Moscow - Russia is testing a military satellite with an orbit changing capability, British space expert Robert Christy reported.
“Cosmos-2499. Small satellite with orbit changing capability. Possibly, but speculatively, an inspector satellite with its own Briz-KM rocket body as a target,” Christy wrote in the catalogue of spacecraft he had been monitoring.
He said the vehicle was launched by a Rokot LV from the Plesetsk spaceport on May 23 together with military communication satellites Cosmos-2496, Cosmos-2497 and Cosmos-2498.
“Detected by US tracking sensors and originally catalogued as debris, it was not included in early announcements of the launch,” Christy said.
In his words, “Cosmos 2499 – worth watching for next 2-3 days as its orbit plane comes into alignment that of its rocket.”
Christy said the previous launch was that of Cosmos-2491 from the Plesetsk spaceport by a Rokot LV and a Briz-KM upper stage on Dec. 25, 2013. That launch was also coupled with three military satellites and the presence of the fourth satellite was not confirmed. The U.S. Strategic Command tagged the spacecraft as debris until Russia notified the UN about the fourth satellite. Christy described Cosmos-2491 as a small satellite on a military mission.
