The Amateur Who Exposed It
Without Scott Tilley’s chance discovery, the public might never have known about these transmissions. His accidental detection has revealed an uncomfortable truth about the modern space age: civilians often serve as the only watchdogs capable of exposing secretive satellite activity.
Neither SpaceX nor the NRO responded to NPR’s multiple requests for comment. The silence has only fueled public suspicion, especially as Starshield’s signals persist. With hundreds of satellites already in orbit and more launches planned, the burden now shifts to regulatory bodies — and the media — to demand transparency.
Timing Raises Deeper Questions
The overlap between Starshield’s signal activity and the upcoming re-emergence of 3I/ATLAS is too precise to ignore. Astronomers have spent months planning coordinated global observation campaigns for November and December. The presence of unexplained, potentially illegal transmissions at this moment is not just inconvenient — it’s suspicious.
It is unclear whether the timing is coincidental or connected to the object’s trajectory. But the combination of a classified satellite network, unauthorized frequencies, and a once-in-a-lifetime astronomical event creates a story that demands explanation.
Why now? Why on these frequencies? And why has there been no acknowledgment from either the private contractor or the government agency overseeing the operation?
