A co-orbital weapon is first placed in orbit and then manoeuvres to its target. The same technique (rendezvous and proximity operations, RPO) also has peaceful uses: inspection, repair, refuelling or debris removal. That is exactly what makes intent hard to establish.
| When | What |
|---|---|
| 1963–1982 | Soviet IS programme ("satellite fighter"): co-orbital tests with exploding interceptors |
| 2019–2020 | The Russian Kosmos 2542 and 2543 follow an American reconnaissance satellite; in July 2020 Kosmos 2543 releases an object at high speed, called a weapons test by the US and the UK |
| Jan. 2022 | China's SJ-21 tows a defunct BeiDou satellite out of geostationary orbit to a graveyard orbit — officially debris removal, but also usable against other satellites |
| 2024 | Five Chinese satellites (Shiyan-24C, Shijian-6 05A/B) practise coordinated approaches in LEO — called "dogfighting in space" by the US Space Force |
| May 2025 | The Russian Kosmos 2588 enters the same orbital plane as an American reconnaissance satellite (USA 338); US Space Command confirms this |
See the cards Russian inspector satellites and SJ-21.