellite from Plesetsk Cosmodrome on Oct. Another trio in the COSMOS series — COSMOS 2581, 2582 and 2583 — launched in February 2025 and has performed sophisticated rendevzous operations in orbit.
You may like Space junk cleanup tech that could 'shepherd' debris into Earth's atmosphere gets US patent Earth orbit is getting crowded. Can this map of 1 million routes around our planet help prevent satellite collisions? An AI cyberattack could trigger a satellite apocalypse in the next 2 years.
Background
🛰️Russian satellites multi-object proximity event in LEORadar tracking data via @LeoLabsSpace, processed through COMSPOC SSA Suite.This week we observed a complex proximity event involving Russian satellites: COSMOS 2581, 2582, 2583, and Object F (a subsatellite released by… pic.twitter.com/3nDkcOmTuDMay 1, 2026The two satellites and a third one, COSMOS 2582, launched to low Earth orbit in February 2025 atop a Soyuz rocket. According to COMSPOC, all three of them were involved in the recent rendezvous and proximity operations (RPO), as was "Object F," a subsatellite previously deployed by COSMOS 2583.During the 10-foot close approach, "COSMOS 2582 trailed the formation at sub-100 km range, while Object F passed within 15 km of 2582 and within 10 km of 2581 — neither maneuvered," wrote COMPSOC, which analyzed radar tracking data gathered by the California company LeoLabs."For context: in late 2025 to now, we tracked these same COSMOS satellites performing 3-object RPO," COMSPOC added in the May 1 post.
Key facts
- Click for next article An Angara rocket launches the COSMOS 2560 satellite from Plesetsk Cosmodrome on Oct.
- Another trio in the COSMOS series — COSMOS 2581, 2582 and 2583 — launched in February 2025 and has performed sophisticated rendevzous operations in orbit.
- You may like Space junk cleanup tech that could 'shepherd' debris into Earth's atmosphere gets US patent Earth orbit is getting crowded.
- Can this map of 1 million routes around our planet help prevent satellite collisions?
- An AI cyberattack could trigger a satellite apocalypse in the next 2 years.
What this means
"Whatever Russia is testing, it's sophisticated." Such sophisticated orbital maneuvering is not exactly surprising; we've seen similar things from Russia before. For example, according to outside observers, the nation has operated multiple "inspector satellites," including COSMOS 2542, which made a close approach to a U.S. spy satellite in 2020.
Signup to our newsletter Follow us on Google The other major space powers have such capabilities as well. American and Chinese satellites have also been observed checking out other nations' spacecraft high above Earth. View More You must confirm your public display name before commenting Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.
Originally reported by Space. This story has been edited and re-presented by BRIC Team.
