SpaceX has been awarded a Pentagon contract to connect Ukraine to a militarized version of Starlink’s Starshield satellite network. This service provides an encrypted signal that is harder to hack or jam. Under the agreement, 2,500 Starlink terminals in Ukraine will have access to Starshield, adding to the 500 terminals connected earlier. Overall, the contract covers 3,000 terminals.
The agreement was made in August 2024, even before the U.S. presidential election, when Joe Biden announced increased military support for Ukraine. The contracts are part of the Proliferated Low Earth Orbit program, which uses satellites at an altitude of 160- 1,900 km to provide communications.
Despite the strategic cooperation, Elon Musk remains a figure with an ambivalent position on war. In 2022, he stated that Starlink was not intended for military use and expressed concern over the risks of escalation.
The future of U.S. support for Ukraine, particularly SpaceX’s involvement, depends on the political situation. Donald Trump, who won the election, is aiming to pressure Ukraine to negotiate with Russia to end the war as quickly as possible. Musk, as an adviser to Trump, has influence over the process, although SpaceX’s day-to-day management of operations is handled by company president Gwynne Shotwell.
As of May 2022, Ukraine has received 10,000 Starlink terminals, while 47,000 were scheduled for delivery before the invasion. The use of Starlink is also attracting the attention of China, which is studying the effectiveness of satellite networks in future wars.
The Pentagon contract is another step in SpaceX’s growing partnership with the U.S. military.
Earlier we reported on how NASA came to the defense of Elon Musk in the drug use scandal.
Provided by Bloomberg
