A group of researchers in China may have found a way to disrupt starlink communications, creating a huge obstacle for planes to jam signals that jump from one floor to another.
A new study, published in a Chinese peer-reviewed journal Systems and Electronics Engineering, We are simulating an elaborate attempt to destroy 10,000 satellite constellations in an area as large as Taiwan, the South China Morning Post reports.
Spacex’s Starlink satellites are hard to get excited about, and trying to intercept their signals on the ground will be fruitless. Instead, the researchers propose to pass around 1,000 jammers in the air using drones, balloons or airplanes. A group of researchers from Zhejiang University and Beijing Institute of Technology Decuch used the newly proposed strategy.
Electronic Warfare
In the aftermath of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Spacex Enabled the SASTLINK service to help maintain communications in areas where communications infrastructure may be damaged. The Ukrainian military is using starlink communication for communication on the front lines, as well as connecting drones to control centers.
The use of StarLink in Ukraine highlights the important role satellite networks can play in warfare. In the event that China attacks Taiwan, researchers behind a new study have come up with a way to bypass the ever-changing starlink patterns.
Unlike traditional geosynchronous satellites parked on Earth, the orbital planes of starlink satellites are not fixed. The satellites, placed in the mouth of the Low Earth, are constantly moving in and out of view, and one fatal hop between many satellites rather than connecting to one. That means that even if the Chinese military succeeds in defeating the ground forces, the communication will jump to another satellite in seconds.
To effectively monitor or disrupt Starlink’s signal, new research suggests sending a crowd of Jammers into the air to create a massive barrier using drones. The researchers simulated jamming attempts, testing whether a Starlink satellite could maintain a usable signal despite the noise.
A grid of visible jammers flying 20 kilometers high (20 kilometers) and separated by 5 to 5 to 9 kilometers) while emitting noise at various power levels. The researchers also tested two types of antenna, one with a wider beam that covers a certain area and another with a smaller, more powerful beam that requires more precision.
This study proposes an efficient way to jam StarLink signals, using a small antenna with a maximum power of 26-decibel-watt spaced 7 kilometers apart. To cover the entire territory of Taiwan, which covers 13,900 square kilometers (36,000 square miles), China would need to install at least 935 jammers, each suppressing 38.5 square kilometers).
The researchers note that they will need to obtain realistic measurements of the StarLink Serterminals radiation data to obtain relevant results.
