Earlier this year, we turned our attention to the satellites overhead.
Four posts. One question: how exposed is the satellite and RF layer the world now depends on?
March: Satellite Signals Are Easier to Observe Than Many Realise
A laptop, an SDR and the right software were enough to watch satellite activity cross the waterfall in real time. The post also discussed separate academic research showing that some GEO satellite links carry unencrypted traffic.
Image 1: SDR monitoring setup used to observe satellite activity in real time.
Read the full post → https://intspired.co.uk/blog/f/satellite-signals-are-easier-to-observe-than-many-realise
May: Hardware Not Required: WebSDR and the Open RF Layer
Exploring satellite signals does not always require your own receiving equipment. This post looked at how publicly accessible WebSDR receivers open up the RF spectrum to anyone with an internet connection.
Image 2: Qatar-OSCAR 100 at Goonhilly Earth Station, Cornwall. Live satellite RF from Es’hail-2, streamed through a browser.
Read the full post → https://intspired.co.uk/blog/f/hardware-not-required-websdr-and-the-open-rf-layer
June: Tracking Down a 1964 US Navy Satellite No One Could Switch Off
Transit 5B-5. Launched in 1964. Still transmitting decades after its operational life ended. Using orbital data from CelesTrak and our ground station coordinates, we could predict when it would cross our horizon.
Image 3: Tracking Transit 5B-5 and predicting its pass over our location.
Read the full post → https://intspired.co.uk/blog/f/tracking-down-a-1964-us-navy-satellite-no-one-could-switch-off
Watch the short video of the pass on LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7467236032044933122/
June: Satellite-to-Phone Connectivity
Ordinary smartphones are starting to connect directly to satellites. These connections bring satellite infrastructure into everyday mobile communications.
Image 4: How beamforming focuses satellite signal power towards a coverage area.
Read the full post → https://intspired.co.uk/blog/f/satellite-to-phone-connectivity
The common thread: signals people assume are invisible are often observable. Understanding what those signals reveal is part of assessing the risks to satellite-dependent systems.
Satellite dependence is growing. Jamming, spoofing and interference can disrupt the navigation, timing and communications those systems provide.
For the rest of 2026, we are going deeper:
The threats facing satellite-dependent systems
Detecting interference
Locating its source
The cyber side of space systems
This work leads into IntSpired’s RF interference investigation service, planned for 2027.
IntSpired®
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