Astronaut picture

In the previous issue, we explored a little bit the considerations we need to take into account with these mega-constellation programs. As announced last time, I will try to complete this list here:

  • If the price and performance of the networks offered by these constellations are as planned, it’s very likely that this will become the standard for connecting to the internet. We will therefore be witnessing a paradigm shift: whereas today satellites are seen more as a backup solution for terrestrial networks (earthquake, tsunami, pandemic, etc.), tomorrow it will probably be the other way round, with terrestrial networks coming to the rescue in the event of satellite network breakdowns…Very risky!

  • These constellations have the ambition to offer Internet in any point of the globe, provided that one has the adequate antenna and pays its subscription. But, as you already know, some countries, rightly or wrongly this is not the point here, want to keep control (prohibit services, cut the internet…), filter or just monitor the information that transits within their borders… Of course, the concerned companies will first have to get permission from all governments to index their country. However, one could very well imagine that these services being used as a mean of pressure by certain other governments in the name of the famous human rights and access to information.

  • Unlike current satellite data services which are only used by a handful of professionals, anyone will be able to take out a subscription and send signals directly to the satellite. It is not far, therefore, that a new hakcing technique emerges that aims to make the satellite uncontrollable making it real projectile. No one knows exactly how the architecture on these satellites is designed, but like any other computer system, there must be vulnerabilities. Let’s imagine for the sake of fun that the following scenario is possible:

    1. Hacker sends millions of requests to a satellite.
    2. On-board routers processor is overheating.
    3. Satellite reboots to preserve its batteries.
    4. When the operation is repeated 15 times, a particular register overflows
    5. This is time to send a carefully chosen request aimed at initializing certain memory sectors.
    6. When the system finishes rebooting, it thinks its altitude is 1km lower.
    7. Autopilot program turn the thrusters on the move the satellite to a higher orbit.
    8. Boom…

END OF TRANSMISSION.