Outer Space Security Lexicon
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Electronic / Electromagnetic Counterspace Capabilities


Definition

Electronic counterspace technologies, sometimes also known as electromagnetic technologies, can target the electromagnetic spectrum used by space systems to transmit and receive data, causing harmful interference.

  • Jammers generate noise on the same radio frequency band as a space system in order to block or interfere with the signal travelling from Earth to a satellite (uplink) or from a satellite to Earth (downlink).
  • Spoofing is used to trick the system into believing a fake signal produced by a hostile party, thus enabling the hostile party to insert false information into the system including, but not limited to, false data or false commands which can disrupt operations or cause any of the components of a space system to act in a way other than how it was intended.

Hostile operations using these technologies are generally reversible, and are difficult to attribute to a perpetrator.

Counterspace capabilities

Counterspace capabilities

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Outer Space Security Lexicon
Outer Space Security Lexicon
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Outer Space Security Lexicon