SpaceX’s secret Starshield network is raising new questions after unexpected radio signals were detected from orbit.
Credit : Alones, Shutterstock
When space enthusiasts set up antennas in their back gardens, they usually expect to pick up signals from known weather satellites or maybe track the International Space Station as it sweeps across the night sky. What they don’t expect is to stumble upon radio messages from a classified U.S. government fleet quietly circling Earth.
But that’s exactly what has happened – and the discovery has begun causing a stir across the scientific community.
Unexpected transmissions spotted – and no one is explaining why
Scott Tilley, a Canadian amateur known for rediscovering a NASA satellite once thought lost, was scanning frequencies recently when he noticed something strange – a radio signal where there simply shouldn’t have been one.
A quiet patch of spectrum, normally reserved for Earth-to-satellite communication, was suddenly alive with traffic coming the other way — from orbit down to us.
“I was surprised to hear anything at all,” he told fellow observers.
And he wasn’t alone. Other independent trackers checked their logs. Same result.
The signals traced back to Starshield, a covert branch of SpaceX’s satellite empire designed exclusively for U.S. governmental and military use – a cousin to the much larger, civilian Starlink network.
Over 170 satellites appear to be transmitting in this off-limits band. Even more worryingly, they’ve been doing it routinely, not by accident or during testing.
Why are these satellites talking on forbidden frequencies?
International rules are strict when it comes to satellite radio use. The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) – a United Nations agency – assigns each frequency for a specific purpose. Starshield’s activity doesn’t match the permissions on record.
Experts say that’s not a trivial oversight.
Radio astronomer Benjamin Winkel, speaking to Live Science, confirmed the transmissions are not authorised for this direction of communication — a potential violation that raises both regulatory and technical concerns.
So why use this band?
There are theories:
- Stealth – Less traffic means fewer people listening
• Operational freedom – Military systems are often pushed to the limits
• “Fix it later” attitude – Act first, negotiate after
Kevin Gifford of the University of Colorado noted that, so far, no harmful interference has been publicly recorded. But if such a large constellation keeps transmitting this way, the risk will grow: thousands of devices in orbit are already jostling for clean signal space.
Starshield: the quiet rise of military mega-constellations
Not long ago, most defence satellites were huge, expensive and limited in number. Starshield flips that model entirely.
Backed by a $1.8 billion contract, SpaceX has been launching satellites at a pace only a private giant could manage. Many of them are believed to be operated by the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO), one of America’s most secretive intelligence agencies.
Small, numerous and fast to replace – these satellites can:
- Relay encrypted tactical data
• Support surveillance of Earth
• Withstand attacks by sheer redundancy
A former U.S. Air Force General, Terrence O’Shaughnessy, now oversees the programme – underlining how the line between Silicon Valley and the Pentagon has all but disappeared.
This is the new space race: not exploration – domination.
Are we heading toward a crowded – and contested – sky?
At this moment, over 60% of all active satellites belong to SpaceX. And that number is growing every month.
Some projections estimate that by 2050, over 100,000 SpaceX satellites could be orbiting Earth.
That presents three huge challenges:
- Orbital congestion – more risk of collisions
- Spectrum conflict – fewer clean frequencies for science & civilian use
- Strategic dependence – one company wielding enormous space power
So, when signals begin to appear where they shouldn’t, it’s more than a quirky discovery. It’s a warning that the regulatory framework built for a different era is struggling to keep up.
Listening to the future
For now, there’s no conspiracy confirmed – no scandal, no confrontation. Just questions. Very big ones.
What exactly are these satellites doing?
Why are they transmitting this way?
And who, if anyone, is keeping them in check?
One thing is certain: the space above our heads is changing faster than we can regulate – and sometimes it takes a dedicated hobbyist with a radio dish to notice.
