Intelligence agencies from two NATO countries think Russia is working on an anti-satellite weapon aimed at knocking out Elon Musk’s Starlink network, according to a new report.
The Associated Press says this weapon would scatter shrapnel in Starlink’s orbits, taking out multiple satellites at once. That kind of attack wouldn’t just hit Starlink; it could wreck a lot of other stuff in orbit, too.
Is Russia Building An ‘Anti-Satellite Weapon’?
Starlink has been a lifeline for Ukraine throughout the war. Kyiv relies on it for communication and to control its massive fleets of drones. Russia has already warned that satellites backing up Ukraine’s military are fair game.
Turning space into a battlefield isn’t anything new, but it’s always stirred up controversy. The U.S. sees both Russia and China scrambling to put more weapons in space, hoping to tip the balance in their favour and hurt U.S. interests.
What do the intelligence reports say?
They say Russia’s new weapon would use tiny pellets, only millimetres wide, making them tough for sensors to spot. Instead of picking off one satellite at a time, this thing would just spray the area, hitting anything nearby. It’s not precise. That means Russia could mess up its own stuff up there, or even hurt satellites from other countries, including China.
Analysts point out that the risks for Russia are real. These dangers might even stop Moscow from going through with it.
The report doesn’t say which intelligence agencies provided the info. Newsweek hasn’t been able to confirm any of it independently.
Elon Musk’s Starlink role
Starlink uses thousands of low-Earth orbit satellites to beam internet to ground terminals. Russia’s no stranger to anti-satellite weapons, either. Back in November 2021, they shot down an old Soviet satellite in LEO, creating at least 1,500 pieces of debris that could hang around for decades.
NASA even had to put the ISS crew on emergency alert. The U.S. government slammed that test as reckless.
Now, NATO intel suggests Russia’s new weapon could hit a bunch of Starlinks at once, not just a single satellite.
As per a report, Brigadier General Christopher Horner, who heads Canada’s military Space Division, told the AP, “I can’t say I’ve been briefed on that type of system. But it’s not implausible. If they’re willing to develop something as extreme as a nuclear weapon system in space, it wouldn’t be surprising if they’re working on something just as damaging, even if it’s not nuclear.”
