Elon Musk and the Pentagon sign a $1.8 billion deal for secret US missions
In 2021, under the cover of secrecy, SpaceX signed a $1.8 billion deal with the US government. This information, leaked to the media, lifted the veil on SpaceX’s close cooperation with the U.S. military and intelligence services.
Officials remain silent about the details of the deal, but its scale and secretive nature leave no doubt about its strategic importance. According to experts, the $1.8 billion is a significant investment in the future, designed to provide SpaceX with a stable income stream in the coming years.
As part of the mission, Elon Musk’s brainchild will use Starshield, an affiliate company that already has a decent track record of cooperation with the Pentagon, to work with government clients. The latest milestone in this cooperation is the $70 million contract signed last year.
Starshield offers a wide range of services, including:
- secure satellite communications via the Starlink network, which can be used to provide secure communication between military and government agencies;
- collecting data about the Earth through the use of optics and sensors of the Starlink orbital group for the benefit of intelligence officers and military cartographers;
- Increasing the number of sensors and surveillance tools in orbit by launching appropriate spacecraft.
SpaceX’s cooperation with U.S. government agencies tends to expand, which will provide SpaceX with new contracts.
Pacifists, meanwhile, are sounding the alarm over SpaceX’s growing influence on geopolitics and the global balance of power.
