Two spy satellites are expected to be launched by the United States this year. These machines would be able to capture information from another device in orbit.
Space is the next area of tension. The United States Federal Communications Commission (FCC) just filed documents detailing plans for the test launch of two private sector “fighter” satellites, reports the American media Wired on February 1.
In concrete terms, these are not spaceships with lasers, but devices capable of following a foreign craft in orbit and recovering information about it. The satellites are made by start-up True Anomaly and are set to launch alongside a SpaceX rocket in October this year. Both “Jackal” models have the ability to pick up information when they are close enough to their target. They can glean data on enemy surveillance or weapon systems or even intercept communications.
On the True Anomaly site, the company claims that “ their product operates safely at close range to collect multispectral imagery, motion video, and metric observational data of any resident space object in any orbit “. The start-up raised $23 million in 2022.
A space overloaded with satellites
The war launched by Russia in Europe, the tensions between China and the island of Taiwan, push the West to invest in new armament solutions, including space technologies. On the night of February 24, when the Kremlin launched a total invasion of Ukraine, hackers simultaneously attacked a Eutelsat group satellite, used by the Ukrainian army, to cut off communications. Spacecraft are favored by the armed forces, the network may be weaker, but it has less risk of cuts.
The Americans prefer to take the lead in the event of a conflict here, but also to counter possible Chinese espionage. The United States attempted 78 government launches in 2022, 72 of which were successful, according to the Jonathan’s Space report. China has carried out 64 launches, and 62 devices have been put into orbit. Russia is third with 21 satellites sent. If we look at the globe in its entirety, the United States dominates by far all the space that surrounds it: of the 8,000 satellites in the air, more than 3,500 belong to Space X, the company founded by Elon Musk .
As this service is primarily intended for professionals, it becomes a perfect target for industrial espionage. Once the first Jackals are launched, real orbital chases will unfold above our heads.
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