It's clear how I feel about these satellites from a recent post
(here). So I will refrain from saying too much about this unintended e
xposé because this article says it all so well, but I will add this emoji 😡I am not familiar with USA Herald, so I had to see if I could find some validation for this breach to ensure it's not some sensationalism piece. Just like 3I/Atlas' coverage (or lack thereof), no "official" source is reporting this. USA Herald quotes National Public Radio as the source of this exposé, and adds their own analysis to their article. If not for their analysis and opinion, I wouldn't even have made the connection between this violation interfering with Astronomy efforts to track 3I/Atlas post-perihelion.
Please read USA Herald's excellent full report, here is a short excerpt:
- A constellation of classified defense satellites, part of SpaceX’s secretiveStarshieldprogram,
is transmitting downlinks on radio bands reserved for uplinks — a move
that potentially violates international radio norms established by the
United Nations’ International Telecommunication Union (ITU). The unusual
transmissions were first detected by Canadian amateur satellite tracker
Scott Tilley, not by a government agency or corporate insider.
- These
mysterious transmissions are occurring at a critical moment. Astronomers
worldwide are calibrating their telescopes to capture the interstellar
object3I/ATLASas it re-emerges
from behind the Sun in early December. Experts now fear that the
Starshield network’s activity could interfere with sensitive scientific
instruments designed to detect faint signals from deep space.
- Neither
Elon Musk nor the U.S. government has publicly commented on the matter.
NPR’s October 17 report confirmed that signals from Starshield
satellites are being received on frequencies between 2025 and 2110 MHz, a
spectrum legally reserved for Earth-to-space communications. The
secrecy surrounding these downlinks and the timing of their discovery
have sparked debate over national security, scientific transparency, and
regulatory oversight.
By Samuel A. Lopez | USA Herald | October 20, 2025
This is one more layer added to the already very suspicious circumstances and behaviour stemming from "official channels" in relation to 3I/Atlas.
Personal note: I honestly cannot remember how I came across this article from USA Herald. I know I was just scanning the first couple of pages of search results to see if anyone had posted any genuine news about 3I/Atlas and the next thing I know, I'm reading this article.
Namarie! 💚