The U.S. already has a counter-space strategy that is different from the kinetic method employed recently by the Chinese, according to knowledgeable space experts and former intelligence officials. They say the United States has adopted a method that relies on spy satellites' most vulnerable aspect: the need for constant housekeeping from the ground.
Commercial satellite operators say they're willing to pay for anti-jamming and other protective systems on their spacecraft to assuage the security concerns of government users, but only if the government will restructure its procurements to encourage such investments.
Boeing has said that it will attach sophisticated antennas to its new satellites as part of a broader push - supported by the Pentagon - to counteract concerns that these space assets may be disrupted by terrorists and hostile governments.
Paris-based satellite company Eutelsat is investigating "unidentified interference" with its satellite broadcast services that temporarily knocked out several television and radio stations. The company declined to say whether it thought the interference was accidental or deliberate.
Britain and the United States have complained to Libya after two international satellites were illegally jammed, knocking off air TV, radio and other communication channels.
The U.S. military is bracing for future attacks in space, and the Air Force has deployed an electronic-warfare unit capable of jamming enemy satellites, the general in charge of space defenses says.
In advance of the presidential elections, Iran appears to be actively jamming satellite television signals. Experts are concerned that the jamming could threaten not only the possibility of democracy but also the health of Iranian citizens.
The U.S. Air Force quietly has put into service a new weapon designed to jam enemy satellite communications, a significant step toward U.S. control of space.
When anti-coalition forces in Iraq used jammers last year to thwart Global Positioning System precision-guided munitions in that theater, it represented a new, but not unexpected, challenge for the U.S. military: The first time an adversary challenged its dominance in space.
The U.S. Air Force is increasingly worried about hostile forces attempting to jam or blind critical military satellites during conflicts.