The aerospace forces of the Russian Federation successfully launched a satellite inspector from the Plesetsk State Testing Cosmodrome (Arkhangelsk Region), the press service of the Russian Ministry of Defense reports. The spacecraft (SC) was launched into orbit by the Soyuz-2.1v light carrier rocket. A stable telemetric communication is maintained with the satellite, all of its systems are functioning normally.
“The spacecraft, created on the basis of a unified multifunctional space platform, has been launched into the target orbit from which the state of domestic satellites can be monitored. The optical equipment of the spacecraft also allows you to take pictures of the Earth’s surface, ”says the website of the Ministry of Defense.
"Means of protection and counteraction"
A satellite inspector is a type of spacecraft designed to ensure the security of the functioning of the orbital constellation of the Russian Federation. According to the British analytical agency Jane's, from 2013 to 2017, Moscow launched several experimental devices. They are supposedly able to maneuver, moving hundreds of kilometers, and conduct inspection of foreign artificial Earth satellites (AES).
It is alleged that on June 23, 2017, the Soyuz-2.1v launch vehicle Russia launched three “inspectors” into orbit: Cosmos-2519, Cosmos-2521, and Cosmos-2523. According to British analysts, such devices are part of the anti-satellite arsenal of the Russian Federation.
According to the American publication The Space Review, Cosmos-like satellites, as well as other small inspector satellites, are being developed as part of Project 14K167 Level. To move in orbit, they use “pseudo-pulses” - this method of maneuvering is economical in terms of fuel consumption. In addition, in the future, Russian inspector satellites will become less visible to surveillance equipment thanks to a special radio-absorbing coating.
With reference to the report of the Foundation for a Safe World and to its own sources, The Space Review writes that Moscow is creating many anti-satellite ground and aviation systems to disable satellite in low Earth orbit (about 200-1200 km from the earth). Also, Russian enterprises are allegedly developing Burevestnik-type satellites capable of hitting vehicles in the geostationary belt (about 35.7 thousand km).
In December 2017, Izvestia reported that Roskosmos enterprises, in the interests of the Russian Defense Ministry, had developed a new spy satellite weighing up to several hundred kilograms. His tasks include optical observation. The military department confirmed the information circulated by the newspaper, but refused to disclose the details of the project.
- Near-Earth satellite image
- Gettyimages.ru
- © Jose Luis Stephens / EyeEm
In August 2018, at a conference on disarmament in Geneva, Assistant Secretary of State Ilem Poblet said that the latest Russian satellites are indeed capable of incapacitating foreign satellites. According to her, the United States is concerned about the "very abnormal behavior" of devices launched by the Russian Federation.
As The National Interest points out, Russian inspector satellites are capable of performing a wide variety of tasks: from guarding Russian satellites to disabling potential enemy targets. At the same time, the publication notes that the Russian Federation is not the only country that has spacecraft with combat potential.
In particular, such devices are in service with the United States. The Phoenix satellite capable of “stealing” spacecraft and the unmanned flying laboratory X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle, for which the Pentagon does not disclose its military mission, exemplified The National Interest.
As a military expert Yuri Knutov said in an interview with RT, the development of domestic satellite inspectors and anti-satellite weapons systems is Russia's response to the consistent militarization of outer space by Washington.
“The X-37B was designed to perform a wide variety of tasks. I have no doubt that this unit can inspect and damage satellites. Its advantage is the ability to be in orbit for a long period (about two years), ”Knutov stated.
According to the interlocutor of RT, there is reason to believe that the X-37B is currently being used to collect information about foreign satellites, including Russian satellites. Knutov is sure that the American spacecraft is a danger to the Russian and Chinese orbital groups.
“The X-37B and Washington’s plans to improve the space defense echelon make the militarization of space inevitable and open the arms race. This is a fact to be reckoned with. Therefore, the claims of the United States and some Western countries to our satellite inspectors are groundless. Russia is forced to develop means of defense and counteraction in outer space, ”Knutov emphasized.
Maintaining balance
Founder of the Military Russia portal Dmitry Kornev in a RT commentary noted that in recent years, the Russian Ministry of Defense has paid great attention to the issue of protecting the orbital group. As the expert explained, the failure of even part of the orbital group can lead to disastrous consequences for the defense and economy of any country in the world.
“The dependence on satellites in the modern world is simply enormous. These are navigation, communications, surveillance, reconnaissance, target designation. Meanwhile, there are no effective ways to protect a satellite (like air defense), and they are unlikely to appear in the foreseeable future. As a result, the leading powers develop offensive means. The most vulnerable devices are in near-Earth orbit. They are relatively easy to disable by kinetic action - both from orbit and from the Earth, ”said Kornev.
According to the analyst, Russia seeks to acquire a wide arsenal of anti-satellite weapons in order to be able to deliver a guaranteed retaliatory strike in the event of aggression against a domestic orbital group.
- Preparation of a launch vehicle for launching spacecraft into orbit
- © Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation
At the same time, Moscow is focusing on the development of “humane” means of incapacitating a satellite. They are represented by electronic warfare systems, lasers and inspector satellites. The latter, as the interlocutor of RT assumes, can, among other things, “drive off” uninvited guests, thereby protecting the Russian orbital group from being examined by foreign satellite spies.
The defense potential of the domestic orbital group is enhanced through the development of technical vision technologies. This scientific direction was the subject of a conference that took place in mid-October in the technopolis Era (Anapa). At it, the Mozhaysky Military Space Academy (St. Petersburg) presented a project of a promising on-board space observation system.
This set of technical vision will be able to track the movement of vehicles that pose a potential threat to the orbital constellation of the Russian Federation. First of all, we are talking about foreign satellite inspectors. Surveillance equipment is planned to be installed on satellites weighing up to 200 kg, which will be located at an altitude of 2-3 thousand km.
As explained by Kornev, now in the arsenal of the Russian army there are quite a large number of means that can disable satellites in various ways. Anti-satellite capabilities are possessed by the S-400 Triumph and S-500 Prometheus anti-aircraft missile systems, the MiG-31 fighter-interceptor with the updated Contact rocket, the Peresvet laser complex, and the Tirada-2.3 satellite jamming system.
“Given the actual militarization of outer space, Moscow is strengthening its anti-satellite capabilities with lethal and non-lethal weapon systems. This is important to maintain a balance of power in the world that the United States seeks to upset by funding projects to deploy weapons in outer space, ”Kornev concluded.