As stated by the Russian Ministry of Defense, since the beginning of 2021, Window-M, the Russian optical-electronic surveillance complex, has experienced a significant increase in unidentified space activity in near-Earth space.
“Window-M, the Russian optical-electronic complex for the detection of space objects located in Tajikistan, in the Sanglok mountains (Pamir mountain system) and at an altitude of 2200 meters above sea level, has detected the movement of about 30,000 (unidentified) space objects for four months from the beginning of 2021 ”, – reported the Russian space defense department.
A year earlier (2020), “Window-M” detected more than 25 thousand space objects.
The Russian Defense Ministry has specified that “Window-M” is a special optoelectronic complex that allows the monitoring of space objects in orbit in the range of altitudes from 50 to 120 thousand kilometers from the earth\’s surface. It is interesting to note that at the maximum distance from the earth\’s surface, the “Window-M” complex is able to recognize an object whose dimensions do not exceed the size of a tennis ball.
“Window-M” was put into experimental combat service in 1999. A modernization was carried out in 2014 where it received the “Window-M” designation. Since 1999, the complex has made 12.5 million measurements of space objects, more than 7.5 thousand new space objects in high orbit have been discovered, and about 800 spacecraft have been checked in working orbits.
The surveillance complex includes modern optoelectronic stations for the detection and collection of information on space objects, television detection equipment and next generation computer structures.
