SpaceX’s secret Starshield satellites caught using forbidden radio frequencies

A network of top secret satellites from the US space company SpaceX is currently causing unrest among experts. Because they send signals on frequencies that they are actually not allowed to use in this form.

Starshield violates standards

According to research by the US broadcaster NPR, several satellites in the so-called Starshield constellation send signals on frequency bands that, according to international standards, are actually reserved for the opposite purpose: for transmission from Earth to space. This is reported by the US broadcasting network NPR. This unusual use contradicts the guidelines of the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), a UN organization that coordinates the global use of the radio spectrum. Experts are now warning that emissions from other scientific or commercial satellites could interfere.

Canadian amateur satellite observer Scott Tilley was the first to discover the signal by accident. While scanning radio bands, he noticed something in the range between 2,025 and 2,110 megahertz, a spectrum that can only be used for so-called uplink communications. “Nothing should actually come from space in this frequency range,” Tilley told NPR. A short recording and subsequent analysis of his data finally resulted in a clear assignment: Starshield.

Many cases proven

Starshield is considered a military-used variant of the well-known Starlink network, which SpaceX uses worldwide for Internet connections. Little is known about the secret offshoot. According to US media, it is a joint project with the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO), an agency that operates spy satellites for the US government. Eleven Starshield launches have already taken place since May 2024, financed with over $1.8 billion. According to Tilley, he has so far been able to detect signals from around 170 satellites, all in the frequency range mentioned.

However, the frequencies are constantly shifting, making targeted observation difficult, it said. Experts such as computer scientist Kevin Gifford from the University of Colorado believe that interference with other satellites is possible. However, it is not yet possible to conclusively assess whether the effects are actually serious. SpaceX and the NRO declined to comment to NPR. Tilley sees his discovery as a warning: “These secret objects could interfere with other legitimate activities in space. It is important that the international community knows what is happening up there.