Undercover Infrastructure: Dual-Use Arctic Satellite Ground Stations

CIGI Paper No. 291

April 8, 2024

Private companies are launching more rockets and satellites into space than ever before, increasing the amount of space assets and infrastructure for both civilian and military use. While these dual-use technologies, such as satellite communications, provide a wide range of essential services, they can also become military targets, posing significant security risks. This paper looks at satellite ground stations in the Arctic, how they are used, and how they can be protected in the face of growing geopolitical tensions among major powers such as China, Russia and the United States.

About the Authors

Gregory Falco has been at the forefront of space system and critical infrastructure security in both industry and academia for the past decade. He is an assistant professor at Johns Hopkins University’s Institute for Assured Autonomy and the Department of Civil and Systems Engineering.

Nicolò Boschetti is a Ph.D. student in aerospace engineering at Cornell University and is an assistant researcher at the Aerospace ADVERSARY Lab at Cornell University’s Sibley School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering.

Ioannis (Yanni) Nikas is an undergraduate student in mechanical engineering at Johns Hopkins University.