The race to control space
In this edition, how the Ukraine war launched a global space race and undermined international cooperation in space.
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THE STORY
SpaceX launched 21 new Starlink satellites last week. As of April 20, there are a little over 3,300 operational Starlink satellites with plans in place to put tens of thousands more into orbit. The SpaceX satellites have been crucial to Ukraine’s ability to coordinate its defense since the Russian invasion. Where once a targeted strike against communications infrastructure would hobble a military, Starlink provides reliable, high-speed internet communications to frontline troops.
The impact Starlink had on the war so annoyed Russia that by September 2022, it complained to the United Nations about the “ever-growing risks of outer space becoming a launching pad for aggression.” Specifying the “provocative use of civilian satellites,” the Russian delegation warned that such “infrastructure may become a legitimate target for retaliation.”