US Spy Satellite Buzzes ISS (arstechnica.com)

The spy satellite that SpaceX launched about six weeks ago appears to have buzzed the International Space Station in early June. The fly-by was made by a dedicated group of ground-based observers who continued to track the satellite after it reach outer space. Ars Technica reports: One of the amateur satellite watchers, Ted Molczan, estimated the pass on June 3 to be 4.4km directly above the station. Another, Marco Langbroek, pegged the distance at 6.4km. "I am inclined to believe that the close conjunctions between USA 276 and ISS are intentional, but this remains unproven and far from certain," Molczan later wrote. One expert in satellite launches and tracking, Jonathan McDowell, said of the satellite's close approach to the station, "It is not normal." While it remains possible that the near-miss was a coincidence due to the satellite being launched into similar orbit, that would represent "gross incompetence" on the part of the National Reconnaissance Office, he said. Like the astronaut, McDowell downplayed the likelihood of a coincidence. Another option is that of a deliberate close flyby, perhaps to test or calibrate an onboard sensor to observe something or some kind of activity on the International Space Station. "The deliberate explanation seems more likely, except that I would have expected the satellite to maneuver after the encounter," McDowell said. "But it seems to have stayed in the same orbit."

Comments

Re:sounds like a non-story

[ledow]

Idiot.

4-6km at 10-20,000 mph is a near miss. That's literally seconds away, or a tiny angle error because you completely destroy both objects in question.

Even in aviation terms, that kind of distance is probably needing reporting for most places. 4-6km isn't exactly "far away" at even aircraft speed.

In orbit, it's just downright dangerous.

Well,

[bytesex]

Now we know what this new satellite does. It aims at other satellites and buzzes them (and/or photographs them, or destroys them, either by smashing into it, or by using some sort of weapon on the platform itself).

Re:sounds like a non-story

[Anonymous Coward]

They didn't say km/s, they said km.
That's distance, not speed.

It was a near miss.

Re:sounds like a non-story

[MightyYar]

Don't call people idiots unless you yourself are willing to talk about the whole story. Direction is very important. NASA does not draw a sphere around the ISS, they draw a "pizza box". The pizza box is 50 km wide, but only 1.5 km tall. This is because stuff in space is not likely to change altitude very quickly, but it is moving very quickly within it's orbit. So, the AC is actually correct and a 4-6km altitude difference would take this thing well out of harms' way. If it was anywhere within the pizza box at any time, which it does not appear was the case, then yeah - it would be a near miss by violating NASA's safety zone.