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The next battleground for global security may not be on Earth, but above it.<\/p>\n
As satellites control everything from navigation and banking to weather forecasting and military operations, experts warn that space is now a target for terrorism \u2013 and say we aren\u2019t prepared.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s no longer a question whether space terrorism occurs, but how we, as an international community, respond when it does,\u201d says Anna Marie Brennan, a law lecturer at Waikato University, who has been researching outer space law and governance for the past seven years.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf we don\u2019t have those clear rules, if we don\u2019t have accountability mechanisms, corporate strategies between states and also between states and space companies, do we actually run the risk of turning the final frontier into the next battlefield?\u201d<\/p>\n
Satellites, she says, have already been caught in the crossfire of cyber attacks and espionage.<\/p>\n
In March 2022, Network Battalion, a group affiliated with Anonymous, allegedly hacked the Russian civilian space agency Roscosmos in protest of Russia\u2019s invasion of Ukraine.<\/p>\n
More recently, in September this year, the navigation system of a plane carrying European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen was disrupted due to suspected Russian interference.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s alleged that the \u201cGPS jamming\u201d happened as she was about to arrive in Bulgaria, forcing the pilot to use paper maps to land safely.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are seeing a number of incidents emerging where very quickly us experts are starting to realise that we need a legal framework to try and combat it.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s very much a problem that is on the rise worldwide \u2026 but our laws are not catching up at all, and there is a considerable vacuum. We are reaching the point now of no return.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf we don\u2019t adopt laws, if we don\u2019t have some sort of mechanism at the international level to ensure accountability, to engage in monitoring, we could see quite a severe attack on space infrastructure.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd, of course, this infrastructure is vital for everyday life on earth \u2013 from climate and environmental monitoring to giving us a heads up if there is a bad weather front on the way to our business and finance communications, even to us monitoring and responding to disasters. We need satellites to do all these activities.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf we don\u2019t have that legal framework, if we don\u2019t have those protections in place, what experts fear is a rise in terrorist activities against this infrastructure.\u201d<\/p>\n
So, in a world increasingly dependent on space-based systems \u2013 \u201cthere are about 10,000 satellites in orbit around us and that number is growing year on year\u201d\u2013 she tells The Detail that a single disruption could ground flights, cripple stock exchanges or cut off communications for millions.<\/p>\n
Even some of the most basic conveniences of modern life would be interrupted.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you are somebody like me, who really needs the Sat-Nav in their car to try to get from A to B, if a key satellite to provide that service is knocked out, you\u2019d really struggle.\u201d<\/p>\n
She says there are \u201ccurrently five outer-space treaties at the international level, but these were crafted at a time when only a handful of states had access to orbit\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cCountries like New Zealand have a very strong legal framework. If you want to launch anything \u2026 you have to have a licence from the minister. But not all countries have that legal framework.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo, experts over several years will be trying to explore how to support states to craft laws to address space terrorism, how do we prevent this from happening, firstly, and how do we hold those to account who engage in this type of activity and criminal behaviour.<\/p>\n
\u201cHow do we define an act of terrorism in space, how do we establish protocols for instant reporting, and determining liability for attacks on commercial and civilian infrastructure?\u201d<\/p>\n
She says as humanity expands its footprint beyond the planet, so too does the threat. And without clear international rules, the final frontier could become the next front line.<\/p>\n
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