The US intelligence agency has issued a warning to the domestic space industry about the growing threat of espionage and satellite assaults from China, Russia, and other adversaries.
“Cyberattacks, strategic investment (including joint ventures and acquisitions), the targeting of key supply chain nodes, and other techniques to gain access to the space industry”, according to a bulletin issued jointly on Friday by the National Counterintelligence and Security Centre, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the US Air Force.
The warning, which states that such foreign intelligence operations endanger company secrets as well as disrupt and degrade US satellite communications, remote sensing, and imaging capabilities, comes in the wake of several recent satellite attacks and the growing recognition that both the US economy and national security increasingly rely on space.
Companies are advised to document anomalies, implement an insider-threat program to identify moles and be suspicious of requests to visit from foreign entities as well as outreaches at conferences and online. It also warns against unsolicited offers to establish joint ventures with companies tied to foreign governments or state-owned enterprises.
China and Russia have consistently denied charges of hacking and other attempts to access or disrupt space systems.
China has long advocated peaceful space research and believes it should be used for the benefit of all humanity, according to a representative for the Chinese embassy in Washington.
The Russian embassy in Washington did not reply quickly to a request for comment.
According to a US counterintelligence official who asked anonymity to reveal details, the US is especially eager to assist small and midsize satellite companies that may be unaware of the number and sorts of vulnerabilities at play and to assist them in increasing their own mitigation efforts and resilience.
Large satellite firms with existing government connections have previously been targeted. Viasat Inc. was hit by a hack in 2022, just before Russia invaded Ukraine, forcing the corporation to replace over 45,000 modems across Europe and beyond. Starlink, a subsidiary of Space Exploration Technologies Corp. (SpaceX), has said that it has been subjected to jamming assaults as part of its efforts to provide service to Ukraine.
This month, the US Space Force presented a new targeting unit aimed against opponents in space and at ground stations, as well as the risks they pose to US satellite systems in orbit.
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