As SpaceX begins trading on the Nasdaq after a record-breaking IPO, Australia’s growing reliance on Starlink raises urgent questions about communications sovereignty, emergency services, security and space regulation.

Four years ago P&I warned of the risks to Australia from the introduction of Low Earth Orbiting satellites (known as LEO’s).

A leaked report has revealed that our security agencies have since raised their concerns with the federal government.

When they heard of the government’s intention to allow our major telcos to sign up to global satellite network Starlink, some of our leading technology experts contacted me expressing their concerns – highlighting, among other issues, the reliance on technology controlled by a private company owned by a foreign national.

At the time I wrote to a number of government departments and ministers alerting them and suggesting action to protect our sovereignty.

As I wrote in my P&I article:

We need to ensure that private companies placing objects in space don’t create another environmental disaster like the........

© Pearls and Irritations