Commercial satellites; a 'game changer' in space wars

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Fears that armed conflicts on Earth are spreading deeper into space are stoked by the fact that private satellite networks that support militaries in times of war are becoming possible targets for adversarial forces.

Fighting a battle requires space, among other things. For troops on the ground, satellites offer communications, combat views, and situational awareness.

Elon Musk has been a fan favorite in Ukraine over the past few months, as he granted - though at the expense of the Biden administration - Kiev access to his international satellite-internet service, Starlink, and largely expressed his pro-Ukraine position online.

The billionaire has been largely active online in terms of making plans for Ukraine and Taiwan.

However, the man of the hour has one tool on his hand that gives him a solid amount of significance; his Starlink company, which offers internet satellite services all over the globe.

Read more: How Elon Musk became a key geopolitical figure - Axios

A senior member of the Russian Foreign Ministry Konstantin Vorontsov stated that commercial satellites may be legitimate targets during a conflict if employed for military objectives.

Commercial satellite use during warfare was once speculative, but now there are actual issues that nations need to address.

Commenting on Vorontsov's statement, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre claimed that any attack on a commercial US satellite will result in retaliation from the country.

During a news conference last week, Jean-Pierre declared, "We will pursue all methods to explore, deter, and hold Russia accountable for any such attacks."

The establishment of standards and guidelines for conduct in space is receiving attention internationally in the wake of these escalations and hardly disguised threats.

The Pentagon also claimed that the absence of fundamental standards was a serious danger to American assets. 

The National Defense Strategy study, which was released last week, stated among other things that "the risk of unintended escalation is particularly significant due to ambiguous standards of behavior."

For situational awareness on the ground, the US military has typically relied on massive, expensive satellites. Those satellites are prime candidates for attack.

According to the National Defense Strategy, constellations of "diverse, resilient, and redundant" satellites in space, similar to those being created by private enterprises, are needed to support national security.

The Space Development Agency (SDA) is already planning to launch a constellation of satellites that would disperse sensors needed for missile tracking and other military operations across a large number of satellites.

Starlink's activities in Ukraine have also demonstrated to the SDA how a decentralized network of satellites might support military operations, as per a story by Sandra Erwin at SpaceNews.

This comes at a time when space companies are growing in terms of importance, increasingly providing clients with satellite remote sensing and high-bandwidth communication.

Read more: When double standards reign, Western 'humanity' dies between the lines

Commercial satellites are not only important in terms of faster internet speed and a possibly more secure connection away from government surveillance. They are taking on national security and military importance, which is shifting the playing field in space.