Pentagon suspects, China is looking for ways to attack satellites, how can they work

Recent leaks of Pentagon documents suggest that China is developing sophisticated cyberattacks aimed at disrupting military communications satellites. While this is unconfirmed, it is certainly possible, as many sovereign nations and private companies have considered how to protect against signal interference. Almost every aspect of our lives is linked to satellite communications, from financial transactions, navigation, weather forecasting and internet services to more remote locations.

Considering how many satellites are in orbit, while the impact can only be felt on a few, if one or two satellites are lost, it won’t be a big problem. But when we consider the military benefits of satellites, early warning systems and instant communication for tracking are vital. So how easy would it be to disrupt these services? The Chinese space program is progressing at a faster rate than any other country. China’s first successful launch occurred in 1970, but in 1999 its space program progressed with the Shenzhou-An launch, the first in a series of unmanned, then manned, space missions of increasing sophistication. China conducted more than 200 launches between 2010 and 2019.

In 2022, he sets a record with 53 rocket launches in one year – with an incredible 100 percent success rate. In this way, the China National Space Administration (CNSA) became a major player in global space activity and mastered satellite communications. The leaked document suggests that the Chinese are “seeking the ability to seize control of a satellite in order to render it ineffective to support an allied country’s communications, weapons, or intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance systems.” However, it is also very likely that the US and other countries are also developing such capabilities.

Satellites orbit our planet at many altitudes. The lowest stable orbits are located at about 300 km, the International Space Station and the Hubble Space Telescope at an altitude of 500 km, and geostationary satellites at about 36,000 km (about six times the Earth’s radius). The idea of ​​physically capturing or capturing a satellite has been considered a largely impossible task, although it has been famously depicted in films such as “You Only Live Twice”, where a large orbital cylinder Swallowed the manned spacecraft.

Small satellites designed to remove space debris from orbit have been launched over the years. But the practical challenges of capturing a fully functioning and powered satellite are far greater (particularly because of the recoil of the firing harpoon). However, are there ways to intercept and even capture satellite communications? Three ways to disrupt satellite communications 1. Saturation This is the easiest way. Satellites communicate by broadcasting on a specific set of radio or microwave frequencies.

You can effectively block the signal by hurling a very strong shower at the receiving station or at the satellite itself. This is especially effective with positioning information. 2. Jamming It is a method of preventing communication signals from reaching the satellite or ground control station. This requires high-power signals, indicating to the associated satellite that the jamming signal is the main transmitting station, and that the communication is routed to the strongest source.

3. Sending commands This is a very complicated process. This requires the original signal to be silenced or captured and the replacement signal to be able to accurately communicate with and fool a satellite. This usually requires knowing an encryption key that will be used with the correct command and coordination. Such information cannot be easily estimated, meaning that it is necessary to have information about the launch systems and companies. To make these three techniques easier to understand, imagine you are at a restaurant and your partner is sitting across from you.

You are talking to him normally and then the background music gets too loud. You can understand some words but not all – this would be saturation. Now the waiter comes over and starts talking loudly to you to divert your attention – this would be the jam method. Now your partner goes to the toilet and you get a call that appears to be from them but is actually from someone who has taken their phone and is impersonating them – this command has to be sent.

This last example is the most difficult to achieve but has the most potential for disruption. If you can trick a satellite into thinking you are the correct command source, not only are communications blocked, but false information and images can be sent to ground stations. Zombie satellites When a satellite is out of communication, we call it a zombie satellite. Essentially it cannot perform any of its intended functions and orbits with little chance of recovery.

This can occur naturally during coronal mass ejections, when the Sun releases large amounts of energetic charged particles that can cause electrical currents along satellites. In some cases this results in unreliable data, but can also result in communication loss. The most famous of these cases was the Galaxy 15 telecommunications satellite, which lost ground station communications in 2010 but continued to broadcast communications to customers.

While the military cannot mimic a coronal mass ejection, it is possible to hijack the signals. The leaked document provides no evidence of China’s capabilities, or indeed of the US’ current progress in this area. All we can say is that our understanding of atmospheric physics and wave propagation in the upper atmosphere is likely to grow exponentially as it becomes more and more important.

Disclaimer:IndiaTheNews has not edited this news. This news has been published from PTI-language feed.

---

---