A new report is warning that Russia is developing an anti-satellite weapon designed to hit Elon Musk's Starlink network, with the potential of far-reaching impacts on the international community. Here is a closer look at this development.

Reports that Russia is Developing an Anti-Satellite Weapon Designed to Target Starlink

Intelligence agencies representing two NATO nations have recently reported that they believe Russia is working on developing a weapon to target Elon Musk's vast Starlink network. The Associated Press (AP) reported on the development on Monday, raising concerns about security on an international level.

The AP report indicates that the weapon could also damage other orbiting objects.  The implications of the alleged weapon could reach far beyond Musk's personal business matters. For instance, the Starklink system has been used for years by Ukraine's military. Ukrainian leaders in the capital city of Kyiv use this network for internet access for its military communications system. The Ukrainians also use the communication to control their fleet of drones.

Ukraine and Russia have been at war for nearly four years. Russian officials have been warning that they consider the Ukrainian satellites "legitimate targets."

The report is in line with past U.S. intelligence that has asserted that both China and Russia have been weaponizing space in order to prop up their own militaries. The U.S. has assessed that both of these nations are working to launch new systems in space engineered to work against the U.S.

According to the AP, the intelligence assessments detail that the Russians want to use pellets to take down the satellites and make them ineffective. Measuring just a few millimeters in diameter, the pellets are small enough to avoid detection.

The AP report also detailed that the pellets are "zone-effect" weapons. This means that they could impact anything in the near vicinity of the Starlink satellites. This lack of precision could also put Russia's own space systems at risk, in addition to the network operated by countries such as China. Some military experts believe that Russia would not resort to this method of destruction, simply due to the risks presented to its own systems.

Other military officials from around the world went on record to say that it is not implausible that the Russians would go to this effort to destroy the Starlink satellites. For example, Brigadier General Christopher Horner, the head of the Canadian military’s Space Division, told the AP that it is not shocking that the Russians would have this technology "within their wheelhouse of development."

The story out of the AP did not identify which two NATO nations provided the assessments.

About Starlink and Race to Weaponize Space

Starlink is one of the largest satellite networks on the planet. The network relies on a massive constellation of what is known as low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellites to deliver internet services via terminals located on the ground.

It was previously confirmed that the Russian military launched a direct-ascent anti-satellite operation test in November 2021. This test destroyed an old intelligence-gathering LEO satellite used by the Soviets.

At the time, the U.S. Space Command verified that the test had produced at least 1,500 pieces of trackable debris. These pieces of debris could remain in orbit for decades. The Russian test also forced NASA personnel working on the International Space Station  to take “emergency procedures for safety.” U.S. leaders condemned the Russians for their actions, calling them “reckless and irresponsible behavior.”

The AP said that the intelligence provided through NATO is a sign that the Russians are developing weapons designed to hit multiple Starlinks at one time. This differs from previous beliefs that the weapon would target one singular LEO satellite.

Looking for stories that inform and engage? From breaking headlines to fresh perspectives, WaveNewsToday has more to explore. Ride the wave of what’s next.