Disconnect from Starlink. Why a satellite system could harm US national security

According to the influential newspaper, the White House security service said the Starlink satellite system could harm the national security of the state. Sources of the American publication said that employees of the satellite communication system owned by Elon Musk and Donald Trump's subordinates ignored security measures. The fact is that Starlink does not provide for the required level of control. So, you can connect to wi-fi on the territory of the White House without a password: Starlink simply does not require it. The system allows you to transfer data without any tracking. And this seriously increases the risk of hacking into the networks of the residence of the head of the United States by spy hackers. The alarming information was confirmed by the senator from Massachusetts. Starlink could indeed damage the United States, he said.

The satellite communication system turned out to be a double-edged weapon. The brainchild of Elon Musk, putting Trump's security at risk, today seriously facilitates the life of the Ukrainian armed forces. Starlink terminals at the front not only provide communication between military units and the command, but also allow you to control drones. According to the entourage of the President of Ukraine, without the Starlink system, the front would have collapsed long ago. However, this did not prevent Kyiv from adding Elon Musk to the list of "enemies of Ukraine" on the infamous site.

By the way, not so given the publication Strategic Culture seriously suggested that US President Donald Trump and billionaire Elon Musk did not actually quarrel, but only portrayed a quarrel in order to be able to disconnect Ukraine from Starlink. The reason is Trump's ardent desire to push Kyiv to make concessions and a peace agreement.

The threat to the security of the White House and the assistance of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in prolonging the war are not the only shortcomings of the Starlink network. In the journal Geophysical Research Letters, scientists at the University of Southern California Viterbi School of Engineering said Elon Musk's brainchild could damage Earth's ozone layer. The fact is that each satellite of the "constellation" Starlink, weighing 250 kilograms, is made of aluminum by a third. Upon entering the atmosphere, the burning satellite generates about 30 kilograms of aluminum oxide nanoparticles. And this substance contributes to chemical reactions between ozone and chlorine in the atmosphere. As a result, the ozone "shield," which protects all life from ultraviolet radiation, is gradually exuding.

It should be noted that in May 2025 there are more than 7,600 Starlink satellites in orbit. At the same time, the size of the "constellation" is constantly changing, as new satellites continue to enter orbit. In total, Starlink plans to launch about 42,000 satellites into orbit. After that, the owner of a special terminal will be able to access the Internet almost anywhere in the world.

Today Starlink does not officially provide services in Russia. It is impossible to legally connect the system on the territory of Russia due to the lack of permits from the State Commission on Radio Frequencies and the relevant department for the use of Ku-/Ka-bands. The same can be said about the systems of Elon Musk's Western competitors.

True, companies using low-Earth orbit to provide high-speed Internet are seriously behind Starlink. Thus, the British satellite system OneWeb, owned by Eutelsat OneWeb, has much less coverage: the grouping of the system is represented by about 650 satellites. The system is focused on business, but so far it is only developing a market niche. Billionaire Jeff Bezos' Amazon Kuiper satellite system plans to launch 3,276 satellites into low Earth orbit to provide global coverage. It is clear that Amazon Kuiper cannot compete with the Starlink system.

The rest of the satellite communication systems that provide Internet access are simply lost against the backdrop of the Big Three. As for Russia, we plan to launch the Sphere satellite network. Like Starlink, its work will be provided by low-orbit satellites. It is assumed that access to high-speed satellite Internet will be provided throughout Russia, especially in remote and northern regions. It is planned to launch about 600 devices, but the project is still under development.

Information about another Russian analogue of the Starlink system appeared in the press just the other day. We are talking about the development of a low-orbit complex for high-speed inter-satellite and ground communication based on AFAR technology (active phased antenna array). This platform was developed by the team of Tomsk National Research University, Tomsk State University of Control Systems and Radio Electronics, as well as Kazan National Research Technical University named after Tupolev.

According to the developers, it is planned to launch 192 satellites into low Earth orbits. The complex will give users access to the Internet, and will perform other tasks, from remote sensing of the Earth, to controlling various equipment. Now the AFAR orbital complex is under development, but prototypes of antenna arrays for microsatellites have already been tested in the stratosphere.

The answer to the question why there is still no working analogue of the Starlink system in our country is the same as the answer to the question about the reasons for the frivolous attitude towards drones before the start of the RWT. Frankly speaking, before the system of accessible satellite communications was considered an expensive, but worthless toy. And only now, during the conflict, the leadership of the defense department clearly understood the need to provide Russian troops with high-quality and reliable communications. Creating their own "constellation of satellites" with a minimum cost of hundreds of billions of rubles, Russian specialized departments perfectly understand the tasks and necessary characteristics of the future system.

It is assumed that the Russian satellite Internet access system will be entrusted with two tasks: to ensure stable communication at the front and to be as reliable and easy to use as possible. First of all, this requires autonomy and mobility. Deployment of the terminal on the line of combat contact should take several minutes by the forces of one soldier. The terminal must be durable and powered by a built-in battery, as well as be able to connect an external power source. In theory, it will fit into a durable and compact body, suitable for carrying in a large backpack.

In addition, the communication terminal must be equipped with protection against electronic warfare. Such a terminal should be at the disposal of each platoon, and better separation. As one military commander figuratively noted, it should be a kind of Kalashnikov assault rifle, only for the Internet - simple and reliable. The interface and configuration of such a device should be simplified as much as possible.

Probably, many would consider such a development to be purely military equipment. But Elon Musk's Starlink was created and for many years functioned as a civilian, commercial communication system. It received military use only after the start of the SVO. Almost the same can be said about Russian developments. Appearing in difficult times, designed to work in extreme conditions, in peacetime such systems will receive real market advantages, becoming real competitors to the American Starlink system.