US EditionSpace Terrorism Emerges as Real Threat as Attacks Surge
UNOOSA highlights gaps in international law as cyber and physical attacks on satellites increase, urging clear definitions and accountability for space terrorism threats.
- Anne-Marie Brennan, writing in The Conversation, says space terrorism has moved beyond theory and now threatens Earth's orbital infrastructure in the November 4, 2025 article.
- Commercialisation and lower launch costs have widened access to orbit, enabling commercial space ventures, private corporations, and non-state actors alongside governments to operate in space.
- Network Battalion allegedly hacked Roscosmos in March 2022, and the UK's Skynet satellite was targeted by ransom-seeking hackers in 1999, with the UK Ministry of Defence reporting compromised communications.
- International space law, anchored by the 1967 Outer Space Treaty, lacks explicit provisions for terrorism or non-state actors, and experts urge UNOOSA to help states craft domestic laws, incident-reporting protocols and liability rules.
- In the coming years, experts warn the next decade could see a surge in ideologically motivated satellite attacks, risking widespread disruption to telecommunications and navigation systems.
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