Why Satellites Fail — and How to Protect Them

Real-world capabilities like satellite jamming and cutting undersea cables make communications blackouts a plausible threat in modern conflicts, as demonstrated by Iran's actions against Starlink. While large satellite constellations increase resilience, they also create single points of failure through shared radio spectrums and homogeneous supply chains. The terrestrial ground segment is a critical but often overlooked vulnerability, with its development frequently lagging behind the launch of the satellites it supports. A significant strategic challenge is the difficulty in attributing satellite failures, creating ambiguity that complicates decisions on whether to escalate or retaliate against a potential attack.