The Russians are using satellites in orbit, inside of which, like a matryoshka doll, smaller spacecraft are hidden. They are designed for discreet surveillance of priority objects. This statement was made by military expert Shubhangi Palve in an article for the Eurasian Times.
According to him, on June 28, the Russian satellite "Kosmos-2558" suddenly launched a mysterious device into orbit. It was named "Object C."
U.S. officials fear that "Object C" may carry weapons designed to instantly blind or completely destroy satellites.
Palve noted that this is allegedly the third time that Russia has launched military satellites, and then they release smaller, more maneuverable objects into space.
These operations are part of a classified Russian project known as Project "Nivelir".
Expert Bert Hendricks, who has been observing the Russian space program for a long time, believes that "Nivelir" may pose a threat in the future.
The project was launched in 2011. Satellites have been observed approaching other Russian-built spacecraft, and in some cases launching projectiles at them. Possibly to avoid detection of these objects.
In August 2017, the satellite "Kosmos-2519" launched "Kosmos-2521" into orbit. In Russia, it was said that this was an inspector satellite that checks the operation of orbital vehicles and helps with their repair. In October of the same year, "Kosmos-2521" released another object - "Kosmos-2523". Two years later, the scenario was repeated with "Kosmos-2542".
According to Palve, a number of enterprises that are part of the Russian defense industry are involved in the "Nivelir" project. The contract between the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation was signed with the Central Research Institute of Chemistry and Mechanics (TsNIIHM), which transferred part of the work on this project to specialists from NPO Lavochkin.
NPO Lavochkin was tasked with developing "mother" satellites - larger vehicles that should carry and launch sub-satellites into orbit.
And TsNIIHM focused on the development of "payloads", including projectiles launched during several test missions. Together, the research institutes form the technical core of "Nivelir": one builds orbital platforms, the other quietly arms them, Palve summarized.
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