Mystery Russian Satellite’s ‘Abnormal Behavior' Raises Alarm: US Official
- 6 years ago
An official with the US State Department recently expressed concern over a Russian satellite that is exhibiting, “very abnormal behavior.”
An official with the U.S. State Department recently expressed concern over a Russian satellite that is exhibiting "very abnormal behavior," reports the BBC. "In October of last year the Russian Ministry of Defense deployed a space object they claimed was a 'space apparatus inspector,'" Yleem D.S. Poblete, Assistant Secretary of State for Arms Control, Verification and Compliance, said while speaking at the Conference on Disarmament in Switzerland on August 14. "But its behavior on-orbit was inconsistent with anything seen before from on-orbit inspection or space situational awareness capabilities…We are concerned with what appears to be very abnormal behavior," she further noted. The official expressed that a satellite "observed doing something that is contrary to what its owners claim it is intended to do, is of great concern." Among the worries is that apparatus may be capable of destroying satellites. Poblete also said while Russia has given assurances that it will not "be the first to place weapons in outer space," the existence of the satellite in question "is yet further proof that the Russian actions do not match their words."
An official with the U.S. State Department recently expressed concern over a Russian satellite that is exhibiting "very abnormal behavior," reports the BBC. "In October of last year the Russian Ministry of Defense deployed a space object they claimed was a 'space apparatus inspector,'" Yleem D.S. Poblete, Assistant Secretary of State for Arms Control, Verification and Compliance, said while speaking at the Conference on Disarmament in Switzerland on August 14. "But its behavior on-orbit was inconsistent with anything seen before from on-orbit inspection or space situational awareness capabilities…We are concerned with what appears to be very abnormal behavior," she further noted. The official expressed that a satellite "observed doing something that is contrary to what its owners claim it is intended to do, is of great concern." Among the worries is that apparatus may be capable of destroying satellites. Poblete also said while Russia has given assurances that it will not "be the first to place weapons in outer space," the existence of the satellite in question "is yet further proof that the Russian actions do not match their words."