SpaceX is developing a network of spy satellites under contract with US intelligence
SpaceX is building a network of hundreds of spy satellites commissioned by the US intelligence agency under a contract that remains secret, Reuters reports. This project shows the strengthening of ties between Elon Musk’s company and national security agencies shortly before the US elections.
Under the leadership of a SpaceX business unit called Starshield, a satellite network is being built under a $1.8 billion contract signed in 2021 with the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO), which is the intelligence agency that operates the US spy satellites. This demonstrates SpaceX’s involvement in U.S. intelligence and military projects and underscores the Pentagon’s deep investment in extensive low-Earth orbit satellite systems to support ground forces.
According to the sources, the program aims to significantly improve the ability of the US government and military to quickly identify potential targets almost anywhere on Earth. The contract demonstrates the growing confidence of the intelligence community in the company, whose owner has had disputes with the Biden administration, in particular over the blocking of Starlink’s use of satellite communications in the war in Ukraine.
According to Reuters, this is the first time it is known that SpaceX’s contract is designed to create a powerful new spy system with hundreds of satellites that have the ability to broadcast live to the Earth and can act as a single organism in low orbits, and that the intelligence agency with which Musk’s company is working is NRO.
Reuters was unable to determine when the new satellite network will become operational and could not find out which other companies are participating in the program. SpaceX, the world’s largest satellite operator, did not respond to several requests for comment on the contract, its role in it, or details of the satellite launch.
In a statement, NRO acknowledged its mission to develop a sophisticated satellite system and its partnerships with other government agencies, companies, research institutes and countries, but declined to comment on Reuters’ findings regarding the extent of SpaceX’s involvement in the effort.
As a reminder, SpaceX has repeatedly launched classified satellites and ships into orbit on behalf of the US government and the Pentagon. Also, the Starlink satellite Internet network has shown remarkable effectiveness on the battlefield in Ukraine, largely due to the ingenuity of Ukrainians who not only managed to make some adjustments to the design of Starlink antennas but also to fight in almost real time and to control drones at a great distance. We would also like to note that Starlink has incorporated the design elements that Ukrainians used to make antennas on the battlefield into their new antennas. In particular, this applies to connectors and the cleaning of the swivel mechanism.
The war in Ukraine has shown that a simple, reliable satellite network can do a lot on the battlefield and provide a key advantage over the enemy.
Reportedly, the planned Starshield network will be slightly different from Starlink, but obviously it will be based on the same Starlink with improvements and additional equipment that will be able to show a picture of some part of the planet in real time.
