From tracking Russian military movements and connecting Ukrainian troops on the battlefield to identifying humanitarian corridors and gathering evidence for war crimes prosecutions, commercial satellites are an integral part of Ukraine’s defense against Russia.
Kaitlyn Johnson, a space warfare expert and associate director at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in Washington, told Blick, “Maxar and Starlink have played a huge role in the fight against Russian disinformation.” Because thanks to the images, Ukraine was able to spread the truth about the mass killings and atrocities of Russian troops, but also to build a strategic advantage.
Difficult for Russia. Because it does not have such technology itself. Little wonder, then, that it used jamming before the invasion, followed by a successful attack on February 24 against the satellite company ViaSat, which handles communications for the Ukrainian government. Elon Musk’s Starlink (51) has also been attacked by jammers.
These attacks were not really successful, but Johnson warns: “I assume that Russia will continue to launch attacks on satellites from the ground.” A Russian Foreign Ministry official threatened in late October that commercial satellites could once again become “legitimate targets for retaliation”.
Experts are already talking about the “first commercial space war” – but what does that mean? According to Johnson, there are several ways Russia can attack space-based infrastructure: cyberattacks, ground jammers, space weapons and anti-satellite weapons (ASAT) – missiles launched from Earth that shoot down or detonate a satellite in orbit.
What will happen if Russia shoots down satellites?
Last November, Russia tested such an ASAT model and caused an international stir – the test was the first time in the world that a satellite was actually hit. According to “Arms Control,” 1,500 pieces of debris were created in low orbit, endangering space operations and human spaceflight. Astronauts from the International Space Station had to take cover several times to avoid being hit. “The debris created by this dangerous and irresponsible test will now threaten satellites and other space objects vital to the security, economic and scientific interests of all nations for decades to come,” said US Secretary of State Antony. Blinken (60) at the time.
At that time, Russia attacked its own “Cosmos 1408”, which had been in circulation since 1982. Johnson does not consider a missile attack by Russia on satellites of other countries possible – Russia has too few such missiles for that. Because to seriously disrupt the systems of Maxar and SpaceX, for example, you would have to attack the satellite constellations over a large area. Even if an attack with ASAT missiles is not currently considered possible, the jammers and cyber attacks used at the start of the war also cause major problems.
Chiara Schlenz
Source: Blick
I am Amelia James, a passionate journalist with a deep-rooted interest in current affairs. I have more than five years of experience in the media industry, working both as an author and editor for 24 Instant News. My main focus lies in international news, particularly regional conflicts and political issues around the world.
