Aljazeera: “Russia launches ‘space weapon’ in path of US satellite: Pentagon
US believes Russia’s recently launched satellite can inspect and attack other satellites in low Earth orbit.
United States says Russia has launched a satellite that US intelligence officials believe to be a weapon capable of inspecting and attacking other satellites.”
“A Soyuz rocket blasted off from Russia’s Plesetsk launch site, about 800km (500 miles) north of Moscow, on Thursday, deploying in low Earth orbit at least nine satellites, including COSMOS 2576, a type of Russian military “inspector” spacecraft US officials have long condemned as exhibiting reckless space behaviour.”
White House says weapon is not yet operational and poses no immediate threat but puts astronauts at risk.
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.”
A Soyuz rocket carrying the Russian Meteor-M spacecraft and 18 Russian and foreign satellites blasts off from a launchpad at the Vostochny Cosmodrome in Russia’s Far East [File: Roscosmos/Handout via Reuters]
Published On 22 May 202422 May 2024
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