Starshield Cut Exposes Europe’s Vulnerability

When Ukraine had its access to the military satellite system Starshield restricted on Wednesday, Oct. 14, a European security vulnerability became visible within hours. Elon Musk said the system is controlled by the U.S. government, while the European Union is investing billions in its own satellite infrastructure, meant to give Europe greater control over critical communications.

For Norway, the episode lands in the middle of a broad push into space. This year Norway joined the EU’s Secure Connectivity program, known as IRIS², and in September Andøya Spaceport demonstrated that satellites can be launched into orbit from the European mainland.

That makes Andøya more than a launch site far in the north. The facility could become part of Europe’s ability to control the entire chain, from satellite and launch to communications and surveillance.

The U.S. Still Holds the Switch

Ukrainian military units on Wednesday had trouble with Starshield terminals aboard drones traveling at high speed. Operations had to be halted, and Ukrainian authorities said the change came without advance warning.

Mr. Musk responded by pointing to Washington. Starshield is owned and controlled by the U.S. government, he wrote, and the rules on speed and use are set by the U.S. military and, ultimately, by the president.

The war thus illustrates a problem European governments have been working on with growing urgency: critical military and civilian communications can depend on technological systems controlled outside Europe.

The E.U. Builds Its Own Alternative

The European Union has accelerated work on IRIS², short for Infrastructure for Resilience, Interconnectivity and Security by Satellite. In August, the plans were expanded to a core constellation of 348 satellites in low and medium Earth orbit.

The system is intended to provide secure communications for governments, defense, border control, emergency response and critical infrastructure. The first launches are planned for 2029, while GOVSATCOM is already pooling existing European satellite capacity for use by public authorities.

The goal is greater European strategic freedom of action in space.

Norway Has Already Plugged In

Norway signed the agreement to take part in Secure Connectivity and GOVSATCOM in March. The participation was formally incorporated through the European Economic Area system on July 10.

It gives Norwegian authorities access to European systems for secure satellite communications and opens the program to the Norwegian space industry.

The Norwegian government has itself stated that Norway’s space capacity, Andøya Spaceport, Arctic broadband and ocean monitoring can strengthen Europe’s access to space and its awareness of developments in the High North.

Andøya Has Already Taken Europe’s First Step

The significance became far more concrete on Sept. 5, when the German company Isar Aerospace sent its Spectrumrocket into orbit from Andøya. It was the first successful commercial orbital launch from the European mainland.

Norway now plans further expansion of the spaceport. A new launch pad is scheduled to be built starting in 2027 and to be completed in 2028. Norwegian authorities themselves point to the ability to launch satellites at short notice as important for national and allied defense.

Europe will also need far more launch capacity as IRIS², Galileo, Copernicus and new military satellite systems head for orbit. Andrius Kubilius, the E.U. commissioner for defense and space, has already named Norway as one of the places Europe can use to increase that capacity.

The Starshield episode in Ukraine shows why this has taken on new security significance. Satellites are now about who controls communications when a crisis hits, who can set the terms of their use, and who actually has the capacity to put new systems into space.