Satellite Communications
Satellite communications tend to use high frequency signals: Ultra High Frequency (UHF), 300 MHz - 3 GHz and Super High Frequency (SHF), 3 - 30 GHz. Radio signals propagating to and from a satellite in orbit are affected by the environmental conditions along the propagation path. In a vacuum, radio signals propagate at the speed of light, but in the presence of plasma in the ionosphere, the signals are affected by group delay and phase advance and attenuation due to absorption and scintillation. The environment's effect on the signal is frequency dependent and to a first approximation is proportional to the amount of structure in the plasma present along the propagation path.
Due to ionospheric variability (Space Weather), the effects on propagating signals are highly variable. Up to some level, the effects of Space Weather on propagation can be mitigated through engineering design solutions, but space weather can lead to a total loss of communication due to attenuation and/or severe scintillation when the broadcast signals cross the ionosphere. In trans-ionosphere propagation, scintillation refers to the rapid variation of the amplitude and phase of a received signal. Scintillation is produced by structure in the ionosphere. The severity of scintillation depends on the frequency of the used signal and the spatial structure of plasma density and plasma drifts along the propagation path. Specifically, scintillation at the receiver is produced by constructive and destructive interference of refracted and diffracted components of the broadcast signal.
https://www.spaceweather.gov/impacts/sa ... unications
https://www.spaceweather.gov/communities/satellites
Separately, we operate Starshield, a secure satellite network designed specifically for national security applications. Built on the technology, manufacturing, and launch infrastructure that underpin Starlink, Starshield is focused on three core mission areas: Earth observation, global secure communications, and hosted payloads. Starshield satellites are designed to integrate a wide range of sensors and instruments, allowing government customers to deploy mission-specific capabilities in LEO without having to design, build, and launch standalone spacecraft for every program.
Starshield builds on the end-to-end data encryption used in our commercial network by adding high-assurance cryptographic capabilities tailored to military and other government requirements. By combining this security posture with our high-cadence launch capability and evolving Starlink-derived infrastructure, we aim to offer a scalable national security platform that can be updated, replenished, and expanded as mission needs change over time.
https://content.spacex.com/cms-assets/F ... 202026.pdf
Die Medienberichte in Österreich beziehen sich vorwiegend auf ein Posting eines gewissen Sternenko, der behauptet hat, dass die Verbindung in der Nacht vom 13. auf den 14. Oktober bei Geschwindigkeiten von über 160 km/h zusammengebrochen ist, die "Standard-Terminals" aber betriebsbereit gewesen seien.
https://t.me/ssternenko/64831
https://t.me/ssternenko/64859
https://t.me/ssternenko/64862
Für zivile Nutzer ist die Verwendung von Starlink in der Bewegung auch so stark eingeschränkt:
Kann ich Starlink in Bewegung nutzen?
Die Tarife Starlink Roam, Local Priority und Global Priority unterstützen die Nutzung in Bewegung bis zu 100 mph (160 km/h) in autorisierten Standorten.
Ab März 2026 und in ausgewählten Märkten bietet Starlink neue Aviation-Tarife für höhergeschwindige Anwendungen an. Wenn Ihre Einsätze 100 mph überschreiten, erwägen Sie General Aviation Local 50GB oder General Aviation Global 50GB. Wenn Sie zu einem dieser Tarife wechseln möchten, erstellen Sie bitte ein Ticket beim Support.
Die Nutzung in Bewegung von Starlink ist an Land verboten und für den maritimen Einsatz in folgenden Regionen erlaubt: Colombia, Costa Rica, Kuwait, Japan, Jordan, Malaysia, Vietnam, Mexico, Spain, South Korea, Indonesia, United Arab Emirates.
https://starlink.com/de/support/article ... C8YAr0GcKX
Störungen in der Ionosphäre dürften dafür eher nicht verantwortlich gewesen sein, da sich Effekte an diesen Tagen nur in Nordeuropa gezeigt hätten - allerdings nicht bei Funkverbindungen:
Space Weather Message Code: WARK04
Serial Number: 5435
Issue Time: 2026 Oct 13 2058 UTC
EXTENDED WARNING: Geomagnetic K-index of 4 expected
Extension to Serial Number: 5434
Valid From: 2026 Oct 13 0115 UTC
Now Valid Until: 2026 Oct 14 1200 UTC
Warning Condition: Persistence
NOAA Space Weather Scale descriptions can be found at
www.swpc.noaa.gov/noaa-scales-explanation
Potential Impacts: Area of impact primarily poleward of 65 degrees Geomagnetic Latitude.
Induced Currents - Weak power grid fluctuations can occur.
Aurora - Aurora may be visible at high latitudes such as Canada and Alaska.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Space Weather Message Code: WARK04
Serial Number: 5434
Issue Time: 2026 Oct 13 1431 UTC
EXTENDED WARNING: Geomagnetic K-index of 4 expected
Extension to Serial Number: 5433
Valid From: 2026 Oct 13 0115 UTC
Now Valid Until: 2026 Oct 13 2100 UTC
Warning Condition: Persistence
NOAA Space Weather Scale descriptions can be found at
www.swpc.noaa.gov/noaa-scales-explanation
Potential Impacts: Area of impact primarily poleward of 65 degrees Geomagnetic Latitude.
Induced Currents - Weak power grid fluctuations can occur.
Aurora - Aurora may be visible at high latitudes such as Canada and Alaska.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Space Weather Message Code: WARK04
Serial Number: 5433
Issue Time: 2026 Oct 13 0115 UTC
WARNING: Geomagnetic K-index of 4 expected
Valid From: 2026 Oct 13 0115 UTC
Valid To: 2026 Oct 13 1500 UTC
Warning Conditions: Onset
Comment:
NOAA Space Weather Scale descriptions can be found at
www.swpc.noaa.gov/noaa-scales-explanation
Potential Impacts: Area of impact primarily poleward of 65 degrees Geomagnetic Latitude.
Induced Currents - Weak power grid fluctuations can occur.
Aurora - Aurora may be visible at high latitudes such as Canada and Alaska.
https://www.spaceweather.gov/products/a ... d-warnings
Edit.:
EXCLUSIVE
Order to limit Starshield for Ukraine came from inside White House, sources say
NEW YORK/WASHINGTON, Oct 15 (Reuters) - The order to limit a satellite system used by Ukraine for battlefield communications and drone operations came from inside the White House, according to two US officials and a Western official briefed on the matter.
The officials said leaders at the Defense Department received a message that the SpaceX Starshield service for the Ukrainian military needed to be slowed.
The officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, did not specify who in the White House made the decision or who was responsible for implementing the order. The Pentagon is the biggest customer of Starshield, which is the military-grade version of the Starlink service.
Ukrainian officials said this week that military-grade Starlink receptors stopped working in Ukraine when mounted on fast-moving objects, interfering with the performance of Ukrainian drones that rely on them for onboard guidance systems over Ukrainian territory.
A person in Ukraine's Defence Ministry said on Thursday that the receptors were now working when in motion, but only at speeds of up to 100 miles per hour (160 kph).
In response to a request for comment about the order to limit Starshield, a senior US official said: "No such request was ever made by the president."
The White House did not respond to questions about whether other administration officials might have made the request.
Ukrainian officials said the restrictions complicated strike missions against Russian forces and logistics in occupied territory and slowed interceptor drones used to shoot down incoming Russian Shahed drones.
Elon Musk, the CEO of SpaceX, said on X on Wednesday that because Starshield systems are owned and controlled by the US government, any limits on speed or usage are decided by the US military or the president.
SpaceX did not respond to a request for comment.
The Department of Defense and the Ukrainian embassy in Washington also did not respond to requests for comment.
Following the move to restrict Ukraine's access to Starshield, the Ukrainians made calls on Tuesday and Wednesday to find answers from senior officials at the White House, State Department and Pentagon, a senior Ukrainian official said, adding that Kyiv was told it was a White House decision.
The Pentagon has spent billions of dollars on the Starlink and Starshield services. It has also bought dedicated Starshield satellites, including communications spacecraft for missile-warning missions and a spy constellation for the National Reconnaissance Office, Reuters reported in 2024.
https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/or ... 026-10-15/
