SpaceX has come under scrutiny as its classified military satellites reportedly emit a “mysterious signal” that may contravene international communication protocols, according to a report from NPR.
Experts suggest that SpaceX, the aerospace company founded by Elon Musk, could be breaching regulations established by the International Telecommunication Union, a United Nations agency responsible for coordinating global telecommunication standards.
Scott Tilley, an amateur satellite tracker from Canada, initially detected the unusual radio frequencies, which fall within the 2025-2110 MHz range. This range is typically allocated for transmitting data from Earth to orbiting satellites, not the other way around. Tilley indicated that at least 170 of SpaceX“s defense satellites are involved in this anomaly.
“It was just a clumsy move at the keyboard,” Tilley explained in an interview with NPR. “I was resetting some stuff and then all of a sudden I”m looking at the wrong antenna, the wrong band.”
His findings led to further scrutiny of the Starshield constellation of Starlink satellites, which is part of a multi-billion-dollar contract with the Department of Defense. While SpaceX emphasizes that Starshield provides “assured global communications to government users,” specific details about the program remain limited.
Since May 2024, SpaceX has launched multiple batches of these satellites on behalf of the National Reconnaissance Office. However, questions persist regarding the reasons behind the unusual emissions and their potential interference with other satellite operations.
Tilley remarked that, to date, it seems unlikely that these signals have caused any significant disruptions, as there have been no public reports of complaints. Nevertheless, given the contentious nature of the radio frequency band in question, he posits that SpaceX might be aware of the regulatory implications of their actions.
“SpaceX is smart and savvy,” he asserted, suggesting that the company may have adopted a “do it and ask for forgiveness later” strategy regarding compliance with international standards.
