The Russian eavesdropping satellite LUCH (OLYMP-K) 2 has moved significantly

click diagram to enlarge

I have written before on this blog about the Russian military SIGINT satellite LUCH (OLYMP-K) 2 (2023-031A). It was launched  on 12 March 2023, and like its predecessor LUCH (OLYMP-K) 1, it has since moved about along the geostationary belt, doing proximity operations near western commercial geostationary satellites. 

Each two to four months, it is moved to a new target, where it stays in close proximity until moved to a new target again, behaviour in a similar fashion to the US satellite PAN/NEMESIS-1 in the past. It is probably clandestinely accessing and monitoring communication streams of the target satellites, and perhaps mapping contact networks. It can sometimes come very close to its target, to within a few to a few tens of kilometers (that is very close in space).

From September 2024 onwards it was positioned at 0.93 W close to Intelsat 1002, but on February 7, 2025, it started a drift eastwards. After a significant one-month drift over 62 degrees in longitude, it settled again on March 7 near 62 E, its new eavesdropping target being Intelsat 39 (2029-049B). This latest move is the largest since it was launched.

Due to a combination of flu, moonlight and the fact that the new position is barely above the eastern horizon for me, I have not been able to image it in its new position yet.

The diagram above shows the various repositionings of LUCH (OLYMP-K) 2 since it was launched. Since launch, it has taken up the following positions:

PERIOD                     LONG.      NEAR
21-03-2023  24-03-2023     78.00 E    (checkout) 
07-04-2023  02-05-2023     58.00 E    (checkout) 
22-05-2023  25-09-2023      9.00 E    EUTELSAT (KA SAT) 9A, EUTELSAT 9B
04-10-2023  04-12-2023      3.20 E    EUTELSATt 3B
05-12-2023  26-03-2024      2.60 E    EUTELSAT KONNECT VHTS
01-04-2024  22-06-2024      4.75 E    ASTRA 4A
01-07-2024  16-09-2024      0.54 W    THOR 7
18-09-2024  07-02-2025      0.92 W    INTELSAT 1002
07-03-2025                 62.02 E    INTELSAT 39

The Russian SIGINT satellite LUCH (OLYMP-K) 2 has moved again

LUCH (OLYMP) 2 position change. Click image to enlarge

 

Luch (OLYMP) 2 (2023-031A), the second Russian OLYMP-K/LUCH 5X SIGINT satellite in geosynchronous orbit, has changed position several times since its launch in 2023. Each time, it was placed near a commercial communications satellite. I have written about it before on this blog (e.g. here), and two (here and here) 2023 Space Review article by Bart Hendrickx provides more background on the OLYMP-K program.

And now LUCH (OLYMP) 2 has moved again. From its previous position stalking THOR 7 (2015-022A) at longitude 0.54 W, where it arrived on July 1 2024, it has now made a small hop to the other side of the THOR + INTELSAT grouplet, to 0.92 W, taking a position inbetween THOR 6 (2009-058B) and INTELSAT 1002 (2004-022A).  

The move started on 16 September 2024 near 22 UTC and was completed on September 18.

LUCH 2 positions over time. Click diagram to enlarge

 

detail of the lastest move (top). Click diagram to enlarge

The photographs in top of this blogpost shows the change in position by LUCH (OLYMP) 2 over the past week: basically moving from one end of the grouplet to the other.

(as soon as the moon is less of a nuisance, I will attempt to get a better picture of LUCH (OLYMP) 2 at its new position, with a larger phase angle).

This is not the first "small hop" of LUCH (OLYMP) 2 to the other side of a visited satellite grouplet. In December 2023, it also made a small hop, from 3.2 E to 2.6 E, moving from EUTELSAT 3B to EUTELSAT KONNECT VHTS.

Meanwhile, it is not the first time either that a LUCH (OLYMP-K) satellite is checking out INTELSAT 1002. The latter has been visited by an earlier LUCH (OLYMP) satellite, LUCH (OLYMP) 1 (2014-058A) twice before.

The relocations of LUCH (OLYMP) 2 so far come at intervals of roughly 3 months.

It is still a bit mysterious why exactly these LUCH (OLYMP) satellites are stalking commercial satellites. The roles of their victims are somewhat diverse, although most of the stalking targets in one way or another have to do with data transmissions and TV broadcasts (but there appear to be no relations to recent Russian satellite TV hacks). They could perhaps be mapping contact networks, tapping data streams, analysing frequency hopping patterns, or even analyse weak energy field transmissions within their target satellites. Or they are just there to feed paranoia and provoke counterspace methods.

The Russian SIGINT satellite LUCH (OLYMP) 2 has arrived at its new destination, next to THOR 7

LUCH (OLYMP) 2 imaged at its new location on July 6. Click image to enlarge

 

In a previous blogpost I signalled that the Russian military SIGINT satellite LUCH (OLYMP) 2 (2023-031A), also known as LUCH-5X, a satellite that stalks other satellites, started another relocation move on July 22, leaving its position near ASTRA 4A at longitude 4.8 E and drifting west at 0.9 degrees per day. 

On July 1, the drift stopped as it arrived at its new target destination at longitude 0.54 W. As expected, it has been placed close to yet another western commercial geosynchronous satellite: the Norwegian satellite THOR 7 (2015-022A).

The image above shows both satellites - plus a couple of other neighbouring ones - as imaged by me from Leiden in the night of July 6/7, when I finally had clear skies again, albeit briefly. The image is a 10-second exposure taken with a ZWO ASI 6200 MM PRO + 1.2/85 mm lens. 

At the moment the image was taken, LUCH (OLYMP) 2 and THOR 7 were some 84 km apart. That distance might diminish further: the Russian satellite is still slowly drifting closer to THOR 7.

This is the sixth relocation of LUCH (OLYMP) 2, and the fifth satellite it visits (see diagram above). I expect that it will stay close to THOR 7 for a few weeks and then move on again, possibly to one of the neighbouring satellites (THOR 5 or 6, or INTELSAT 1002), or to a new location altogether.

I also imaged LUCH (OLYMP) 1 (2014-058A), the predecessor of LUCH (OLYMP) 2 (see image below). It has been parked close to INTELSAT 37E (2017-059A) at longitude 18.1 W since September 2022, following an earlier life of frequent relocations (some 30 relocations between 2014 and 2022):

 

LUCH (OLYMP) 1 near INTELSAT 37E on July 6. Click image to enlarge

More on both LUCH (OLYMP) 1 and 2 and their program backgrounds can be found in this article from 2023 by Bart Hendrickx in The Space Review.

As I wrote in a previous blogpost, what LUCH (OLYMP) 2 and its predecesssor LUCH (OLYMP) 1 are doing so close to commercial satellites is an interesting issue. To name a few possibilities: they might be gathering information to map contact networks; geolocating targets that use the satellites; eavesdropping on data communications; prepare for or actually do jamming or spoofing activities; or checking these satellites for vulnerabilities that might provide a means to disable them, might need come.

LUCH (OLYMP) 2 is on the move again [UPDATED]

Image from June 27, 2024. Click to enlarge

 [ UPDATED on 5 July 2024 ]

The Russian military geosynchronous SIGINT satellite LUCH (OLYMP) 2 (2023-031A) is on the move again. It has left its position at longitude 4.7 E with a manoeuver initiated on 22 June 2024, likely around 11:40 UTC. It is now drifting westwards with a drift rate of approximately 0.9 degrees per day. 

The change in several orbital elements after mid June 22 is well visible in the TLE data:

It will be interesting to see what LUCH (OLYMP) 2's next stalking victim will be.

LUCH (OLYMP) 2, which was launched on 12 March 2023, is building a history of frequent relocations, like its predecessor LUCH (OLYMP) 1 (2014-048A) did. With each relocation, it is placed close to a commercial satellite. Below shows the position it had between April 1 and June 22 close (daily varying between 20-75 km) to ASTRA 4A at 4.7 E, where it arrived on April 2, 2024 (see this earlier blogpost) until it left there on June 22. 

 

 

So far LUCH (OLYMP) 2 has stalked at least four commercial satellites:

ARRIVED      LEFT         LON      NEXT TO
22-05-2023   25-09-2023   9.0 E    EUTELSAT (KA SAT) 9A/EUTELSAT 9B
04-10-2023   04-12-2023   3.2 E    EUTELSAT 3B
05-12-2023   26-03-2024   2.6 E    EUTELSAT KONNECT VHTS
01-04-2024   22-06-2024   4.7 E    ASTRA 4A

Below, the movements since launch in diagram form, showing the longitude of placement The first two placements at 78 E and 58 E were probably check-out placements.

click diagram to enlarge

What LUCH (OLYMP) 2 (and its predecesssor LUCH (OLYMP) 1) is doing so close to commercial satellites is an interesting issue. To name a few possibilities: it might be gathering information to map contact networks; geolocating targets that use the satellites; eavesdropping on data communications; prepare for or actually do jamming or spoofing activities; or checking these satellites for vulnerabilities that might provide a means to disable them, might need come.

 

UPDATES 5 and 7 July 2024

The westward drift of LUCH (OLYMP) 2 stopped on July 1, at longitude 0.54 W, where it has now stabilized its position. LUCH (OLYM) 2 is now close to the Norwegian commercial geosat THOR 7 (2015-022A). Due to bad weather, I have not been able to image it there yet. I imaged it at its new position on July 6/7, see this new blogpost.

Dark moves at Geosynchronous altitude: Mentor 6 and Luch (Olymp) 2 have repositioned

Mentor 6 on April 16, 2024. Click image to enlarge

A number of SIGINT satellites in geosynchronous orbit have been moving lately. A small roundup:

There is the brand new SIGINT satellite Mentor 10 (USA 353, 2024-067A) that is slowly drifting westwards to its operational position by ~1.35 degrees per day, since its launch and initial insertion at longitude 100 E on April 9. This was discussed in this previous blogpost. 

But an earlier Mentor (also known as ADVANCED ORION), Mentor 6 (2012-034A), has also been moving recently, from longitude 55.6 E to 51.1 E. This move happened somewhere between the second week of January and the second week of April. The image above shows it on April 16.

The Russians too have recently moved one of their SIGINT satellites again, LUCH (Olymp) 2 (2023-031A). It has now been placed near longitude 4.75 E, close to the commercial satellite ASTRA 4A. The daily distance of LUCH (Olymp) 2 to ASTRA 4A varies between 20 and 70 km. The move was initiated on March 26 and completed by April 2, 2024. The image below shows it on April 16:

 

Luch (Olymp) 2 near Astra 4A. Click image to enlarge

 

click diagram to enlarge

click diagram to enlarge

This is the fifth relocation of Luch (Olymp) 2 since launch in May 2023 (see diagram above). Each time it is relocated, it is put close to a commercial telecom satellite (see also the second part of this earlier post). The purpose is eavesdropping on c.q. mapping of  communications and data streams, and potentially also interference.

PAN/NEMESIS-1 (2009-047A), the enigmatic US SIGINT satellite that played the same game since 2009 (see my 2016 article in The Space Review), is still slowly drifting westwards at an average (but somewhat variable) rate of ~0.03 degrees in longitude per day:

Click diagram to enlarge

Did Russia position a geostationary satellite over Israel last month? No.

screenshot quote Budanov in interview with Ukranian Pravda

 

Based on this interview with Kyrylo Budanov, the Chief of the Intelligence Directorate of the Ukranian military, in the Ukranian Pravda newspaper, a story is going around claiming that Russia relocated a geostationary satellite over Israel in the last week of September, with the suggestion that this was part of an operation to help Iran and the terror organisation Hamas to commit the latter's atrocious assault on Israel.

I was asked by a journalist and a number of people on social media whether I had any evidence that could confirm Budanov's claim. 

In short: this claim cannot be substantiated and makes little sense.

The date mentioned (24 September) for the purported relocation implies that the satellite in question should be LUCH (OLYMP) 2 (2023-031A).  This is the second in the OLYMP-K series of SIGINT satellites operated by the Russian military, and was launched in March of this year.

Below is a plot of the longitudes of all operational Russian geostationary assets (civilian and military) in a wide swat of longitude spanning Africa to west Asia. Only LUCH (OLYMP) 2, indicated by the larger red dots, changes position starting near the mentioned date of September 25/26 (the relocation was completed by October 4), moving from 9.0 E to 3.2 E.

(the other satellite slowly drifting from 7 E to 15E, is the commercial satellite EXPRESS AM-33 which has been drifting for over a year, since august 2022).

click diagram to enlarge

 

Given the date quoted, Budanov's remarks clearly seem to indicate LUCH (OLYMP) 2 as the satellite in question. But it makes no sense, because:

(1) moving from longitude 9 E to 3.2 E, it is not located near Israel, the difference in longitude being almost 30 degrees;

(2) it is moving westwards, away rather than towards the longitude of Israel.

So Budanov's claim is quite a stretch (and I wonder if someone in his staff perhaps simply misinterpreted "3.2 E" as "32 E" and jumped the gun).

Moreover, the repositioning of the satellite has to be seen in the light that this is an OLYMP-K class satellite. 

These SIGINT satellites serve a similar role as the US satellite PAN (see my 2016 article in The Space Review for more on PAN): they rove from commercial telecom satellite to commercial telecom satellite, to eavesdrop on communications and map which sources are utilizing the satellite. Hence, their targets of interest are other satellites.

This behaviour can be well seen in this plot of longitude over time for LUCH (OLYMP) 2's predecessor, LUCH (OLYMP) 1  (2014-058A, aka 'OLYMP-K'). At least 24 relocations over the past 9 years can be seen (and each time, it was put next to another commercial telecom satellite:

LUCH (OLYMP) 1 behaviour. Click to enlarge

 

The newer sistership,  LUCH (OLYMP) 2 has only recently been launched, on 12 March 2023. In the 8 months since, it has been relocated 3 times (including the relocation now under discussion):

LUCH (OLYMP) 2 behaviour. Click image to enlarge

It is clearly following in the footsteps of its predecessor LUCH (OLYMP) 1, as it too is put close to commercial telecom satellites during these relocations. 

For example, here it is on September 20 (a few days before its last relocation) imaged by me from Leiden in the Netherlands. At that time the satellite was positioned very close to Eutelsat (KA Sat) 9A - the true distance between the two satellites was about 22 km at the moment of imaging:

 

click to enlarge

 And here it is on October 14, after relocation to 3.2 E, close to Eutelsat 3B:

 

click to enlarge

The targets of  LUCH/OLYMP satellites are other geostationary satellites, on which they eavesdrop. That they frequently relocate, is a normal, well-established pattern.

Combined with the fact that LUCH (OLYMP) 2 is actually not located over Israel at all but almost 30 degrees more West in longitude, there is no credible evidence that the late September relocation had anything to do with the events in Israel on October 7.