We have observed nominal activity and assess it is likely a counterspace weapon presumably capable of attacking other satellites in low Earth orbit, a spokesperson for US Space Command, part of the US Department of Defense, said in a statement on Tuesday.
COSMOS 2576 resembles previously deployed counterspace payloads from 2019 and 2022, the statement added, referring to past Russian tactics of deploying satellites close to sensitive US spy satellites.
US intelligence agencies had been expecting the launch of COSMOS 2576 and informed allies of their assessment of the satellite before its deployment in space, according to a US official familiar with the intelligence.
The launch also included civilian satellites deployed to different orbits. This mix of military and civilian payloads was totally unexpected. Never seen that before on a Russian launch, said Bart Hendrickx, an analyst tracking Russia's space programme.
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