Ukraine, Russia race to build military satellite networks as war rages on

Résumé détaillé

Kyiv seeks to break reliance on Starlink as Moscow develops its own satellite constellation for military communications.

Kyiv, Ukraine – Looking like a tiny desktop tower with wing-like solar panels, the Obria Nano satellite is a small step that could herald a giant leap for Ukraine’s military.

Launched by Himera, a Ukrainian company known for ergonomic military radios, and GomSpace, a Danish small-satellite manufacturer, the first Obria Nano could eventually grow into Kyiv’s own constellation of military satellites, its creators hope.

The nanosatellite marks Ukraine’s “first historical step toward establishing resilient and sovereign satellite communications capabilities,” the company said on October 27, almost four weeks after the Obria Nano had reached orbit.

In mid-October, Kyiv also signed up two Finnish companies, the Nokia telecoms giant and the ICEYE space startup that owns a “self-illuminating” radar technology for obtaining high-resolution satellite imagery in any weather, to look into developing a network of military satellites.

Kyiv’s efforts are rooted in one concern – the nearly total dependence of Ukraine’s military communications on SpaceX, Elon Musk’s satellite communications giant that operates Starlink, a constellation of more than 10,000 low-orbit satellites.

On Thursday, the speeds of Starlink and Starshield, its military component operated by the Pentagon, were limited for Ukraine, leading to “significant disruptions” of their operation along the front line, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said. Before this, Starlink was also disrupted last month.

Kyiv realises that “it’s possible to create an absolutely new system, but it will take several years,” Anatoly Zak, a US-based space expert, told Al Jazeera. “In the nearest year or two, Starlink and [its military-grade component] Starshield are absolutely necessary.”

Since 2022, Ukraine developed a love-and-hate relationship with Musk, his volatility, shifting loyalties and political demands.

“Musk’s mood swings play a significant role,” Volodymyr Fesenko, head of the Kyiv-based Penta think tank, told Al Jazeera.

Début de l'article, extrait de Al Jazeera. Pour lire la suite, ouvrez l'article chez le média.