As SpaceX begins trading on the Nasdaq after a record-breaking IPO, Australia’s growing reliance on Starlink raises urgent questions about communications sovereignty, emergency services, security and space regulation.
Four years ago P&I warned of the risks to Australia from the introduction of Low Earth Orbiting satellites (known as LEO’s).
A leaked report has revealed that our security agencies have since raised their concerns with the federal government.
When they heard of the government’s intention to allow our major telcos to sign up to global satellite network Starlink, some of our leading technology experts contacted me expressing their concerns – highlighting, among other issues, the reliance on technology controlled by a private company owned by a foreign national.
At the time I wrote to a number of government departments and ministers alerting them and suggesting action to protect our sovereignty.
As I wrote in my P&I article:
We need to ensure that private companies placing objects in space don’t create another environmental disaster like the plastic pollution in our oceans. And they must have effective means of disposing of things as they reach their end-life. History tells us that without government intervention, some businesses will inevitably fail to do the right thing.
As reported by ABC journalist Cam Wilson, nearly 200,000 customers, including several government agencies, use Starlink and our major telcos are now partnering with its owner SpaceX to expand satellite phone coverage.
And Wilson notes: “Federal government officials are privately flagging the risks of relying on a foreign-owned provider, according to documents obtained by a freedom of information request”.
If Telstra and Optus adopt Starlink our national communications network will become reliant on its technology. This includes our trouble-prone Triple Zero emergency response service.
NBNCo is also planning on using Starlink, instead of expanding its own secure satellite service. Five years ago one of its senior engineers told me they needed at least one additional satellite just to keep up with demand for the Sky Muster network that services regional and remote customers.
In addition to our security agencies, LEO’s are raising concerns among scientists, astronomers and environmentalists.
Astronomers warn of the effect LEOs will have on stargazing. For traditional astronomy, these satellites reflect light from the sun, which affects visual sighting. For radio astronomers, satellites can interfere with the detection of electromagnetic spectrum used to identify objects in space.
Environmentalists are fearful we are creating a future problem, just as we did when we ignored warnings 50 years ago about plastic polluting our oceans.
Sixty years ago Australia played a leading role in establishing an international treaty to reduce the risk of environmental damage in the Antarctic, and creating a multinational governance regime.
It looks like a similar arrangement is long overdue when it comes to the increasing exploitation of space, which is already showing a disturbing trend.
According to the European Space Agency, there are around 7,600 large satellites in space today. However, only about 4,700 are still active with no moves to retrieve the “dead birds”. In years to come something will probably need to be done to remove them.
In the case of LEO’s, these satellites – about the size of a small car – only last around five years. When their time is up they are replaced by another one.
There are said to be dozens of LEO’s now being returned to earth each month. The good news is it’s relatively unlikely they’ll hit the ground. Most will burn up on re-entry – but they’ll leave an accumulating layer of noxious gases polluting our skies.
Maybe we do really need them, but surely we should consider their long term impact and regulate accordingly?
Laurie Patton is a prominent public interest advocacy and marketing/communications practitioner. He is a former political advisor, journalist and media executive.