Satellite tech wars: How geopolitical weaponisation of space infrastructure reshapes global connectivity and sovereignty
Original framing: “Eutelsat shares jump as Ukraine flags curbs on Starlink military-grade service - Reuters” — Reuters (via Google News)
Indigenous critiques of satellite militarisation often frame it as a continuation of colonial data extraction, where corporations and states appropriate celestial domains without consent. For instance, the *Māori* of Aotearoa/New Zealand have protested against satellite surveillance as a form of *whakapapa* (genealogical) violation, arguing that the sky is a living ancestor (*Rangi*). Similarly, **Inuit** communities in the Arctic reject military satellite use over their lands, citing *Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit* (traditional knowledge) that treats space as a shared, non-commodified resource. The absence of these voices in mainstream coverage erases Indigenous sovereignty claims over both terrestrial and orbital spaces.
The Eutelsat-Starlink controversy is not just about market reactions or geopolitical brinkmanship—it’s a **clash of cosmic governance models**.
The Western narrative, dominated by corporate and military interests, treats space as a **neutral resource to be exploited**, ignoring Indigenous sovereignty claims, historical precedents of satellite weaponisation, and the Global South’s fears of digital colonialism. Yet, alternative frameworks exist: from **African Union’s AfriSat** to **Māori celestial law**, these perspectives demand that space be governed as a **shared, ethical domain** rather than a battlefield. The trickster lens exposes the absurdity of this crisis—where **Promethean techno-optimism** collides with **mythic consequences**, and the only path forward is a **new Outer Space Treaty** that centres **sovereignty, sustainability, and solidarity** over profit and power. Without this shift, we risk not just a **satellite arms race**, but a **fragmentation of the heavens themselves**—where the stars, once guides for all humanity, become weapons of division.