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U.S. intelligence agencies have recently issued a warning about foreign spies targeting the American space industry and cyberattacks against the nation’s satellite infrastructure. The National Counterintelligence and Security Center (NCSC), part of the U.S. Office of the Director of National Intelligence, issued a bulletin on Aug. 18, stating that foreign intelligence agencies could use various methods to collect sensitive information about American space capabilities and innovative technologies.

The bulletin highlights the potential use of cyberattacks, shell companies, and traditional espionage as means to acquire this information. Additionally, counterspace systems like satellite jamming or hacking are mentioned as potential methods to disrupt or degrade U.S. satellite systems. The bulletin emphasizes that foreign intelligence agencies recognize the importance of the commercial space industry to the U.S. economy and national security, particularly the growing dependence on space-based assets by critical infrastructure.

The NCSC provides guidelines in the bulletin to help private companies in the space sector mitigate potential damage caused by espionage attempts. This warning comes at a time when investment in the U.S. space sector is at an all-time high, and America’s satellite infrastructure continues to expand.

The bulletin lists various ways foreign intelligence agencies can gain access to the space industry to acquire expertise or new technologies. These methods range from seemingly innocuous tactics like approaching industry experts at conferences or through online forums, to more intricate maneuvers like using joint ventures or shell companies to invest in space companies or infiltrating supply chains of American aerospace firms.

Some methods mentioned in the bulletin are more overt, such as carrying out cyberattacks or hacking into private networks to steal intellectual property. The bulletin cites NASA as an example, which was one of the agencies targeted in the SolarWinds breach in 2021, highlighting the need for enhanced network security.

In addition to warning the private space industry, the bulletin notes that foreign intelligence agencies can harm U.S. national security by collecting sensitive data related to satellite payloads, disrupting satellite communications, remote sensing, and imaging capabilities, as well as targeting American commercial space infrastructure during international conflicts.

This threat to space assets is not limited to the United States. In recent years, incidents of cyberattacks and jamming attempts have been reported against SpaceX’s Starlink internet communications satellites and disruptions of GPS signals in Ukraine.

Considering these risks, the United States is actively developing its own methods of disrupting adversary space assets. The Space Force has established a unit dedicated to targeting other nations’ satellites and has been training its personnel in satellite jamming techniques.

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