“Europe would be hit hard”

Berlin, Munich The targeted sabotage of the Nord Stream 1 and 2 gas pipelines triggered a discussion in German industry about the security of the infrastructure. “Europe’s actual weak point is not on the seabed, but in space,” says Matthias Wachter, head of the security department at the Federation of German Industries (BDI), the Handelsblatt. He sees satellites and their ground stations as possible targets.

If this network is sabotaged on a larger scale, an integral part of global data transfer will collapse – with far-reaching consequences. Civil and military communications, as well as signals for navigation services, are routed via satellites. However, a disruption would also affect the processing of money transfers and stock trading.