Object 2014-28E is being closely observed by Western powers as it manoeuvres close to the other Russian-made crafts, leading to theories that it is a Cold-War style space killer. It can harm the country.
Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev visits a space launch pad in Plesetsk, north-western Russia on Wednesday to have a look at the situation.
Did Russia launch a satellite killer?
Amateur astronomers and Western military observers have been tracking Object 2014-28E, and declared it as “ghost” spaceship that blasted into orbit in May as part of a cluster of military services.
Unlike a December 2013 launch, where Russians alerted the United Nations of four new satellites, just three spacecraft were declared in the payload. On the other hand, U.S. radar picked up a fourth object, according to Russian Space Web.
The U.S. military has begun tracking the Russian spaceship as Norad designation 39765, but it’s unbelievable task is still far from clear and exact points to a vehicle that repairs or refuels existing satellites to one that sucks up space junk, according to the report of Financial Times.
Whatever it is, looks very experimental, and said by space security expert Patricia Lewis of think tank Chatham House told FT. He further added, “It could have a number of functions, some related to military and civilians. One possibility is for some kind of grabber bar. Another would be kinetic pellets which shoot out at another satellite, or possibly there could a different match of a satellite-to-satellite attack.
The Russian ministry of defence has kept quiet, but its space forces reportedly resumed its anti-satellite weapons program in 2010 after the former superpower reportedly shuttered it with the fail of the mission of the Soviet Union.
