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Musk Fears Russia Could Target Starlink Satellites With Anti-Satellite Weapons
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Elon Musk has raised concerns that Russia could target Starlink satellites with anti-satellite weapons if the network is used to carry out offensive military strikes, warning that such attacks could generate dangerous debris and threaten other spacecraft in orbit.
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In a post on X on October 25, Musk argued that the possibility of retaliatory attacks is one of the main reasons Starlink should remain a civilian system rather than be directly involved in offensive military operations.
His comments came in response to a discussion about Russia’s ability to destroy satellites in orbit. The discussion referenced Moscow’s November 15, 2021, anti-satellite weapons test, during which a Russian Nudol missile destroyed a defunct Russian satellite in low Earth orbit.
Musk acknowledged that satellite communications can support military infrastructure but distinguished such activities from directly facilitating offensive strikes.
He warned that using Starlink for offensive operations could make its satellites targets for retaliatory attacks, potentially creating risks extending far beyond the immediate military consequences.
The destruction of satellites in orbit can produce thousands of fragments of space debris, threatening operational spacecraft and other satellites. Further collisions could generate additional debris, potentially triggering a chain reaction known as the Kessler syndrome.
Such a scenario could make parts of Earth’s orbit increasingly hazardous for satellite operations, affecting civilian communications, navigation, and other space-based services.
Musk’s latest remarks follow earlier statements opposing the use of Starlink to guide offensive drones intended to kill people. He previously alleged that Ukrainian forces had violated restrictions on the network’s use.
However, Serhii “Flash” Beskrestnov, an adviser to Ukraine’s president, disputed those allegations, explaining that technical limitations prevent commercial Starlink terminals from being used to conduct medium- and long-range drone strikes against targets inside Russia.
According to Beskrestnov, restrictions on terminal operating speeds and the absence of commercial Starlink coverage over Russian territory make such operations technically unfeasible.
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