Russian satellite linked to nuclear weapons program is spinning out of control

A secret Russian satellite that US officials believe is linked to Russia’s nuclear weapons program appears to be spinning uncontrollably in space, in a major blow for Moscow, according to American analysts.

The Cosmos 2553 satellite, which was launched by Russia weeks before invading Ukraine in 2022, has been tumbling in space for the past year, suggesting it may no longer be functioning, according to Doppler radar data from space-tracking firm LeoLabs and optical data from Slingshot Aerospace.

The Cosmos was at the center of allegations from the US that Russia was developing a nuclear weapon capable of destroying entire satellite networks in space, including SpaceX’s Starlink system that Ukrainian troops have relied on to fight Moscow’s invasion.

LeoLabs, which detected errant movements from the satellite last year, now has “high confidence” that the Cosmos is spinning out of control, Darren McKnight, a senior technical fellow at the company, told Reuters.

The satellite was notably flying in a relatively isolated orbit some 1,200 miles above the Earth in a known hotspot of cosmic radiation that normal satellites typically avoid.

The Center for Strategic and International Studies, a Washington-based think tank, said the findings from LeoLabs show clear evidence that the Russian satellite “is no longer operational.”

Slingshot, however, said that the Cosmos appears to have recently stabilized after the company first detected the tumbling pattern last May.

Russia’s Ministry of Defense, which denied allegations that Cosmos was linked to its nuclear weapons program, has yet to comment on the findings from the American analysts.

US Space Command, which condemned the launch of Russia’s military satellites, has also remained silent on the findings.

Although not a weapon itself, Cosmos 2553 was believed to aid Russia’s development of a nuclear anti-satellite weapon.

The Cosmos is one of dozens of Russia’s military satellites, with Moscow investing billions in strengthening its space capabilities for military and intelligence purposes as the war with Ukraine continues.

Washington and Beijing have also followed suit to bolster their own secretive satellite programs, raising concerns about a future where space conflicts and satellite attacks become the norm.

The Biden administration warned last year that the Cosmos was just the start of Moscow’s ambitions, with Russia allegedly “considering the incorporation of nuclear weapons into its counterspace programs.”

With Post wires