--- title: "Space Force General: Russian Satellite Is “Unusual and Disturbing”" description: "Two mysterious Russian satellites are coming eerily close to a US spy satellite in Earth's orbit, something that has US generals on edge." date: "2020-02-10" modified: "2020-02-10" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/space-force-general-russian-satellite-unusual-disturbing" categories: - "Future Society" - "Space" - "Space Force" tags: - "Russia" - "satellites" - "space force" - "the digest" --- # Space Force General: Russian Satellite Is “Unusual and Disturbing” ![Two mysterious Russian satellites are coming eerily close to a US spy satellite in Earth's orbit, something that has US generals on edge.]() *\Image: Intelsat/Victor Tangermann\* ## Close Encounters Two mysterious Russian satellites are tailing a US spy satellite — and it has US military officials on edge. "We view this behavior as unusual and disturbing," General John 'Jay' Raymond, the first [recently appointed]() US Space Force general, [told *TIME* in an exclusive interview](). "It has the potential to create a dangerous situation in space." ## Circumstantial Evidence Russia launched the satellites in November. They later changed orbit and approached an expensive US spy satellite, [closely shadowing]() it. "This is all circumstantial evidence, but there are a hell of a lot of circumstances that make it look like a known Russian inspection satellite is currently inspecting a known US spy satellite," graduate student and astrodynamics expert at Purdue University Michael Thomposn [wrote]() on Twitter, as reported by *The Drive*. ## Inflating Budgets Officials have yet to provide any proof that they are in any way tampering with the US spy satellite — but it's the first time the military has publicly identified a direct threat to American satellites by an enemy, according to *TIME*. The US Space Force was [officially]() established by the Trump administration back in December. Critics have raised concerns that it could add [more expensive bureaucracy]() at the Pentagon. **READ MORE:** [Exclusive: Strange Russian Spacecraft Shadowing U.S. Spy Satellite, General Says]() \[*TIME*\] **More on Space Force:** *[Space Force Unveils Camouflage Uniform, Sparking Twitter Frenzy]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()