Issue 64

5 Jan 2023: The issue highlighted an Economist article describing how Ukrainian forces were using Starlink communications in the war with Russia and how the constellation’s architecture increased resilience to both non-kinetic and kinetic threats. Read the article.

– The issue gives the constellation size as 3,335 active Starlink satellites, roughly half of all working satellites at the time.

– New satellites had been added at an average rate exceeding 20 per week over the previous six months.

– Starlink was described as a critical part of Ukrainian C4ISR: command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance.

– Ukrainian forces used Starlink-enabled networks to send target imagery and coordinate artillery decisions much more quickly than earlier methods.

– The issue also describes Starlink-supported maritime-drone operations around Sevastopol.

– Russian electronic-warfare systems can locate, jam or spoof radio emissions, but Starlink’s relatively strong LEO signals and narrow electronically steered beams make interference more difficult.

– Cyber attacks were described as less effective because SpaceX could rapidly update system software.

– A kinetic ASAT attack against one Starlink satellite would have little system-wide effect; significantly degrading the network would require destroying many spacecraft.

The article is presented as an example of how proliferated LEO communications can reshape military command and control while improving resilience against attack.