RUSSIAN SATELLITE APPROACHES ANOTHER CRAFT MENACINGLY; ALARM BELLS RING...

Russia has conducted a series of close-approach maneuvers with satellites in orbit over the past few years, part of broader tensions over space militarization. These moves—where one satellite positions itself near another craft—have alarmed Western space analysts and officials, who view them as potential tests of anti-satellite capabilities or deliberate intimidation. The U.S. and its allies have repeatedly warned that Russia is developing weapons designed to disable or destroy satellites, a capability that would threaten both military communications and civilian infrastructure that depend on orbital systems.