Indeed, it is the most powerful aerospace company in the world, at least in the private sector. That’s why Elon Musk has secured the contract that will allow him to launch a space plan called Starshield, the shield of the stars.
SpaceX has secured a $70 million contract with the U.S. Space Force to provide satellite communications to the U.S. Space Force through its Starshield program, as reported by Bloomberg.
According to SpaceX’s website, the company will repurpose its Starlink network for military use to provide a “secure satellite network for government entities.” The contract is for a duration of one year.
“The SpaceX contract includes end-to-end Starshield service (via the Starlink constellation), user terminals, auxiliary equipment, network management, and other related services,” said a spokesperson from the Space Force to CNBC in a statement.
The initial phase requires the Space Force to pay SpaceX $15 million by September 30, and SpaceX will support 54 military “mission partners” from all branches of the Department of Defense (DoD).
Elon Musk defends the cowardice of Starlink
In a post on his social network X, Elon Musk addressed his latest controversy. “Starlink has to be a civilian network, not a participant in combat. Starshield will be owned by the U.S. Government and controlled by the Space Force of the Department of Defense,” he stated.
SpaceX is a key contractor for the Pentagon, providing rocket launches for the military. Last year, the Space Force approved the company’s reusable Falcon Heavy to deploy U.S. spy satellites into orbit.
Earlier this year, SpaceX secured a contract to supply an unspecified number of Starlink ground terminals for use in Ukraine. However, this posed a real challenge for the company, which even shut down its services to thwart a Ukrainian attack.
Elon Musk defended that Starlink is a civilian, not military, network and that it only seeks peace. Everyone has their own opinion on this, but Elon Musk arrived in Ukraine as their savior.
