Chinese military experts have presented a study calling to develop capabilities to destroy Elon Musk’s Starlink satellites if they constitute a national security threat. The study was published last month, according to the South China Morning Post.
According to the paper, the scientists underlined the importance of developing a surveillance system to follow and monitor every Starlink satellite.
Ren Yuanzhen, a researcher at the Beijing Institute of Tracking and Telecommunications, led the investigation. It recommends using “a combination of soft and hard kill methods.”
“A combination of soft and hard kill methods should be adopted to make some Starlink satellites lose their functions and destroy the constellation’s operating system,” said the paper, published in the domestic peer-reviewed journal Modern Defence Technology.
According to the reports, Chinese military experts undertook the research since they believe a Starlink connection might speed up data transfer for American drones and stealth fighter jets more than 100 times.
Starlink is Elon Musk’s most ambitious project to date. His company, SpaceX, plans to put smaller satellites into orbit to create a satellite internet network. These satellites will deliver low-latency broadband internet services all over the world, with a focus on remote areas with poor internet connectivity.
Starlink consists of thousands of small satellites, all of which China aims to destroy. While missiles are too expensive, the researchers advise using lasers, microwave technology, or even smaller satellites.
Dmitry Rogozin, Russia’s Roscosmos space agency president, sent Mr Musk a threat earlier this month after Starlink technology was delivered to Ukraine to aid military communication, warning him of possible repercussions.
Rogozin stated in an interview that the Pentagon delivered the Starlink satellite, adding that Musk is “thus complicit” and will be held accountable.
Source: South China Morning Post
