Russian Satellite Linked to Nuclear Weapon Programme Appears Out of Control

The secretive Russian satellite in space that US officials believe is connected to a nuclear anti-satellite weapon programme has appeared at times to be spinning uncontrollably, suggesting it may no longer be functioning, in what could be a setback for Moscow's space weapon efforts, according to US analysts.

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WASHINGTON -

The Cosmos 2553 satellite, launched by Russia weeks before invading Ukraine in 2022, has had various bouts of what appears to be errant spinning over the past year, according to Doppler radar data from space-tracking firm LeoLabs and optical data from Slingshot Aerospace shared with Reuters.

Believed to be a radar satellite for Russian intelligence as well as a radiation testing platform, the satellite in 2024 became the centre of US allegations that Russia for years has been developing a nuclear weapon capable of destroying entire satellite networks, such as SpaceX's vast Starlink internet system that Ukrainian troops have been using.

US officials assess that Cosmos 2553's purpose, though not itself a weapon, is to aid Russia's development of a nuclear anti-satellite weapon. Russia has denied it is developing such a weapon and says Cosmos 2553 is for research purposes.

Russia, a storied space power that launched the first man in space in 1961, has for decades been locked in a security race in space with the US that, in recent years, has intensified and seeped into public view as Earth's orbit becomes a hot spot for private sector competition and military technologies aiding ground forces.