This Saturday, April 26, 2025, it was learned that the Russian satellite Cosmos-2553 —which US authorities consider part of the anti-satellite nuclear weapons development program—is showing signs of uncontrolled rotation. This fact may indicate its failure.
This was reported by Aviá.pro, one of the most popular military portals in Russia and covering all regions of Russia and neighboring countries in Europe, Central Asia and Transcaucasia , who, citing the Reuters agency, indicates that the American companies LeoLabs and Slingshot Aerospace, specialized in tracking space objects , once again pointed out “the anomalous behavior of the satellite, detected for the first time in November 2024,” a matter about which they assert “has generated concern in the United States and intensified the debate on the militarization of space.”
The Cosmos-2553 satellite was launched into orbit on February 5, 2022, from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome on a Soyuz-2.1a launch vehicle, several weeks before the start of a large-scale conflict in Ukraine. According to official Roscosmos statements, the device is designed to test onboard instruments under conditions of increased radiation and exposure to heavy charged particles. However, as The Wall Street Journal reports, US officials have linked the satellite to Russia's program to develop anti-satellite nuclear weapons capable of destroying satellite constellations like Starlink, which play a key role in supporting Ukraine.
According to LeoLabs, Doppler radar first detected Cosmos 2553’s strange behavior in November 2024. Radar data and images obtained in December confirmed that the satellite was spinning out of control. Slingshot Aerospace, which has been tracking the craft since launch, noticed changes in its brightness in May 2024, indicating possible rotation. Slingshot’s chief scientist, Belinda Marchand, said recent observations suggest the satellite’s orbit may have stabilized, but its functionality remains questionable.
American experts, including the Center for Strategic and International Studies , consider the uncontrolled rotation to be "strong evidence" that the satellite has failed. The Russian side has yet to officially comment on this matter.
Whatever the case, the fact remains that it has once again been demonstrated that the global satellite tracking system operated by LeoLabs, through various antenna arrays mounted in strategic locations around the world, such as Tierra del Fuego, is capable of detecting military targets.
Fountain:
