Ukraine Races to Build Its Own Military Satellite Network to End Reliance on Starlink, as Russia Pursues Its Own

Ukraine is trying to build its own satellite system to break its nearly total dependence on Starlink for military communications, while Russia is also working on its own military satellite constellation. The Obria Nano satellite, looking like a tiny desktop tower with wing-like solar panels, has been described as a first step in that effort.

The Obria Nano was launched by Himera, a Ukrainian company known for ergonomic military radios, and GomSpace, a Danish small-satellite manufacturer. On October 27, almost four weeks after the satellite reached orbit, the company described it as Ukraine's first historical step toward establishing resilient and sovereign satellite communications capabilities.

In mid-October, Kyiv also signed up two Finnish companies — the telecoms giant Nokia and the space startup ICEYE, which owns a radar technology for obtaining high-resolution satellite imagery in any weather — to look into developing a network of military satellites.

Kyiv's efforts are rooted in one concern: the nearly total dependence of Ukraine's military communications on Starlink, operated by Elon Musk's SpaceX. Starlink is a constellation of more than 10,000 low-orbit satellites.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that on Thursday the speeds of Starlink and Starshield, its military component operated by the Pentagon, were limited for Ukraine, leading to significant disruptions along the front line. Starlink had also been disrupted the previous month.

US-based space expert Anatoly Zak said it is possible to create an absolutely new system, but it will take several years, and that in the nearest year or two Starlink and Starshield are absolutely necessary for Ukraine.

According to the report, in late 2022 Musk refused to activate Starlink coverage in Russia-occupied areas, slowing or stopping Ukraine's successful counteroffensive. Musk also said Kyiv should remain politically neutral, officially cede Crimea to Moscow and conduct United Nations-supervised referendums on Russia-occupied territories; Zelenskyy responded to those remarks.

Attempts to find an alternative intensified after Starlink and Starshield imposed speed limits on Ukrainian drones without prior warning from October 14 to 24. Drones and drone interceptors moving faster than 60 km/h lost signal and could no longer reach their targets.

Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin on October 28 called Musk a 'real genius' while talking about Russia's attempts to create its own version of Starlink. He said Moscow is in close contact with its American partners, including Musk, because in orbit it is important not to get in each other's way and to maintain discipline and order.

The military satellites for Russia's upcoming Rassvet (Dawn) constellation turned out to be Qianfan satellites manufactured in China, similar to first-generation Starlink satellites. Bureau 1440, the Kremlin-controlled company that runs Rassvet, plans to have 900 satellites in orbit by 2035. However, the Institute for the Study of War claimed in August that more than a third of Rassvet satellites failed to reach sustainable operational altitudes, and by early November Moscow had lost two of the 32 Rassvet 3 satellites launched in the past seven months.

As alternatives, the report also mentioned Iridium's 66 satellites and OneWeb's up to 650 satellites; but OneWeb is not authorised for military drone strikes, and its terminal costs $9,000, compared with up to $500 for a Starlink terminal, the report said.