A satellite in Elon Musk’s Starlink constellation, identified as Satellite 35956, has reportedly gone out of control and is moving toward Earth, raising alarm among space experts. Adding to the concern, intelligence agencies have flagged a potential threat from Russia. Reports suggest that Russia may be developing an advanced weapon capable of destroying hundreds of artificial satellites in orbit. The Associated Press has cited these intelligence assessments.
The suspected Russian weapon is designed to fire microscopic pellets at satellites, causing damage and potentially destroying multiple satellites simultaneously. As the pellets fragment, nearby satellites in orbit could also be affected. Victoria Samson, a space security expert at the non-governmental Secure World Foundation in the United States, stated that the development of such a destructive orbital weapon by Russia would not be surprising. Russian Presidential Office spokesperson Dmitry Peskov highlighted that the United Nations should take steps to prevent hostile nations from deploying orbit-capable weapons, though President Vladimir Putin has previously indicated that nuclear-capable space weapons could be deployed.
Western intelligence sources suggest that Russia views low-Earth-orbit Starlink satellites as a threat, as they monitor Russian airspace and relay information on troop movements to Ukraine. This is reportedly motivating Russia to consider targeting these satellites.
Canadian Armed Forces Space Division Brigadier General Christopher Horner noted that while large objects in orbit can be tracked, millimetre-sized pellets would be undetectable by ground- and space-based surveillance systems. He warned that attacks with such pellets could destroy all satellites in a single orbit and be difficult to attribute to Russia. He cited a November incident where microscopic space debris damaged a Chinese spacecraft, leaving Chinese astronauts stranded after departing their space station.
Clayton Swope, a space security and weapons expert at the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies, explained that the large solar panel surfaces on satellites are particularly vulnerable. Pellet impacts could shatter these panels, jeopardising satellite survival. Starlink satellites currently operate at altitudes of approximately 500 kilometres above Earth, with the International Space Station and China’s Tiangong Space Station orbiting below them. An attack on Starlink satellites could create debris that might damage or destroy these manned space stations.