{
  "id": "russia-counterspace-sats",
  "name": "Russian co-orbital ASAT and inspector satellites",
  "aliases": [
    "Nivelir",
    "Kosmos 2576",
    "Kosmos 2588"
  ],
  "domain": "space",
  "country": "RUS",
  "category": "Co-orbital counterspace satellites",
  "status": "in-service",
  "fielded": null,
  "operators": [
    "RUS"
  ],
  "summary": "Russian LEO and GEO satellites that have approached U.S. satellites, released objects and tested space-based ASAT functions.",
  "specs": [
    {
      "k": "program",
      "v": "Probable orbital ASAT prototypes in 2017, 2019, 2022, 2024 and 2025; June 2025 satellite passed near U.S. and allied GEO satellites; Mozhaets-6 (September 2025)",
      "src": [
        "ussf-space-threat-2025"
      ],
      "conf": "medium"
    },
    {
      "k": "mission",
      "v": "Development of a satellite designed to carry a nuclear weapon; Nudol DA-ASAT test (November 2021) created 1,500 trackable debris pieces",
      "src": [
        "ussf-space-threat-2025"
      ],
      "conf": "medium"
    }
  ],
  "payloads": [],
  "variants": [],
  "art": "satellite",
  "image": null,
  "verified": null,
  "changelog": [
    {
      "date": "2026-11-08",
      "change": "Entry created from cited open sources"
    }
  ],
  "url": "https://www.defensepedia.com/systems/russia-counterspace-sats.html",
  "sources": {
    "ussf-space-threat-2025": {
      "title": "Space Threat Fact Sheet (current as of December 2025)",
      "publisher": "U.S. Space Force, Headquarters Space Force Intelligence",
      "url": "https://www.spaceforce.mil/About-Us/Fact-Sheets/Fact-Sheet-Display/Article/4297159/space-threat-fact-sheet",
      "published": "2025-12-01",
      "tier": 1,
      "checked": "2026-11-08"
    }
  }
}