Elon Musk has so many Starlink satellites circling the planet China’s military thinks it’s time to fight fire — with lasers. Literally. Chinese scientists floated a long list of Starlink countermeasures in publicly available research papers.
One of the more dramatic suggestions? Equipping stealth submarines with space-firing lasers to shoot down Musk’s low-orbit satellite network.
The idea may remind some of Dr. Evil’s plan to attach lasers to sharks (like in the 1997 classic “Austin Powers”), but the concept of firing lasers into space from underwater platforms has been discussed seriously by Chinese military academics, according to a deep dive by The Associated Press.
From cyber attacks to orbital assaults
The laser submarines are just one entry in a playbook of strategies aimed at neutralizing what Beijing increasingly sees as a dangerous American military asset in orbit. Some of the other proposed tactics include:
- Sabotaging SpaceX’s supply chain through cyber or physical means.
- Designing small hunter-satellites capable of spraying corrosive chemicals on Starlink units.
- Using ion thrusters to physically shove Starlink satellites out of their orbital lanes.
According to the AP’s review, nearly all 64 of these academic papers were published after Russia’s 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine — a conflict that made crystal clear just how much of a battlefield edge Starlink can provide.
Why the worry?
Beijing’s fears go far beyond economic competition. At the heart of its concern is the belief that Starlink is a thinly veiled extension of the U.S. military that can be used to spy on adversaries.
Chinese researchers have pointed to Starlink’s tight relationship with the Pentagon, NASA and the National Reconnaissance Office. These agencies rely on SpaceX launches and are increasingly integrating Starlink into their operations. Chinese analysts describe the satellite network as a dual-use system: one that provides global connectivity for civilians but can just as easily serve military missions.
One 2023 paper from China’s National University of Defense Technology warned, “As the United States integrates Starlink technology into military space assets to gain a strategic advantage, other countries increasingly perceive Starlink as a security threat in nuclear, space and cyber domains.”
A political wildcard in orbit
It’s not just China raising eyebrows. U.S. allies in Europe are also beginning to voice discomfort with the idea of outsourcing critical communications infrastructure to a private billionaire, particularly one whose politics are hard to pin down.
In just the last year, Musk heavily supported political candidates in numerous elections, clashed with world leaders — some of whom he previously supported — and is now toying with the idea of starting his own political party. All while SpaceX remains a core U.S. government contractor by launching spy satellites, ferrying astronauts and deploying systems with clear military applications.
In one of the most dramatic examples of Starlink’s power, Musk personally blocked Ukraine from using the system to carry out a strike on Russian-occupied Crimea. That moment, more than any other, revealed how much influence one company — or one man — can have over global conflicts.
Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine was a pivotal moment in the evolution of Starlink as a strategic asset. With cell towers and fiber networks destroyed, Ukrainian forces relied on Starlink to stay online, coordinate movements and fly drones over enemy lines.
Musk initially provided the technology for free, but then began scaling back access, and ultimately denied use of the network during key military operations.
For Beijing, and for analysts across the globe, it was a stark reminder: Whoever controls the network controls the fight.
A new space race
Starlink currently dominates space-based communications, accounting for nearly two-thirds of all active satellites in orbit. As of now, SpaceX has more than 8,000 operational satellites, and Musk’s team isn’t slowing down. The company has plans to launch tens of thousands more, with coverage already spanning more than 140 countries.
Meanwhile, competitors are barely off the launch pad. Amazon’s Project Kuiper has 78 satellites in orbit, with plans for another 3,000. OneWeb, based in London, is operating around 650 satellites. And the EU’s IRIS2 project is billions of dollars behind and still lobbying member states not to jump into contracts with Starlink in the interim.
“We are allies with the United States,” French lawmaker Christophe Grudler said, “but we need to have our strategic autonomy. The risk is not having our destiny in our own hands.”
Beijing is building its own satellite constellation. State-owned China SatNet is racing to deploy a mega-constellation dubbed Guowang, with plans to put 13,000 satellites in orbit. As of now, 60 have launched. Meanwhile, a Shanghai-backed firm called Qianfan has already launched 90 satellites out of a planned 15,000. That company is expanding into markets where Musk faced political backlash. Places like Brazil, Pakistan and several African nations.
Vulnerabilities and warnings
Starlink doesn’t operate inside mainland China (or Russia, Iran, and Syria), but the satellites still pass overhead. Chinese military researchers simulated Starlink’s coverage in sensitive areas like Beijing, Taiwan and the polar regions. They concluded Starlink can maintain near-constant surveillance capabilities, even without official ground access.
Other Chinese studies focused on Starlink’s hardware vulnerabilities. One paper mapped out the network’s massive supply chain with more than 140 first-tier suppliers, with minimal cybersecurity oversight.
Basically, Beijing is looking for cracks.
Another research team from the People’s Liberation Army proposed launching tracking satellites to trail Starlink units and possibly disable them mid-orbit. There were also papers calling for the use of optical telescopes to monitor Starlink, the deployment of fake digital signals to confuse it, and of course the directed-energy attacks using high-powered lasers.
The new high ground
What used to be the domain of governments and generals is now being shaped by rocket-riding billionaires and corporate algorithms. But the strategic stakes haven’t changed.
As Obi-Wan Kenobi taught, he who holds the high ground holds the advantage. And in the 21st century, there is no higher ground than space.
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Author: Alex Delia
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