All large, modern military operations are heavily reliant on satellites to provide a variety of logistics and planning information related to battlefield operations. That information includes GPS coordination and navigation, topographic imaging, drone command & control, and many other surveillance functions. Threats to Russia’s satellite infrastructure by those in opposition to the invasion and ongoing conflict in Ukraine have prompted Russian officials to respond and to respond harshly.
The following article from the great team at InfoSecurity details the Russian response / denial to hacking attempts against their satellite infrastructure:
Simply put, military conflicts are not what they used to be. So far during the conflict in Ukraine, we have seen the Russian space authority make a less than vailed threat against the safety of the International Space Station. We have also seen the delay and/or cancellation of satellite launches from Russian space facilities for agencies, governments, and organizations that oppose Russian activity in Ukraine. There are many factors to take into consideration, both short term and long term, when considering orbital resources and the effect this ongoing conflict can and will have on national and international assets in space.
Russia is still a primary partner in the ISS program and still provides the primary transportation and recovery services for the space station. Those services will most likely be on hold for the foreseeable future. The Russian space agency also provides satellite launch services for many nations and private agencies around the world. Those services have become a bargaining chip for international negotiations moving forward.
It will be very interesting to watch these situations develop over the weeks and months to come. We are seeing the Cold War rekindle and acts of fiction from recent TV shows and movies begin to come to life as scenarios play out on the “final frontier”.