The Russia-Ukraine War Extends to Space... The Story Behind the US Request "Korea, Please Help" [Reading Science]

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[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Bong-su] In July last year, data managers of the European Space Agency (ESA) satellite were surprised while reviewing observation results. The radar surveillance satellite 'Sentinel-1' suffered radio interference presumed to be an electronic warfare attack while passing through the Rostov region of Russia adjacent to Ukraine, resulting in partial data loss. ESA believes that Russia deliberately carried out the attack to conceal military information or at least send a 'warning' in preparation for full-scale war.

As global tensions escalate due to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the war has already expanded into 'outer space.' In space, wars such as satellite interception between hostile countries can occur. Even if satellite malfunctions or crashes happen during peacetime without escalating into combat, if disguised as 'accidental incidents,' the affected countries can be helpless. In this context, the United States has expressed intentions to be more proactive in sharing space surveillance information with allies such as South Korea, drawing attention.

According to the U.S. space specialized media 'SpaceNews,' U.S. Space Force Commander James Dickinson stated this on the 23rd during a speech at the Defense Intelligence Space Conference held in Colorado Springs, hosted by the National Security Space Association.

Commander Dickinson said at the event, "If Russia or other countries deliberately attempt to interfere with U.S. satellite operations, it is difficult to identify who the attacker is, and the biggest problem is that it is also hard to determine whether the act was intentional." He added, "Many Americans understand the gravity of the Ukraine crisis, but few fully comprehend the dangerous and reckless actions occurring in the space domain. Knowing what is happening is insufficient; there is a need to know more accurate information such as why it is happening."

On this day, Commander Dickinson particularly announced plans to strengthen space surveillance information exchange with countries like South Korea, in addition to the existing intelligence alliance Five Eyes. The Five Eyes is an intelligence community formed by the United States and the United Kingdom along with major Commonwealth countries including Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. He said, "We are working to share information about the space domain and strengthen partnerships with allies and the private sector. Considering the risks posed by Russia and China, we are sincerely striving to expand cooperation beyond Five Eyes to other countries." Relatedly, SpaceNews reported, "The Space Force plans to dispatch additional liaison officers and exchange information with France, Germany, Japan, as well as South Korea, Italy, and Spain."

South Korea operates the space object surveillance network (OWL), which has established five radio telescopes with diameters of 1.5 meters or more in five locations worldwide. Additionally, by 2024, a space object surveillance radar will be installed on Gamaksan Mountain. Notably, the Air Force commissioned the 'Electro-Optical Satellite Surveillance System (EOSS)' earlier this year, capable of monitoring objects threatening Korean assets in space, such as killer satellites.

The United States launches and utilizes more satellites than any other country worldwide, making it the most dependent on space. It operates missile warning and satellite navigation systems (GPS) to counter hostile countries like Russia and China. However, Russia succeeded in intercepting a satellite with a missile last November, and China completed a 'space debris' removal experiment with the Shijian-21 satellite, a de facto satellite interception system, at the end of January, sharpening the edge of 'weapons' in space and orbit. They also possess jamming capabilities that can disrupt satellite-based GPS and communication satellites, as well as missile capabilities to destroy satellites. In particular, 'soft kill' methods, which interfere with or disable satellites by irradiating radio waves or laser beams, make it practically difficult for the targeted party to determine who is responsible or whether the act was intentional.