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COMSPOC's Operations Team | Technical experts in orbital analysis, maneuver detection, and near real-time space tracking | Advancing Space Domain Awareness.

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🛰️ GEO INSPECTION EVENT: US satellites hand off on China's SJ-29 pair For 4 days from 14-18 March, USA 324 and USA 325 (GSSAP) positioned themselves on opposite sides of China's Shijian-29A & 29B — a coordinated "bracket" providing observation angles from both east and west, followed by a handoff for continuous watch on the Chinese pair. USA 324 (GSSAP-5) drifted east and executed two drift-stop burns on 14 March, parking itself at 73.0°E. By 19 March it had closed to ~63 km range from SJ-29A. USA 325 (GSSAP-6) had been positioned near the SJ-29 pair since early January 2026, not long after the Chinese launch. On 18 March it executed its final departure burn and is now drifting east at +0.69°/day, currently at 78.4°E as of 1800Z on 25 March. SJ-29A & SJ-29B (launched Dec 2025) are stationed at 73.19°E and 73.25°E respectively. China describes them as space target detection technology demonstrators — essentially space situational awareness platforms. This coordinated handoff — USA 325 departing as USA 324 arrives — suggests the SJ-29 pair remain a high priority for the GSSAP constellation. Inspectors watching the inspectors. #GSSAP #SpaceSituationalAwareness #GEO #satellite

🛰️ GEO INSPECTION EVENT: US satellites hand off on China's SJ-29 pair For 4 days from 14-18 March, USA 324 and USA 325 (GSSAP) positioned themselves on opposite sides of China's Shijian-29A & 29B — a coordinated "bracket" providing observation angles from both east and west, followed by a handoff for continuous watch on the Chinese pair. USA 324 (GSSAP-5) drifted east and executed two drift-stop burns on 14 March, parking itself at 73.0°E. By 19 March it had closed to ~63 km range from SJ-29A. USA 325 (GSSAP-6) had been positioned near the SJ-29 pair since early January 2026, not long after the Chinese launch. On 18 March it executed its final departure burn and is now drifting east at +0.69°/day, currently at 78.4°E as of 1800Z on 25 March. SJ-29A & SJ-29B (launched Dec 2025) are stationed at 73.19°E and 73.25°E respectively. China describes them as space target detection technology demonstrators — essentially space situational awareness platforms. This coordinated handoff — USA 325 departing as USA 324 arrives — suggests the SJ-29 pair remain a high priority for the GSSAP constellation. Inspectors watching the inspectors. #GSSAP #SpaceSituationalAwareness #GEO #satellite

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Recent observations from OurSkyAI and Observable Space, supported by COMSPOC’s optical network, reveal several significant activities in GEO between 6–8 June 2025. SHIJIAN-25 (SJ-25) performed four maneuvers between 6 June 01:50 UTC and 7 June 16:51 UTC, using a total delta-v of 8.29 m/s and increasing its drift rate from –0.006°/day to -1.535°/day. USA 270 performed two maneuvers between 6 June 01:48 UTC and 7 June 14:11 UTC, expending 4.081 m/s delta-v and increasing its drift rate from 0.078°/day to 1.349°/day. USA 271 executed two in-track maneuvers on 7 June between 02:49 UTC and 18:14 UTC, utilizing 0.945 m/s delta-v and slightly decreasing its drift rate from 0.989°/day to 0.972°/day. As of 9 June 16:45 UTC, SJ-25 is within 2° longitude of SJ-21. USA 270 and 271 now flank SJ-21 and SJ-25 from the east and west—potentially enabling favorable sun angles depending on the timing of closest approach.

Recent observations from OurSkyAI and Observable Space, supported by COMSPOC’s optical network, reveal several significant activities in GEO between 6–8 June 2025. SHIJIAN-25 (SJ-25) performed four maneuvers between 6 June 01:50 UTC and 7 June 16:51 UTC, using a total delta-v of 8.29 m/s and increasing its drift rate from –0.006°/day to -1.535°/day. USA 270 performed two maneuvers between 6 June 01:48 UTC and 7 June 14:11 UTC, expending 4.081 m/s delta-v and increasing its drift rate from 0.078°/day to 1.349°/day. USA 271 executed two in-track maneuvers on 7 June between 02:49 UTC and 18:14 UTC, utilizing 0.945 m/s delta-v and slightly decreasing its drift rate from 0.989°/day to 0.972°/day. As of 9 June 16:45 UTC, SJ-25 is within 2° longitude of SJ-21. USA 270 and 271 now flank SJ-21 and SJ-25 from the east and west—potentially enabling favorable sun angles depending on the timing of closest approach.

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Shijian-31: a satellite with an orbit we have never seen before China launched Shijian-31 on June 16 from Xichang, officially described as a "space environment detection" mission. The orbital elements suggest more going on. The inclination 63.46° sits at the value where perigee advance goes to zero. Anyone who's tracked Molniya-class satellites will recognize that immediately. But the resemblance stops there. A classic Molniya parks its apogee over high northern latitudes and dwells for hours, that's the whole design premise. SJ-31's argument of perigee is 171°, which puts perigee near the equator and its apogee on the opposite side. (Image 1: SJ-31 at 171° argument of perigee vs. a generic Molniya at 270° argument of perigee.) So the long dwell isn't over any particular latitude — it's over altitude. Apogee reaches ~39,900 km, about 4,100 km above the operational GEO belt where comms and missile-warning satellites sit. Nearly a third of each 12.5-hour orbit is spent above that shell, crossing it twice per pass at a steep 63° angle. (Video 1: SJ-31's orbit visualized with example GEO assets.) It's also not fixed on one region. The period is just off a clean repeating ground track, so the sub-apogee point slowly drifts around the globe — sweeping past every longitude roughly once every 24 days. Net effect: an orbit that periodically looks down on the entire GEO belt from above, at an angle, on a rotating schedule, rather than fixating on one target. What's it actually doing up there? SpaceNews Breaking Defense Joey Roulette Space Domain Awareness Jonathan McDowell Integrity ISR

Shijian-31: a satellite with an orbit we have never seen before China launched Shijian-31 on June 16 from Xichang, officially described as a "space environment detection" mission. The orbital elements suggest more going on. The inclination 63.46° sits at the value where perigee advance goes to zero. Anyone who's tracked Molniya-class satellites will recognize that immediately. But the resemblance stops there. A classic Molniya parks its apogee over high northern latitudes and dwells for hours, that's the whole design premise. SJ-31's argument of perigee is 171°, which puts perigee near the equator and its apogee on the opposite side. (Image 1: SJ-31 at 171° argument of perigee vs. a generic Molniya at 270° argument of perigee.) So the long dwell isn't over any particular latitude — it's over altitude. Apogee reaches ~39,900 km, about 4,100 km above the operational GEO belt where comms and missile-warning satellites sit. Nearly a third of each 12.5-hour orbit is spent above that shell, crossing it twice per pass at a steep 63° angle. (Video 1: SJ-31's orbit visualized with example GEO assets.) It's also not fixed on one region. The period is just off a clean repeating ground track, so the sub-apogee point slowly drifts around the globe — sweeping past every longitude roughly once every 24 days. Net effect: an orbit that periodically looks down on the entire GEO belt from above, at an angle, on a rotating schedule, rather than fixating on one target. What's it actually doing up there? SpaceNews Breaking Defense Joey Roulette Space Domain Awareness Jonathan McDowell Integrity ISR

302,282 просмотров • 2 месяцев назад

🛰️Russian satellites multi-object proximity event in LEO Radar tracking data via LeoLabs, processed through COMSPOC SSA Suite. This week we observed a complex proximity event involving Russian satellites: COSMOS 2581, 2582, 2583, and Object F (a subsatellite released by 2583). The highlight: COSMOS 2581 and 2583 achieved a closest approach of ~3 meters on 28 April at UTC, with near-zero relative velocity. This wasn't a coincidental pass — COSMOS 2583 performed several fine maneuvers to maintain this tight configuration. Meanwhile, COSMOS 2582 trailed the formation at sub-100 km range, while Object F passed within 15 km of 2582 and within 10 km of 2581 — neither maneuvered. For context: in late 2025 to now, we tracked these same COSMOS satellites performing 3-object RPO. These satellites launched 5 February 2025. Whatever Russia is testing, it's sophisticated. SpaceNews Spaceflight Now Breaking Defense Joey Roulette Space Domain Awareness Jonathan McDowell #RPO #SSA #Russia #Space

🛰️Russian satellites multi-object proximity event in LEO Radar tracking data via LeoLabs, processed through COMSPOC SSA Suite. This week we observed a complex proximity event involving Russian satellites: COSMOS 2581, 2582, 2583, and Object F (a subsatellite released by 2583). The highlight: COSMOS 2581 and 2583 achieved a closest approach of ~3 meters on 28 April at UTC, with near-zero relative velocity. This wasn't a coincidental pass — COSMOS 2583 performed several fine maneuvers to maintain this tight configuration. Meanwhile, COSMOS 2582 trailed the formation at sub-100 km range, while Object F passed within 15 km of 2582 and within 10 km of 2581 — neither maneuvered. For context: in late 2025 to now, we tracked these same COSMOS satellites performing 3-object RPO. These satellites launched 5 February 2025. Whatever Russia is testing, it's sophisticated. SpaceNews Spaceflight Now Breaking Defense Joey Roulette Space Domain Awareness Jonathan McDowell #RPO #SSA #Russia #Space

119,858 просмотров • 4 месяцев назад

The World's Most Expensive Game of Tag Just Got Interesting The US Space Force's live orbital intercept-and-evasion exercise is underway at ~500 km altitude, and last week both players made moves. Event detected by COMSPOC SSA Suite using LEOLABS radar data. For context: JACKAL-004 is the chaser. VICTUS HAZE PUMA is the evader. Both are commercially-built spacecraft under contract to Space Systems Command, executing real rendezvous and evasion maneuvers with real hardware and real ΔV. PUMA was launched on a Rocket Lab Electron in June, reportedly within 16 hours of the Space Force's go order. By early July, JACKAL had autonomously found, closed on, and imaged it in ~61 hours with no ground cueing. SSC called it the first commercial orbital intercept in history. Since then, the mission has been escalating, with JACKAL reportedly closing to within ~10 km of an actively maneuvering PUMA in August. Here's the update. Before Aug 21, the two spacecraft were drifting apart, range growing, JACKAL falling behind. Then JACKAL executed two burns on Aug 21 and 22, reversed the drift entirely, and spent the next three days methodically closing the gap, ~400 km down to ~180 km. Textbook intercept geometry. Patient, deliberate, and frankly a little ominous if you're PUMA. Then PUMA answered. Our tracking data shows it executed burns overnight, late Aug 24 into early Aug 25 UTC time, and broke JACKAL's closure cold. The range stopped shrinking, reversed, now sitting around 210 km and opening. This kind of RPO activity is not entirely new. We saw a similar cat-and-mouse dynamic last year with COSMOS 2581, 2582, and 2583, which conducted sub-10-meter proximity operations. What makes this notable is that two U.S. satellites are now demonstrating comparable capabilities, potentially amplifying a broader shift in the space domain. Jonathan McDowell LeoLabs Integrity ISR

The World's Most Expensive Game of Tag Just Got Interesting The US Space Force's live orbital intercept-and-evasion exercise is underway at ~500 km altitude, and last week both players made moves. Event detected by COMSPOC SSA Suite using LEOLABS radar data. For context: JACKAL-004 is the chaser. VICTUS HAZE PUMA is the evader. Both are commercially-built spacecraft under contract to Space Systems Command, executing real rendezvous and evasion maneuvers with real hardware and real ΔV. PUMA was launched on a Rocket Lab Electron in June, reportedly within 16 hours of the Space Force's go order. By early July, JACKAL had autonomously found, closed on, and imaged it in ~61 hours with no ground cueing. SSC called it the first commercial orbital intercept in history. Since then, the mission has been escalating, with JACKAL reportedly closing to within ~10 km of an actively maneuvering PUMA in August. Here's the update. Before Aug 21, the two spacecraft were drifting apart, range growing, JACKAL falling behind. Then JACKAL executed two burns on Aug 21 and 22, reversed the drift entirely, and spent the next three days methodically closing the gap, ~400 km down to ~180 km. Textbook intercept geometry. Patient, deliberate, and frankly a little ominous if you're PUMA. Then PUMA answered. Our tracking data shows it executed burns overnight, late Aug 24 into early Aug 25 UTC time, and broke JACKAL's closure cold. The range stopped shrinking, reversed, now sitting around 210 km and opening. This kind of RPO activity is not entirely new. We saw a similar cat-and-mouse dynamic last year with COSMOS 2581, 2582, and 2583, which conducted sub-10-meter proximity operations. What makes this notable is that two U.S. satellites are now demonstrating comparable capabilities, potentially amplifying a broader shift in the space domain. Jonathan McDowell LeoLabs Integrity ISR

22,538 просмотров • 24 дней назад

USA 325 (SSC.51281) reaches China's TJS-23 (SSC.67226) — its third stop of 2026 After bracketing the Shijian-29A/B pair at 73°E alongside USA 324 in March, then settling in with Russia's COSMOS 2589 at 97.9°E through the spring, USA 325 has crossed the belt to the Western Pacific. COMSPOC sensor data and orbit determination show a familiar profile: departure burns on 3–4 July broke USA 325 out of the 97.9°E slot into a ~3.1°/day eastward drift. Three weeks of unpowered coasting later, several maneuvers between 23 July and 8 August braked the drift near 169°E and walked it into TJS-23's neighborhood at 175.5°E. TJS-23 launched on a CZ-5 from Wenchang in December 2025 and has held 175.5°E ± 0.2° ever since reaching GEO. Officially a communication technology test satellite, it is widely assessed as a SIGINT mission and the slot fits: the footprint from 175.5°E covers the Western and Central Pacific, including major U.S. test ranges and operating areas. With ~6° between their orbit planes, USA 325 crosses TJS-23's plane every 12 hours, and close approaches come at those crossings. The first: 10 August, 22:35 UTC at 14 km, visualized below. Two more have followed so far. Three approaches in 36 hours is the tell. We'll continue monitoring in the coming days. Jonathan McDowell Space Domain Awareness Integrity ISR SpaceNews Observable Space #space #satellite

23,729 просмотров • 1 месяц назад

Pakistan's PRSC-EO3: an unusual orbit for an optical satellite Radar tracking via Leonardo Avella. Processed via COMSPOC SSA. PRSC-EO3 (visualized in cyan) launched April 25, 2026 on a Long March 6. It's an optical imager — but its orbit is curious. Most optical LEO satellites use sun-synchronous orbits (~97-105° inclination), which provide consistent lighting for imaging. PRSC-EO3 is in a 38° inclined orbit instead. This sacrifices global coverage and consistent lighting, but increases revisit rates over a specific latitude band: 20-40°N. That's India, Kashmir, and Pakistan. Now consider PRSC-S1 (visualized in pink), Pakistan's SAR satellite launched July 2025, sitting in a 41° orbit. Similar inclination, similar altitude — but their RAANs are ~175° out of phase. When one passes over South Asia in daylight, the other passes in darkness. SAR works day and night. Optical needs sunlight. The geometry appears to allow complementary coverage. We ran the access analysis [Image 1]. The SAR sensor (unconstrained) and optical sensor (daytime-constrained) together provide repeatable revisit across day and night. The gaps left by one are filled by the other. Then there's PRSC-HS1 — a hyperspectral satellite in SSO [Image 2], capable of detecting camouflage and identifying materials from orbit. Optical shows you the picture. SAR shows you the picture at night and through weather. Hyperspectral tells you what you're looking at. Five remote sensing satellites in 16 months [Image 2]. All launched by China. All with orbits favoring South Asian coverage. The stated missions are civilian. The orbital architecture appears consistent with a multi-modal ISR constellation. Space Domain Awareness , Jonathan McDowell, Joey Roulette, SpaceNews , Integrity ISR #Pakistan #Space #SAR #ISR #PRSC

Pakistan's PRSC-EO3: an unusual orbit for an optical satellite Radar tracking via Leonardo Avella. Processed via COMSPOC SSA. PRSC-EO3 (visualized in cyan) launched April 25, 2026 on a Long March 6. It's an optical imager — but its orbit is curious. Most optical LEO satellites use sun-synchronous orbits (~97-105° inclination), which provide consistent lighting for imaging. PRSC-EO3 is in a 38° inclined orbit instead. This sacrifices global coverage and consistent lighting, but increases revisit rates over a specific latitude band: 20-40°N. That's India, Kashmir, and Pakistan. Now consider PRSC-S1 (visualized in pink), Pakistan's SAR satellite launched July 2025, sitting in a 41° orbit. Similar inclination, similar altitude — but their RAANs are ~175° out of phase. When one passes over South Asia in daylight, the other passes in darkness. SAR works day and night. Optical needs sunlight. The geometry appears to allow complementary coverage. We ran the access analysis [Image 1]. The SAR sensor (unconstrained) and optical sensor (daytime-constrained) together provide repeatable revisit across day and night. The gaps left by one are filled by the other. Then there's PRSC-HS1 — a hyperspectral satellite in SSO [Image 2], capable of detecting camouflage and identifying materials from orbit. Optical shows you the picture. SAR shows you the picture at night and through weather. Hyperspectral tells you what you're looking at. Five remote sensing satellites in 16 months [Image 2]. All launched by China. All with orbits favoring South Asian coverage. The stated missions are civilian. The orbital architecture appears consistent with a multi-modal ISR constellation. Space Domain Awareness , Jonathan McDowell, Joey Roulette, SpaceNews , Integrity ISR #Pakistan #Space #SAR #ISR #PRSC

58,675 просмотров • 4 месяцев назад

👀USA 325 keeps an eye on COSMOS 2589 as it settles into GEO COSMOS 2589 🇷🇺 (launched last June) spent the past few weeks circularizing its orbit before parking at ~98°E. USA 325 🇺🇸 (GSSAP-6) was watching the whole time. Things got interesting around April 19th when COSMOS 2589 actually drifted past USA 325 mid-maneuver. USA 325 repositioned, and by late April both were sitting at the same longitude. From there, observation passes came twice a day due to their different inclinations. Closest was ~13 km on 1 May, with sun angles lining up nicely for a good look. 3D visualization attached — you can really see how COSMOS 2589 tightened its orbit while USA 325 adjusted to stay in position. This is what GSSAP does: when something new shows up in GEO, they're there to take a look. Analysis via COMSPOC SSASuite. SpaceNews Spaceflight Now Breaking Defense Joey Roulette Space Domain Awareness Jonathan McDowell #GSSAP #COSMOS #GEO #SDA

👀USA 325 keeps an eye on COSMOS 2589 as it settles into GEO COSMOS 2589 🇷🇺 (launched last June) spent the past few weeks circularizing its orbit before parking at ~98°E. USA 325 🇺🇸 (GSSAP-6) was watching the whole time. Things got interesting around April 19th when COSMOS 2589 actually drifted past USA 325 mid-maneuver. USA 325 repositioned, and by late April both were sitting at the same longitude. From there, observation passes came twice a day due to their different inclinations. Closest was ~13 km on 1 May, with sun angles lining up nicely for a good look. 3D visualization attached — you can really see how COSMOS 2589 tightened its orbit while USA 325 adjusted to stay in position. This is what GSSAP does: when something new shows up in GEO, they're there to take a look. Analysis via COMSPOC SSASuite. SpaceNews Spaceflight Now Breaking Defense Joey Roulette Space Domain Awareness Jonathan McDowell #GSSAP #COSMOS #GEO #SDA

14,094 просмотров • 4 месяцев назад

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