Russian satellite activity raises concerns for Starlink, German space commander says
Traut said the maneuver showed Russia could disrupt commercial constellations without a direct attack, as four Cosmos satellites shadowed an ICEYE spacecraft in May.
- Major General Michael Traut, head of German space command, warned that Russian "chasing" tactics used on an ICEYE satellite earlier this year could threaten constellations like Elon Musk's Starlink.
- Russian military interference, including ground-based jamming and on-orbit trailing, has spiked since the 2022 invasion of Ukraine; Moscow has warned that commercial Western satellites helping Ukraine could become legitimate targets for retaliation.
- Traut outlined how Russian satellites drift into orbital paths, forcing fuel-draining avoidance maneuvers that shorten the operational lifespan of commercial networks even without a direct attack.
- ICEYE Chief Executive Rafal Modrzewski confirmed the May episode involving satellites Cosmos 2610 through 2613 showed how spacecraft can be maneuvered close to one another "either to observe or potentially do harm."
- Germany is developing inspector satellites and partnering with companies like ICEYE to bolster NATO's eastern flank, aiming to disrupt hostile space activity without destroying targets.
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Russian military satellites pursued the device of a Western company in orbit. Germany has warned of a potential danger to the Starlink network.
‼️ Russia can disrupt Starlink operations without even destroying the satellites,
▪️Russian military satellites are practicing maneuvers that could potentially be used against large commercial satellite constellations, including Starlink, Major General Michael Traut, commander of the German Space Command, told the...
<p>Activity of Russian satellites raises concern for Starlink - German General Russian military satellites maneuvered near the ICEYE satellite supporting Ukraine. The German general warned of the risks to Starlink</p>.
The hybrid war between the West and Russia would also take place in space. Moscow has already used its satellites to hinder those of its opponents.
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