At least four Russian military satellites changed their orbits to match that of a Finnish-American radar surveillance satellite in the last week, raising questions about Russia's intentions amid an ever-expanding standoff high above Earth.

The maneuvers were identified through open source orbital tracking data. Greg Gillinger, a retired Air Force space intelligence officer, revealed the orbit changes Friday in a special edition of his Integrity Flash newsletter, published by Integrity ISR, a private business that provides "combat-proven operational support and elite training that enhances mission success across ISR (Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance), cyber, space, and targeting domains."

The Russian satellites in question, designated Kosmos 2610 through 2613, launched together on April 16 on a Soyuz-2.1b rocket from Plesetsk Cosmodrome in northern Russia. Over the last week or so, the four satellites adjusted their inclinations—the angles of their orbits to the equator—by less than a degree.

That may sound insignificant, but such "plane change" maneuvers use up a lot of fuel. The delta-v, or velocity change, required for a plane change maneuver of this magnitude is equivalent to the impulse needed to raise altitude by more than 100 miles.

The upshot is that these four Russian satellites are now positioned to routinely pass near a commercial radar surveillance satellite operated by the Finnish-American company ICEYE. This imaging platform, named ICEYE-X36, is part of a fleet of satellites providing all-weather overhead radar images to the US military and European governments. ICEYE also provides imagery to Ukraine's military in its fight against Russia. ICEYE's co-founder and CEO, Rafal Modrzewski, met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy last year.

According to Gillinger, the cross-track distances between the four Russian satellites and ICEYE-X36 now range between about 500 meters (1,640 feet) and 22 kilometers (13.7 miles). All of this is taking place in polar orbit at an altitude of approximately 340 miles (547 kilometers).

Russian satellite operators are now in a position to close in on the ICEYE satellite with "minor adjustments" in "satellite eccentricity and average altitudes," Gillinger wrote in his newsletter. A fifth satellite from the same Russian launch last month now appears to be performing a similar set of maneuvers to move closer to ICEYE-X36.

Co-planar or cosplay?

We know little about what these particular Kosmos satellites can do. Perhaps, as one retired US military space official recently told Ars, this is another example of Russia rattling a dull saber. Russian military officials seem to enjoy probing US and allied forces, often flying strategic bombers near US and European airspace.

This same behavior now appears to extend into space, with Russia's launch of several military spacecraft shadowing the US government's most sophisticated spy satellites in low-Earth orbit several hundred miles above the planet. US officials believe at least some of these Russian satellites are part of an anti-satellite weapons program.

More recently, a mysterious Russian military satellite arrived in geosynchronous orbit more than 22,000 miles over the equator. Circumstantial evidence suggests this, too, may be part of a Russian anti-satellite system. The US Space Force dispatched one of its own inspection satellites in geosynchronous orbit to get a closer look.

A radar image of a bridge in Crimea taken by an ICEYE satellite. Credit: ICEYE

Targeting a single spacecraft, such as ICEYE-X36, in a constellation of similar imaging satellites would do little to inhibit the access of Ukraine or other Western nations to radar surveillance imagery. ICEYE, itself, operates dozens more radar imaging satellites. Unlike optical spy satellites, radars provide imagery day and night, regardless of cloud cover.

But Russia's maneuvers to match the plane of ICEYE-X36's orbit appear to be intentional. Russian military satellites have conducted similar operations to move into "co-planar" orbits with Keyhole-class spy satellites owned by the National Reconnaissance Office. The recent maneuvers with Kosmos 2610 and its cohorts appear to mimic what Russia has done to move within striking distance of the NRO's satellites.

"We do not know Russia's intentions or the capabilities of these particular satellites," Gillinger wrote. "However, maneuvering into a co-planar orbit is alarming. Plane matching is the first (and most fuel expensive) step to conducting Rendezvous Proximity Operations (RPO), likely necessary for the Russian satellites to target (kinetically or non-kinetically) ICEYE-X36.

"We also do not know the satellites' total fuel capacity, however the expenditure [during these maneuvers] is evidence the satellites are capable of conducting high-energy maneuvers," Gillinger continued. "This capability is not common for satellites conducting typical Earth observation, signal collection, or communications missions."

ICEYE did not respond to questions from Ars on Friday; the company announced in January that it was expanding its partnership with the Ukrainian military. ICEYE's newest satellite capture images with a resolution of up to 16 centimeters, about the size of a grapefruit.

"ICEYE is proud and humbled to have supported Ukraine's defense teams with reliable, near-real-time space-based intelligence since the beginning of the invasion," said John Cartwright, senior vice president of data product at ICEYE.

"This agreement strengthens assured access to our high-resolution SAR imagery, helping Ukraine make decisions faster and with greater confidence," Cartwright said. "ICEYE stands firmly with Ukraine in the face of these hostilities, and is deeply committed to strengthening Europe's security more widely by ensuring our allies have the best decision-ready data when they need it most."

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Last year, the first few months of data from the US grid suggested that fears of a data-center-driven surge in demand were becoming a reality. Demand had risen by about 3 percent, triggering a surge in coal, interrupting what had been a long downward trend. But over the course of the year, both trends slowed considerably.

A year later, all of that seems to be in the past, as the US has returned to its normal pattern: slow growth, with renewables pushing coal off the grid. The one oddity is that hydroelectric production has surged without a corresponding increase in capacity, likely due to unusually warm weather in the western US causing the snowpack to melt early. That may have consequences later in the year.

Pushing fossil fuels out

Overall demand in the US grew by only 1.5 percent in the first quarter of 2026 compared to the same period the year before. Often, changes in demand during this part of the year are driven by weather-related heating demand. But the US had an unusual combination set of weather conditions to start 2026, with the western half baking in unseasonal warm temperatures, while the eastern half suffered a deep freeze. So we'll probably need data from more of the year before we read too much into the small rise in demand we've seen so far.

As has been the case for a while now, the biggest trend on the US grid was the growth of solar. Compared to the same quarter the year earlier, solar was up by 24 percent. On its own, that was enough to offset 80 percent of the rising demand. Overall, the output of the major renewables (wind, solar, and hydro) grew by 11 percent compared to the same period the year prior, or about 1.8 times the growth in demand.

Wind and hydro are up, coal is down compared to this period a year earlier. Credit: John Timmer

Given that renewable growth greatly exceeded demand, there was nowhere to go for fossil fuels but down. Overall, they saw a drop of about 3 percent year-over-year, with an absolute change similar in magnitude (if not sign) to the growth in demand. But natural gas use actually grew slightly in the first quarter, which meant coal took an even greater hit, with its use dropping by over 10 percent. That may change as the Persian Gulf conflict drives global natural gas prices higher, but it was not yet a major factor in this data.

As mentioned above, the most unusual event was a surge in hydroelectric generation; it rose by 22 percent in the first quarter. In absolute terms, this was about the same as solar growth; in contrast to solar, however, it came without a building boom, as no major new dams have been completed.

This happened at a time when winter temperatures were unusually warm in the west and likely represent the early loss of snowpack. (Though snowpack in the Colorado River basin is unusually low due to a lack of precipitation.) If that turns out to be a major factor, we'll likely see a relative drop in productivity over the summer and autumn, canceling out the early surge.

Against the current

Overall, fossil fuels continue to generate about half the electricity put onto the grid, a figure that doesn't change when you account for small-scale solar projects that produce power that never appears on the grid. The three major renewable technologies accounted for more than a quarter of the total. When nuclear power is also considered for emissions-free electricity, the total exceeds 45 percent.

The major change compared to last year's data is that the surge in hydro moved it slightly ahead of solar, which had passed it as a source of US electricity in 2025. That's very likely to reverse before the year is over. We're still building lots of solar projects, its peak months of productivity are just starting, and as mentioned above, hydro is likely to drop considerably before the year is over.

The most notable thing about the trends in generation is how they are roughly the reverse of the Trump Administration's priorities. Despite multiple attempts to block its development, renewable power continues to grow, and wind is likely to benefit from the opening of the US's first large offshore wind farms in 2025 and 2026. Meanwhile, coal is dropping even as the administration is ordering plants to stay open past their planned closure dates.

A lawsuit is in progress to challenge the legality of those orders, and the fact that coal is dropping would seemingly support the view that the orders are unnecessary.

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Hopes were arguably high for The Mandalorian and Grogu, director Jon Favreau's big-screen offshoot of the popular Disney+ series The Mandalorian. After all, there hasn't been a new film in the Star Wars franchise since 2019's The Rise of Skywalker wrapped up the three trilogies that make up the so-called "Skywalker Saga."

The new film is ... fine. It's an average Star Wars outing, and it will give families a solid Memorial Day Weekend entertainment option. It's just not the spectacular home run that might have helped launch the flagging franchise into an exciting new era, and diehard Star Wars fans hoping for more are probably going to be disappointed.

(Some spoilers below but no major reveals.)

Grogu (fka “Baby Yoda”) won viewers’ hearts from the moment he first appeared onscreen in the first season of The Mandalorian, and the relationship between the little green creature and his father-figure bounty hunter, the titular Mandalorian, Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal), has only gotten stronger. With the 2023 Hollywood strikes delaying production on season 4 of the series, Favreau got the green light to make this spinoff film.

Mando and Grogu (as his apprentice) are hunting down the scattered remnants of Imperial warlords on behalf of the New Republic, taking orders from Sigourney Weaver's Colonel Ward, a former pilot with the Rebel Alliance. These missions tend to get messy, with Mando being Mando. Ward really wants the warlords alive to get useful intelligence from them, but they understandably don't like to come quietly, so sometimes, well, they die with their henchmen. Can't be helped.

After Mando takes out his latest target, a disappointed Ward offers him a new mission: tracking down Rotta the Hutt (Jeremy Allen White), son of the late Jabba, on behalf of the Hutt Twins, who took over Jabba's criminal enterprise. In turn, the twins will provide crucial information on the whereabouts of an elusive Empire warlord named Coin. Mando accepts, mostly because Ward offers him a newly refurbished Razor Crest-like ship, just like his old one that blew up at the end of S2.

A paint-by-numbers plot

Rotta, it turns out, has become a fan-favorite gladiator on the planet Shakari and doesn't want to go back home to Nal Hutta, as he's convinced the Twins will have him killed to cement their power. Complications ensue, and things start to get messy. You don't want to get on the wrong side of the Hutt Twins, as Mando soon learns to his peril.

The various trailers were thin on plot details, and it's now clear why: There isn't much of a plot. Favreau has said that he came up with a new story rather than the one he'd planned for The Mandalorian S4 because of the switch from a streaming series to a theatrical film, but things still feel pretty episodic. The film is largely comprised of a series of side missions in service to the larger arc. There's some space travel, a fight scene with a cute Grogu moment, a victory, and another cute Grogu moment, then it's on to the next mission. Rinse and repeat.

It's all very well-trodden ground with familiar beats happening at the expected times; even the fight scenes are kinda meh. The dialogue in Star Wars films has always been notoriously wooden and uninspired, and The Mandalorian and Grogu is no exception. Good actors can salvage such lines, and Pascal is a very good actor, but it's much harder when your character wears a helmet the entire time and can't really emote.

Otherwise, we've mostly got stunt-casting as fan service. We love Weaver, but she's utterly wasted here. It's nice to see Embo the bounty hunter from The Clone Wars in his live-action debut, and the return of Zeb Orrelios (voice by Steve Blum), plus the Hutt family characters from The Book of Boba Fett. But casual moviegoers will neither know their history nor care. Bonus: look closely in the climactic battle scene and you'll spot several directors of Mandalorian episodes and Lucasfilm President and CCO Dave Filoni, the latter reprising his role as Trapper Wolf, a New Republic X-wing pilot.

All that said, there's no denying that Grogu's antics are especially cute, and the little green puppet pretty much carries the entire film. (Grogu partnering with the tiny Anzellans to rescue a kidnapped Mando is tailor-made for merchandising.) The strongest segment is the quietest: Mando collapses from a poisonous bite from a Dragonsnake in the Nal Hutta swamps, sacrificing himself so Grogu can escape. Grogu sticks around instead, building a shelter, finding food, and nursing his father figure back to health. It's a key turning point in their relationship and the only genuine emotional beat in the entire film.

I don't know if we'll ever get that postponed fourth season of The Mandalorian. Box office projections indicate that The Mandalorian and Grogu is tracking even lower than 2018's Solo, although things might pick up over the holiday weekend. If so, the character dynamics will likely change considerably. And hopefully the series can recover some of that Star Wars magic that is sadly so absent here.

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Well, that was fast. The Boys series finale only wrapped two days ago, but Prime Video clearly wants to build on that momentum by releasing the first teaser for the prequel series, Vought Rising. With spinoff series Gen V canceled after two seasons, Vought Rising and a planned The Boys: Mexico must carry the franchise banner.

(Spoilers for The Boys series finale below.)

The Boys' fifth season set up the final confrontation between Antony Starr’s Homelander and Karl Urban’s Butcher—the former seeking the original V compound that would make him immortal, the latter seeking to commit genocide with a Supe-specific virus. Homelander succeeded in his quest, but he wasn't quite an invulnerable god. There were heavy losses on both sides of the conflict (RIP Frenchie, in particular), and Homelander was ultimately defeated and killed by a vengeful Butcher. (Starr still hasn't gotten his much-deserved Emmy; his portrayal was simply magnificent.)

Per the official logline: “Set in the 1950s, the prequel series explores the twisted origins of Vought International. The teaser offers a diabolical first look at the world and story that will define this next evolution of the franchise.” According to series creator Eric Kripke, the Supes in this prequel start out in the military before moving to a flashier private sector—what will ultimately become Vought International. Given that and the time period, the Supes' outfit designs were inspired by USO performers'.

Jensen Ackles reprises his role as Ben/Soldier Boy—back when he still had patriotic ideals—alongside Aya Cash, who was memorable as the secret Nazi Supe, Stormfront (aka Clara Vought), in The Boys. Mason Dye plays Robbie/Bombsight (also from S5), Will Hochman plays Torpedo, Elizabeth Posey plays Private Angel, and Ethan Slater reprises his Gen V role as Thomas Godolkin. (Kripke has said other characters from the franchise series could make an appearance as well.) The main cast also includes KiKi Layne, Jorden Myrie, Nicolo Pasetti, Ricky Staffieri, and Brian J. Smith in as-yet-undisclosed roles.

Vought Rising will premiere on Prime Video in 2027.

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The Flipper Zero always looked like it was designed by someone who grew up on Game Boys and cyberpunk anime simultaneously, and that instinct paid off spectacularly. A toy-shaped hacker tool with a pixelated dolphin mascot somehow became one of the most culturally significant pieces of open hardware of the past decade, racking up a million units shipped and a string of government ban attempts that only made it more desirable. We’ve covered the Zero’s behind-the-scenes, and the throughline was always the same: great design lowers the barrier to entry, and a device that looks fun gets picked up, explored, and loved in ways that a purely utilitarian box never would.

Flipper One lands with that same energy, except the mascot is now visibly unhinged. The screen on the press images shows the dolphin yelling “Are you f*cking mad?” at the user for drawing too much power from the USB port, which tells you everything about the tonal direction here. This thing stamps “PORTABLE LINUX COMPUTER” across its forehead, wears its network indicator LEDs like a badge of honor, and ships with a carabiner loop because Flipper knows exactly who is buying this. The hardware underneath that attitude is a full Linux machine capable of operating as a router, a network analyzer, a travel desktop, and a satellite-connected field tool, all depending on what you slot into its M.2 expansion bay.

Designers: Pavel Zhovner & Flipper Devices

I’ll be honest, when the Flipper One CAD files leaked in March, my first reaction was that it looked like someone scaled up a Game Boy Advance and bolted Ethernet ports onto it. My second reaction, about thirty seconds later, was that I wanted one immediately. The form language was unmistakably Flipper, angular and purposeful and slightly aggressive, but the proportions told a completely different story than the Zero. This was not a radio tool. The Zero’s pixel dolphin was charming and approachable, a deliberate design choice that got a hacking tool onto TikTok and into mainstream conversation. The One’s mascot has apparently developed strong opinions and a short temper, which fits a device aimed at people who want their pocket computer to reflect how seriously they take their craft.

That craft, in practice, looks like this. You’re at a conference, hotel Wi-Fi is the usual disaster, and you want a clean network environment for your laptop. Flipper One bridges its dual Gigabit Ethernet ports, runs a VPN tunnel through the cellular modem you’ve slotted into the M.2 bay, and your laptop connects through USB-C Ethernet at 5 Gbps without touching the hotel network once. Or you’re a field engineer doing network diagnostics in a location with no cellular, and the NTN satellite modem module gives you an IP connection via the same low-orbit infrastructure newer phones use for emergency SOS messaging. Or you’re traveling light and plug the One into the hotel TV via full-size HDMI 2.1, grab a Bluetooth keyboard, and have a working Linux desktop controlled by the room remote through HDMI CEC. These aren’t edge cases dreamed up for a spec sheet. They’re the actual use cases Flipper is designing toward.

The software architecture is as interesting as the hardware. Flipper OS introduces a profile system where each configuration is a complete, isolated OS snapshot. Boot a network analysis profile, install whatever you need, break things freely, then switch to a clean travel desktop profile without any experimental residue carrying over. Anyone who has re-flashed a Raspberry Pi SD card for the fourth time in a week because a router experiment ate the system will understand exactly why this matters. FlipCTL completes the picture, a UI framework that wraps existing Linux command-line tools like nmap, ping, and traceroute in a clean, D-pad-navigable interface purpose-built for the One’s small screen, rather than squeezing a full desktop environment into a space it was never designed for.

Flipper Devices shipped a million Zeros by making a serious tool feel approachable and fun. The One is a bet that the same philosophy scales up to a full Linux platform, and that an unhinged pixel dolphin yelling at you about USB power draw is exactly the right mascot for a machine with this much capability packed into a chassis you can clip to a bag and carry anywhere.

The post Flipper One Launches With 5G, Satellite, and the Ability to Turn Any Hotel TV Into a Linux Desktop first appeared on Yanko Design.

President Trump's announcement stirred confusion in Europe following weeks of changing statements from his administration about reducing the American military footprint in Europe.

(Image credit: Jacquelyn Martin)