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SpaceX launches 28 Starlink satellites from Florida
During the early morning hours, SpaceX launched nearly 30 Starlink satellites on Tuesday from the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.
LOS ANGELES - As Elon Musk’s Starlink satellite network continues to expand around the globe, China is sounding the alarm — and studying how to take it down.
Dozens of papers published by Chinese military-linked researchers lay out strategies to disrupt, disable, or counter Musk’s system, which they view as a direct threat to national security. The constellation’s role in Ukraine’s battlefield communications has only intensified Beijing’s concerns, leading to detailed research on how Starlink might be jammed, sabotaged, or outmaneuvered.
From laser-armed submarines to orbiting shadow satellites, the proposed countermeasures read like science fiction — but they reflect real geopolitical anxieties about the growing influence of a satellite network controlled by a private U.S. citizen with unpredictable political ties.
Why is China targeting Starlink?
The backstory:
Since launching in 2019, Starlink has become the backbone of low-orbit internet communications. Operated by SpaceX, the network now accounts for nearly two-thirds of all active satellites, according to Harvard-Smithsonian astronomer Jonathan McDowell.
Beijing sees that dominance as a strategic risk. Though Starlink doesn’t operate in China, its satellites still fly overhead — providing potential surveillance or connectivity capabilities that could be used against China in a military confrontation.
In a 2023 paper, professors from China’s National University of Defense Technology wrote that "as the United States integrates Starlink technology into military space assets to gain a strategic advantage over its adversaries, other countries increasingly perceive Starlink as a security threat in nuclear, space, and cyber domains."
How the Ukraine war changed perceptions
Big picture view:
Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine marked a turning point in how Starlink is perceived internationally. Ukraine used the network to coordinate drone strikes, maintain battlefield communication, and reconnect infrastructure.
But the power to control access remained with Musk, who refused to extend service during a Ukrainian counterattack in Crimea.
"Ukraine was a warning shot for the rest of us," Nitin Pai, director of the Takshashila Institution in India, told the Associated Press. He added that many nations had long warned of the risk of relying on Chinese tech firms tied to Beijing — and now see similar vulnerabilities with American private companies.
Beachgoers watch as a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying Starlink satellites launches from Cape Canaveral, Florida. The expanding Starlink network has drawn global attention — and concern — for its military and geopolitical impact. (Photo by Paul Hennessy/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
China’s response has been both strategic and scientific. Researchers affiliated with the People’s Liberation Army, government cybersecurity teams, and state universities have published at least 64 papers on Starlink since the war began.
They’ve explored satellite tracking, signal interference, and possible vulnerabilities in Starlink’s supply chain. One PLA paper proposed launching small satellites equipped with corrosive chemicals to degrade Starlink batteries or solar panels mid-orbit.
The other side:
Beijing isn’t alone in raising red flags. Some U.S. allies have started to question the wisdom of relying on a foreign billionaire for access to critical communications infrastructure.
"We are allies with the United States of America, but we need to have our strategic autonomy," Christophe Grudler, a French member of the European Parliament, told the Associated Press. Grudler helped lead legislation on the EU’s own satellite network, known as IRIS2. "The risk is not having our destiny in our own hands," he said.
By the numbers:
While China prepares its own satellite networks, other companies and countries are also playing catch-up.
Amazon’s Project Kuiper has launched 78 satellites, aiming for more than 3,200. OneWeb, backed by Eutelsat, has around 650 in orbit. China’s Guowang system has launched 60 satellites out of a planned 13,000. Shanghai-backed Qianfan has launched 90 and is courting clients in Brazil, Kazakhstan, and Africa.
Despite these efforts, none come close to Starlink’s scale. SpaceX operates over 8,000 satellites and plans to deploy tens of thousands more.
Could Starlink be taken down?
Chinese researchers have studied Starlink’s operations in minute detail — from its round-the-clock coverage patterns over Beijing and Taiwan to its reliance on over 140 first-tier suppliers.
A 2023 paper from China’s Industrial Control Systems Cyber Emergency Response Team identified gaps in cybersecurity and argued that Starlink’s broad supply chain could be exploited. Other papers recommended using commercial telescopes to track satellites, or diplomatic channels to restrict Starlink’s international contracts.
Engineers from the PLA even proposed building a tailing fleet of microsatellites to gather data, jam signals, or disrupt operations with ion thrusters.
What's next:
China is expected to accelerate its own satellite launches while continuing to explore Starlink’s technical weaknesses. Meanwhile, governments around the world are reevaluating what it means to outsource strategic infrastructure to a private business person whose influence extends from Earth to orbit.
The Source: This article is based on extensive reporting from the Associated Press, which reviewed 64 peer-reviewed Chinese research papers and interviewed experts in satellite policy, international security, and global telecommunications. Additional satellite data came from astrophysicist Jonathan McDowell and public records of recent commercial launches. Quotes from elected officials and analysts were obtained directly by the AP.