Russia has issued a warning that it will attack and shoot down the Starlink satellite network established by SpaceX, founded by Elon Musk, citing that SpaceX is developing hundreds of spy satellites for the U.S. government.
Russia reacts strongly as Elon Musk’s company collaborates with the U.S. government to develop spy satellites.
Last week, Reuters reported, citing anonymous sources, that SpaceX is working on a network of reconnaissance satellites for the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO), a U.S. government intelligence agency.
According to sources from Reuters, SpaceX has signed a $1.8 billion contract with the U.S. government to build a robust reconnaissance system, which includes hundreds of satellites operating in low Earth orbit to capture clear images of the Earth’s surface or monitor the movements of specific targets…
Will Russia attack SpaceX satellites as these satellites are used for military purposes? (Image: Space).
It is currently unclear when this reconnaissance satellite system will be deployed, but the information has raised concerns in Russia, prompting them to issue a firm statement.
“We are fully aware of Washington’s efforts to attract private companies to serve their military space ambitions,” said Maria Zakharova, spokesperson for the Russian Foreign Ministry, during a press conference last week.
“We note that the U.S. and its allies are increasingly using satellites and ground infrastructure, such as commercial civil systems like Starlink, to conduct intelligence activities and carry out hostile operations,” Zakharova added.
Zakharova emphasized that the efforts of the U.S. and its allies to militarize commercial satellite networks could make these satellites legitimate targets for retaliatory measures, including military action.
In addition to Russia, China has also expressed dissatisfaction with the news that Starlink is collaborating with the U.S. government to build a network of reconnaissance and spy satellites.
A Chinese military account on the social media platform Weibo described the contract between SpaceX and the U.S. government as “brazen and hypocritical.”
“We call on U.S. companies not to assist evildoers in their malicious activities. All countries in the world should be vigilant and protect themselves against new and greater security threats posed by the U.S. government,” shared the Chinese military’s Weibo account.
The NRO has not officially confirmed the contract information with SpaceX reported by Reuters, but a representative of the NRO stated that they are building a “space-based intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance system with diverse capabilities and the most flexible operational abilities the world has ever known.”
Not the First Time
This is not the first time Russia has warned that it would shoot down SpaceX satellites. In September 2022, Konstantin Vorotsov, Deputy Director of the Department for Non-Proliferation and Arms Control at the Russian Foreign Ministry, also issued a similar warning at a United Nations meeting on mitigating threats from space.
The reason given was that the Starlink satellite internet system from SpaceX is being used to support the Ukrainian military against Russia.
Elon Musk has provided tens of thousands of satellite dishes to the Ukrainian military and people. (Image: Getty).
Previously, when Russia began its special military operation in Ukraine at the end of February 2022, the Ukrainian government called on Elon Musk for assistance after many telecommunications infrastructures in the country were destroyed.
In response to this call, Elon Musk quickly sent more than 20,000 Starlink satellite internet dishes to Ukraine, enabling soldiers and civilians in Ukraine to continue using the internet via satellite.
Despite Elon Musk’s declaration that Starlink is meant for peaceful and civilian purposes, in reality, the Ukrainian military has used this satellite internet for military purposes, including communication, sending encrypted messages, or controlling drones to attack Russian forces…
Can Russia Shoot Down Satellites in Orbit?
Despite multiple threats, Russia has not yet actually shot down any SpaceX satellites.
In reality, Russia is fully capable of shooting down satellites in orbit, rather than simply making idle threats.
In November 2021, Russia successfully tested an anti-satellite missile, destroying one of its decommissioned satellites. The test resulted in thousands of pieces of debris scattered throughout Earth’s orbit.
A representative of SpaceX at that time criticized Russia’s test, stating that the company’s satellites had to change orbits multiple times to avoid the debris caused by the test.
Russia has successfully tested a missile capable of shooting down satellites in Earth’s orbit. (Illustration: AA).
This shows that Russia is fully capable of shooting down satellites that it deems hostile; the question is whether the Russian government truly wants to initiate a conflict in space.
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Starlink is a project of the aerospace technology company SpaceX (founded by tech billionaire Elon Musk), which uses satellites launched into orbit to provide global internet coverage. The Starlink satellites are designed to broadcast broadband internet from space to Earth. In addition to the satellites launched into space, SpaceX will provide users with antennas to receive and send data from the satellites to the ground, allowing users to connect to the internet provided by SpaceX on their devices. These signal dishes can be easily installed in various locations and terrains. The advantage of Starlink is its ability to provide internet access anywhere in the world, even in remote and isolated areas, where traditional internet or mobile networks are hard to reach. SpaceX’s ambition is for the Starlink project to provide global internet coverage and achieve maximum speeds of up to 1Gbps (equivalent to 125MB/s). |
