Pistorius told a Berlin space conference that two Luch/Olymp satellites, launched in 2014 and 2023,have been “shadowing” Intelsat satellites, raising concerns that space-based assets underpinning international connectivity could be vulnerable to interference.
He continued: “Russia and China have expanded their capabilities for warfare in space rapidly over the past years,” he said, adding that they can “disrupt satellite operations, blind satellites, manipulate or kinetically destroy them.”
Commercial space-tracking companies have echoed those warnings. French start-up Aldoria reported a “sudden close approach” by a Russian satellite in May 2024, while US firm Slingshot Aerospace has previously tracked similar “unfriendly behaviour.”
Analysts describe distances as close as 10km in geostationary orbit, alarmingly tight in an environment where satellites normally maintain wide separations and remain static for years.
For the wholesale connectivity ecosystem, the issue is less about military brinkmanship and more about business continuity.
Any disruption, whether signal interception, interference or physical risk, could ripple across markets that rely on high-availability connectivity.
This latest warning comes at a time when carriers and satcos are deepening multi-orbit strategies across GEO, MEO and LEO fleets.
The goal is to improve redundancy, minimise latency, and reassure enterprise customers that service delivery remains secure despite new geopolitical risks. But the behaviour of Russian spacecraft highlights the need to consider orbital resilience alongside more familiar risks such as fibre cuts or cyberattacks.
Industry observers suggest this may accelerate investment in space situational awareness (SSA) tools, cross-industry partnerships, and contingency planning. It may also shape the next generation of service-level agreements, as enterprise customers increasingly demand assurance that connectivity is safeguarded against geopolitical disruption.
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