This can in part be seen in Russia’s large inability to locate satellites one year into the war, at least on a significant scale. Humphreys, professor of aerospace engineering at the University of Texas points out that beams a Starlink terminal produces “are narrow (less than 5 degrees and they hop around in frequency, which make it hard to get an actual lock on a terminal.” Perhaps the most important one being that it is possible to geolocate the terminals, possibly giving away the physical positions of forces.ĭavide Scaramuzza, associate professor of robotics and perception at the University of Zurich, said that as a base station or flying drone emits radio signals, it can be intercepted by enemy forces using high power antennas across a wide array of commonly used bands.Īchieving this might be harder in practice than is let on for several reasons. With respect to drones, Burbach states that if high bandwidth commercial satellite links can be installed inside of one or more while functioning in flight, then this would make it possible for the operating country to control it far outside of its borders.įor any country or military to rely on Starlink does entail a number of security risks as well. “The ground antennas of Starlink form a highly directional beam at the satellite it is using– the signal is then difficult to interfere except along the line between terminal and satellite,” he said.Īnother benefit it has over geostationary systems is that its very large number of satellites are interchangeable, where if one is put out of service another one is able to take over. This strong connection also makes them more resistant to jamming. Burbach explained that this allows the signal from Starlink satellites to be much stronger, offering higher transmission speed and requiring less power to operate. Advantages and RisksĪmong the primary factors that set apart Starlink constellations from older satellite systems is its ability to operate in low-Earth orbit, at less than 2,000 kilometers above the earth, in contrast to competitors who orbit at altitudes up to 36,000 kilometers. Through access to Starlink’s low-orbiting satellites, the company was said to have successfully managed the system’s flight from 200 kilometers (124 miles) away. In December 2021, Australia-based Unleash Live teamed up with Starlink to facilitate remote drone flights. Naval Forces Central Command in the Middle East, has stated that Starlink was used to connect unmanned aircraft, vessels and underwater vehicles operated by allied forces in a NATO exercise in Portugal. While RDARS solely integrated the dish to the drone’s ground station, the company has emphasized the potential of installing it on the drone itself. Via Starlink, the ground station communicates with a control center, allowing the operator to control and receive imagery from the drone. In November, Canadian company RDARS, announced that it had successfully integrated Starlink equipment to its Eagle Nest ground station, which was able to transmit data to the firm’s Eagle Eye military drone in-flight. However, there has been momentum from the defense industry to experiment. Starlink offers considerable advantages over other satellite communications networks, likely contributing to its attractiveness for equipping everything from infantry squads to armored vehicles to being integrated directly in drones as that becomes more feasible, he said.Ĭurrently, Starlink antennas are too large and too heavy for small drones. Burbach said his views are his own do not necessarily reflect that of the U.S.
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