A tense space game has unfolded in Earth’s orbit. The recently launched Russian satellite Kosmos-2588 deliberately approached the secret American reconnaissance vehicle USA-338, causing serious concern for the US Space Command (USSPACECOM). Experts believe this is another step in Russia’s deployment of potential anti-satellite weapons.
Image: SatCamTrack Leiden
Kosmos-2588 was launched into orbit on May 23. An analysis of its trajectory by Slingshot Aerospace, a satellite tracking company, showed that the device was moving almost in a circle, extremely close to the orbit of USA-338. This alignment strongly suggests that the Russian satellite may be actively tracking or “stalking” the American satellite. The distance between the objects is about 100 kilometers, and they come closer approximately every four days.
Not a coincidence
This is not the first such case. Space expert Marco Langbroek of Delft University of Technology emphasizes: “This is the fourth time in five years that Russian spacecraft have entered a coplanar orbit with American reconnaissance satellites. So this is not just a coincidence, but a deliberate step”.
This is the fourth time in five years that they launch a satellite into a coplanar orbit with a US optical reconnaissance satellite: so no, not mere coincidence but deliberate.
— Dr Marco Langbroek (@Marco_Langbroek) May 24, 2025
Earlier, Russian satellites Kosmos-2542 in 2020, Kosmos-2558 in 2022, and another in April 2023 also demonstrated suspicious behavior near American spacecraft.
Suspicions of space weapons
USSPACECOM officially confirmed the rapprochement, stating: “Russia continues to research, develop, test, and deploy a range of anti-space systems that threaten the security and stability of space”. The command representative added that they will continue to monitor the suspicious behavior of hostile objects.
Slingshot Aerospace has identified Kosmos-2588 as a “military satellite” that they believe could potentially carry a kinetic weapon – that is, one capable of physically destroying a target in orbit.
These actions fit into a broader picture. In November 2021, Russia conducted a shameful test of anti-satellite weapons, destroying its own spent satellite. As a result, a cloud of thousands of dangerous pieces of debris formed in Earth orbit, which will threaten all spacecraft in low Earth orbit for a long time to come. This incident prompted the UN to adopt a resolution against testing such weapons, but Russia, along with China, Iran, Syria, and Cuba, voted against it.
Red flag
Little is known about USA-338 – its orbit is classified. Analysts believe it to be part of the Crystal electro-optical reconnaissance network. The United States also has a history of close approach operations, such as the USA-276 satellite near the ISS in 2017. However, the key difference, according to experts, is that Russia’s actions look like a systematic program to deploy potential weapons aimed specifically at destroying enemy satellites, which threatens the stability of space for all.
The approach of Kosmos-2588 to USA-338 is not just a random incident. This is a red flag indicating an escalation of a dangerous game in space.
Earlier, we reported on how Russian satellites perform mysterious maneuvers at an altitude of 500 km.
Provided by breakingdefense.com
