Russia to publish secret US military satellite data

Russia has announced plans to publish a comprehensive database of satellites, spacecraft, and debris that it tracks, including military satellites used by the US and its allies. While Russia insists the information sharing is intended to ensure safety across an increasing amount of space traffic, it comes amid growing tensions over space exploration and fears of a Cold War restarting in outer-space. Russia is calling for a UN-run satellite database, however, objections from the US are set to block this proposal.

For decades they have been the secretive eyes in the sky for the military and intelligence agencies, but details of many of the world's spy satellites are about to become public knowledge.

Russia has said that is planning to make public a comprehensive database of all the satellites, spacecraft and debris it has been tracking in orbit around the planet.

But unlike official lists published by the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD), it has promised to include military satellites used by the United States and its allies.

The Russian Federation has said it is preparing to publish data on the locations of all operating satellites in orbit around the Earth including secret military satellties operated by the US and its allies (illustrated). These are currently not included in public databases released by the North American Aerospace Defense Command

While it might seem like an unlikely move for a country not known for its openness, details of Russia's military satellites are already public knowledge under information published by the US.

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According to the Russian newspaper Izvestia, the Russian proposals, which they outlined at a meeting of the UN Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space in Vienna, are aimed at levelling the playfield.

Russia said it wanted details of all satellites to be held in a UN-run database designed for 'collecting, systemising, sharing and analysing information on objects and events in outer space'.

Their submission to the meeting is a sign of the growing tensions over exploration of outer space.

It also raises concerns at the US governments 'unilateral decision' to give its 'own companies carte blanche to exploit space mineral resources'.

Russia insisted its information sharing proposals would help to ensure the safety of the growing amount of traffic in space.

There are an estimated 1,380 operating satellites currently in orbit around the Earth, according to the Union of Concerned Scientists, which has been collating its own database.

It estimates that 149 of these are operated by the US military or have joint use.

Allies of the US are also not included in the NORAD databases but it is thought that Israel has nine military satellites in orbit, the UK has seven, France has eight and Germany has seven.

Together with the large amount of spacecraft debris and other junk orbiting the planet, the space around the Earth is becoming increasingly crowded.

The Russian proposal said that despite objections from the US that seemed to be aimed at blocking a UN-run list of satellites, the Russian government would change its policy and publish its own data.

Russia claims its telescopes and tracking systems, such as those at the Altai Optical Laser Centre in Zmeinogorsky, Siberia, (pictured), are capable to spotting far more objects orbiting the planet than are made public in databases published by the US authorities

Recently Russia's Altai Optical Laser Centre spotted the US spy satellite Lacrosse Radar Reconnaissance Satellites, imaging them in detail for the first time (pictured)

It claims that its telescopes and tracking systems are able to spot around 40 per cent more space objects than those seen in databases made public by the Americans.

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The Russian proposal said: 'The Russian Federation proceeds to establish a national information service, whose function shall be to provide open access to the results of monitoring objects and events in outer space.'

Russia is thought to have the second highest number of military satellites in orbit around the Earth, with around 75 being used for military or joint use. China is thought to have 35.

Most military satellites are used for communication, early warning systems to look for missile launches, intelligence gathering and navigation.

Russian diplomats are said to be frustrated by the US's attempts to regulate space traffic while refusing to disclose information on many of their own satellites.

Many space agencies are now involved in tracking the location of man-made objects in space including Nasa, the Russian space agency Roscosmos, the European Space Agency and China.

However, Igor Molotov, a research fellow at the Russian Academy of Sciences, told Izvestia: 'Our network spots approximately 40 per cent more objects than you can find in open American databases.

'We have several times more telescopes… than NORAD.'