![]() ![]() This is an infinitely more tricky procedure. This method of interference works best when the jamming signal contains no information, so the receiver assumes there is no data transmission (a human would hear silence or just a tone).Ĭhina’s space programme is fast catching up with the US: on April 16 a Long March-4B rocket carrying the Fengyun-3 07 satellite blasts off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China. This requires high-power signals to fool one or the other that the jamming signal is the main transmitting station as a communication will lock onto the strongest source. ![]() This is a method of diverting the communication signal from reaching the satellite or the ground control station. It is particularly effective with positioning information. By bombarding the receiving station or the satellite itself you can effectively drown out the signal. Satellites communicate by broadcasting on a specific set of radio or microwave frequencies. However, there are methods of disrupting and even taking over satellite communication? Three ways to disrupt satellite communications But the practical challenges of capturing a fully working and operating satellite are far greater (particularly due to the recoil of firing harpoons). Smaller craft designed to remove space debris from orbit have been launched in the past few years. The idea of physically capturing or taking over a satellite has been considered a largely impossible task, although it has featured, famously, in the film such as “ You Only Live Twice” where a large orbiting cylinder swallowed manned spacecraft. The lowest stable orbits are around 300km, the International Space Station and the Hubble Space Telescope sit at 500km altitude, and geostationary satellites are around 36,000km up (about six times the radius of the Earth). Satellites orbit our planet at a range of altitudes. It’s also quite possible that the US and other nations might also be developing such capabilities. The leaked document suggests that the Chinese are looking for the capability to “seize control of a satellite, rendering it ineffective to support communications, weapons, or intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance systems”. In 2022, it set a record with 53 rocket launches in a year – with an incredible 100% success rate.Īs such, the Chinese National Space Administration ( CNSA) has become a major player in global space activity and has a lot of experience with satellite communications. China’s first successful launch was in 1970, but in 1999 its space programme leapt forward with the Shenzhou-1 launch which was the first in a series of unmanned, then manned, space missions of increasing sophistication.Ĭhina conducted just over 200 launches between 20. The Chinese space programme has been advancing at a faster rate than that of any other country. So how easy would it be to disrupt these services? Yet given how many satellites are in orbit, while the effect might be felt on some of the population, if a satellite or two were lost there would not be any major problems.īut when we consider the military benefits of satellites, immediate communication is vital for early warning systems and tracking. Nearly every aspect of our lives is enabled by satellite communication, from financial transactions, navigation, weather prediction, and internet services to more remote locations. ![]() While this is unconfirmed, it is certainly possible, as many sovereign nations and private companies have considered how to protect from signal interference. The recent leak of Pentagon documents included the suggestion that China is developing sophisticated cyber attacks for the purpose of disrupting military communication satellites. ![]()
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