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TU Professor Peters interviewed on Ukraine crisis
Dr. Ben Peters sheds light on the complex history of Ukraine and possible outcomes of the conflict as Russian troops continue their invasion.
Justin Klopfer Editor-in-Chief
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On Feb. 24, Russian President Vladimir Putin launched an invasion of Ukraine. A few days earlier, Putin delivered a fiery speech rejecting the legitimacy of an independent Ukraine. As of Feb. 27, the invasion has made its way to Kyiv and Kharkiv, the two largest cities in Ukraine.
To get a clearer picture of the complex geopolitical crisis, I talked to Dr. Ben Peters, a TU professor of Russian studies and media studies. This interview was conducted on Feb. 25.
Beginning with the context of the invasion, Peters stressed the vibrant culture Ukraine has, particularly in its cultural capital of L’viv. The country has a shining liter-
courtesy Ben Peters Dr. Ben Peters is a professor of Russian studies and media studies at TU. ary history with writers like Nikolai Gogol and culinary delights to rival any nation. Putin’s speech positioned Ukraine as a little brother to Russia, regaling the history dating back to Kyivan Rus’, but this history actually shows the opposite — that Russia is really an extension of Ukraine. Peters cautioned against a typical western view of Putin as “playing 17-dimensional chess,” instead characteriszing him as a “murderous tyrant” and an autocrat.
Still, Ukraine has a complex history and a role that Peters calls a “delta of empires” throughout the last 500 years. The country is “no one single thing” and should stop being seen only in its relation to both Russia and NATO. Its position as a “crossroads” between Europe and Eurasia lends itself to this characterization, but Ukraine is more than its relations to these other regions.
The recent invasion was a completely unjustified attack on a sovereign, independent nation. It has resulted in 198 civilian deaths as of Feb. 26 according to Ukrinform, and this number will only grow in the coming days. The precise motivations for such a violation of international law can’t be known with certainty, but Peters believes controlling Ukraine is the essential step for Russia to become an empire. “Without Ukraine,
courtesy Ben Peters Russian troops attacked Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv, on Feb. 25 and were met with fierce resistance.
even worse scenario, if NATO countries are brought into the fighting, the conflict could spread into a massive and potentially nuclear war. Regardless of the developments, all possibilities are devastating for Ukraine.
Russia cannot identify as an empire; at the same time, with Russia, Ukraine cannot identify as an independent nation,” Peters wrote in a blog post on February 21.
Peters hesitated to offer any specific predictions for the conflict, though did list a few possible outcomes. Initially, the goal seemed to be to install puppets in the eastern Donbas region only, which would still give veto power to pro-Russia elements. However, it now seems Russia may install a puppet government in Kyiv, essentially giving complete control of Ukraine to Russia. In an
One relatively novel factor of the ongoing invasion is the potential for cyber attacks. Peters says the Ukrainian power grid would represent the “holy grail” of attack targets for Russia, though the internet, communication networks and grocery stores are also vulnerable to cyber attacks. Of course, the US has also perpetrated their share of cyber attacks such as the infamous “Stuxnet” attack on an Iranian nuclear facility.
Disinformation is another vector of attack Ukraine faces, often coming from cyberspace as well. According to Peters, disinformation doesn’t have to fully convince the listener, it just has to “make enough doubt” in Ukrainians’ minds to make them stop fighting. Putin’s incessant accusations of rampant nazism in Ukraine aim to foment this kind of doubt, despite Ukraine being nowhere near actual fascist rule. Putin’s claims are then echoed on official Russian media outlets.
Peters also stressed how the complex scenario requires a deep understanding of Slavic history and culture — an understanding that can only be cultivated by serious academic study at institutions like TU. Cyber studies on their own aren’t enough to tackle immense geopolitical conflicts like these, they must be complemented by this sort of worldly knowledge.
Dr. Peters’ current project is titled “Imagining Russian Hackers,” an inquiry into the media’s common image of hackers from Russia. More information can be found at https://hackersinitiative.yale.edu/.
NASA calls out SpaceX on new Starlink satellite generation
Covering a list of concerns in a letter directed towards SpaceX, NASA addresses their worries over the introduction of 30,000 new satellites in low orbit.
Myranda New Student Writer
Earlier this year, Elon Musk’s SpaceX submitted an application to the Federal Communications Commision (FCC) seeking approval for an estimated 30,000 more satellites to be sent into low orbit in the second generation of their Starlink program. This program already has 12,000 approved satellites to its name, 1,900 of which are already in orbit according to ARS Technica.
At the beginning of February, NASA released a comment on this application, sending a letter to the FCC stating their concerns regarding the safety and wellbeing of scientific technology and the planet. The letter opens by discussing the congestion this second generation of satellites will cause in the Earth’s lower orbit, where 6,100 satellites are already present. This proposal, if accepted, would allow SpaceX to increase the number of low satellites by five times — doubling the number of satellites in space overall. With the increased volume of technology in space, NASA worries it will lead to difficulty tracking threats to the International Space Station (ISS) and other assets.
If there were to be a threat, moving one craft out of the way when there are so many clustered in one area could result in requir-
ing multiple crafts to move, increasing the chances of a traffic jam in space. Because all crafts controlled by NASA and SpaceX are maneuvered remotely, both agencies claim that despite the number of satellites currently in orbit, there is zero chance of potential collisions. However, by increasing the volume of satellites, there is a higher risk of not every spacecraft being able to maneuver out of the way, which creates new chances for collisions.
Considering collisions, NASA has dedicated a program to tracking potential asteroid collisions with Earth. With so many more potential satellites in orbit, though, the letter outlines concerns regarding asteroids potentially hiding behind the thousands of satellites. Glares from the sun will also bounce off of the material, blinding commanders and even interfering with data coming from the Hubble space telescope.
The presence of more satellites will decrease the launch window for future rockets, restricting engineering and logistics, as well as interfere with radio frequency, the letter continues.
NASA, though, includes in their letter their willingness to work with SpaceX to confirm the proper implementation of their program. They hold safety at the forefront but are still curious for potential scientific discoveries, leading them to pen recommendations throughout. The agency ends the letter by saying, “NASA looks forward to SpaceX’s sustained support in our mutual endeavor to safely operate all spacecraft,” in an effort to show their equal support and concern.
Since the release of the letter, SpaceX has posted an update on their website to reiterate their safety guarantee. With graphs and data, they detail their support of their five best practices regarding satellites including satellite construction described as 99% reliable, operating in low orbit to minimize debris, monitoring health of low orbit satellites, sharing information with the world on the orbit and developing a modern system to monitor collisions.
With these low orbiting satellites, SpaceX defends their purpose to bring internet connection to everyone around the world, meaning the satellites were specifically manufactured for low-Earth orbit. In fact, the Vice Prime Minister of Ukraine asked Elon Musk if he could activate Starlink stations amidst the invasion from Russia to aid with connectivity issues. Within the same day, Musk tweeted they were activated.
The update concludes with the following quote, “SpaceX is proud of our sophisticated and constantly improving design, test, and operational approach to improve space sustainability and safety, which are critical towards accelerating space exploration while bringing internet connectivity around the globe.” It then continues, “Together we can ensure that space is available for humanity to use and explore for generations to come,” agreeing with the sentiments of NASA in their letter as well as intending and promising safety with the implementation of this next generation, should it be approved.
To read the letter yourself, find it at the following link: https://cdn.arstechnica.net/ wp-content/uploads/2022/02/NTIA-NASAand-NSF-Fi.pdf.
To read SpaceX’s response, use the following link: https://www.spacex.com/updates/.
courtesy Wikimedia Commons
SpaceX plans to bring internet connection to people worldwide with the new Starlink satellite generation.
