Non-geostationary orbiting satellite networks are routinely beaming their signals in areas reserved for geostationary satellites, and into each other’s signals as well, according to Kratos. The spectrum-monitoring service provider monitors signal interference at seven out of the 10 official International Telecommunications Union’s (ITU) monitoring statins.
The interference, according to Space Intel Report (SIR), is real but has to date not been the source of complaints to the industry regulator the ITU.
The Kratos study warns that with thousands of new Low Earth orbiting (LEO) satellite scheduled to be launched over the next few years the situation is likely to get much worse if it is not addressed.
“If you monitor closely the sky from one point on Earth, you can see it happening every five minutes or so,” said Emmanuel Houdet, Kratos business development manager at Kratos Defense and Security Solutions. “It’s not something unusual, it’s quite common,” said SIR.
Houdet made a presentation to the ITU’s Space Sustainability Forum in Geneva on October 8th, and outlined that more spectrum monitoring will be needed and the topic could also be covered at the next World Radiocommunications Conference towards the end of 2027.
Kratos has developed a software tool to monitor spectrum from NGSO satellites.
