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☆ China's military, state media slam U.S. after report on SpaceX spy satellites
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-19 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Chinese military and state-run media on Sunday accused the United States of threatening global security, days after a Reuters report which found Elon Musk's SpaceX was building hundreds of spy satellites for a U.S. intelligence agency. Chinese military and state-run media on Sunday accused the United States of threatening global security, days after a Reuters report which found Elon Musk's SpaceX was building hundreds of spy satellites for a U.S. intelligence agency. A social media account run by the People's Liberation Army, or PLA, said the SpaceX program exposed the United States' "shamelessness and double standards" as Washington accuses Chinese tech companies of threatening U.S. security. "We urge U.S. companies to not help a villain do evil," Junzhengping, an account run by the PLA, posted on social media platform Weibo on Sunday. Wang Yanan, chief editor of Aerospace Knowledge, a magazine overseen by the ruling Communist Party, was quoted in an interview as saying the SpaceX satellite project posed "a challenge to global security and stability".

Persons: Elon, SpaceX's, Wang Yanan Organizations: Reuters, SpaceX, National Reconnaissance Office, NRO, People's Liberation Army, PLA, U.S ., Aerospace, Communist Party Locations: United States, Washington, U.S, Weibo

☆ Musk's SpaceX is building spy satellite network for U.S. intelligence agency, sources told Reuters
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-16 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

SpaceX is building a network of hundreds of spy satellites under a classified contract with a U.S. intelligence agency, five sources familiar with the program said, demonstrating deepening ties between billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk's space company and national security agencies. The network is being built by SpaceX's Starshield business unit under a $1.8 billion contract signed in 2021 with the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO), an intelligence agency that manages spy satellites, the sources said. SpaceX, the world's largest satellite operator, did not respond to several requests for comment about the contract, its role in it and details on satellite launches. The satellites can track targets on the ground and share that data with U.S. intelligence and military officials, the sources said. The spy satellites will house sensors provided by another company, three of the sources said.

Persons: Jared Isaacman, Elon, SpaceX's, Biden, Tesla Organizations: SpaceX, National Reconnaissance Office, Street, NRO, Reuters, Pentagon, ., U.S ., U.S, U.S . Space Force, CIA Locations: Starbase, Boca Chica , Texas, Ukraine, U.S, Starlink, Russia, China

☆ House Democrats probe SpaceX over alleged illegal export and use of Starlink by Russia
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-07 | by ( Lora Kolodny | In Lorakolodny | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

House Democrats Robert Garcia, D-Calif. and Jamie Raskin, D-Md, sent a letter to SpaceX demanding transparency from the defense contractor following reports of potentially illegal purchases and use of Starlink satellite internet equipment by Russia in occupied territories of Ukraine. The congressmen also announced a probe of SpaceX by the Democratic House Committee into the company's safeguards and procedures for preventing illegal exports and use of its Starlink equipment and services. The Washington Post first reported on the probe and March 6 letter to SpaceX president and chief operating officer Gwynne Shotwell. In a statement on Thursday, the congressmen wrote, "Russia's use of Starlink satellite terminals would be in contravention of U.S. export controls that prohibit Russia from acquiring and utilizing U.S.-produced technology." The new probe by House Democrats follows news on Wednesday that a man in New Jersey was arrested on charges of allegedly trafficking 675 SpaceX Starlink terminals which were purchased with stolen credit card accounts or hacked Starlink billing accounts.

Persons: Robert Garcia, Jamie Raskin, Gwynne Shotwell, Elon Musk, Musk, Starlink, Walter Isaacson, —, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, GUR, Mike Gallagher, Gallagher Organizations: SpaceX, Democratic, Committee, Washington Post, Netflix, Directorate of Intelligence, Russian, Democrats, House, Department of Defense, CNBC, House Democrats, Police Locations: Ukraine, Warsaw, Poland, Russia, Crimea, Russian, Kyiv's, Ukrainian, Donetsk, House China, Taiwan, Starlink, New Jersey

☆ Congressman presses Elon Musk to provide SpaceX satellite services for US defense forces in Taiwan, report says
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-25 | by ( John L. Dorman | Katherine Tangalakis-Lippert | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

A Congressman is urging Elon Musk to give SpaceX Starshield access to US forces in Taiwan. AdvertisementElon Musk is facing pressure to provide SpaceX's Starshield satellite network to US defense personnel in Taiwan, according to Forbes. However, the outlet described a "group of US lawmakers" were involved in the calls for Musk to provide satellite access to US defense forces in Taiwan. The letter then called on Musk to brief the select panel regarding Starshield's capabilities in Taiwan by March 8, Forbes reported. The request could present challenges for Musk, who has considerable business ties in China, where Tesla has a significant manufacturing presence.

Persons: Elon Musk, Forbes, —, Elon, Mike Gallagher, Musk, Gallagher, Taiwan's, Lai Ching, Tesla, hasn't, Joseph Wu Organizations: SpaceX, Service, Forbes ., Forbes . Wisconsin GOP, US Defense Department, Forbes, Street, Chinese Communist Party, New York Times, United States Congress, Times, Business Locations: Taiwan, China, Forbes, Forbes . Wisconsin, Russian, Starshield, Hong Kong

The House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party sent a letter on Saturday to Elon Musk demanding that U.S. troops stationed in Taiwan get access to SpaceX's Starshield, a satellite communication network designed specifically for the military. The letter, obtained by CNBC and first reported by Forbes, claimed that by not making Starshield available to U.S. military forces in Taiwan, SpaceX could violate its Pentagon contract, which requires "global access" to Starshield technology. The letter requests that Musk provide the House committee with a briefing on its Taiwan operations by March 8. Taiwan has been governing itself independently of China since the island split from the mainland during the 1949 civil war. "I think I've got a pretty good understanding as an outsider of China," Musk said on the All-In Podcast.

Persons: Elon Musk, Tesla, Forbes, Mike Gallagher, Gallagher, Tsai Ing, Lai Ching, Musk, I've, Jaushieh Joseph Wu Organizations: Fratelli, Chinese Communist Party, Elon, CNBC, SpaceX, Pentagon, U.S ., Rep, CCP, Starshield, Russia, U.S, Tesla, Foreign Locations: Italy, Rome, Taiwan, China, American, Shanghai, Hawaii

☆ White House slams Musk 'antisemitic rhetoric,' says 'foolish' to drop SpaceX contracts
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-20 | by ( Rebecca Picciotto | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Leah Millis | ReutersThe White House is not moving away from Elon Musk's SpaceX or Starlink technology despite condemning Musk for pushing antisemitic comments on social media, National Security Counsel spokesman John Kirby said Monday. White House National Security Council Strategic Communications Coordinator John Kirby speaks during a press briefing at the White House in Washington, U.S., November 20, 2023. The Pentagon has commissioned Starlink technology to provide internet coverage to Ukraine, as the country's defensive war against Russia rages on. In September, Musk's SpaceX won a separate Pentagon contract for Starshield, a military-specific version of Starlink that is still under development. In the past, senators have scrutinized the Defense Department's dependence on Musk's technology.

Persons: Elon Musk, Chuck Schumer, Leah Millis, Musk, John Kirby, Kirby, I'm, Musk's SpaceX, SpaceX's, Joe Skipper Organizations: Intelligence, Senate, U.S, Capitol, Elon Musk's SpaceX, National Security, Musk's, White, National Security Council Strategic Communications, Reuters, Twitter, Apple, Disney, Comcast, CNBC, Pentagon, Russia, Starshield, SpaceX, Federal Aviation Authority, Boca Chica Locations: Washington , U.S, Ukraine, Texas, Brownsville , Texas, U.S

☆ The US government won’t quit Elon Musk
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-20 | by ( Zachary Wolf | Analysis Zachary B. Wolf | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —Condemning Elon Musk is easy. On Friday, the White House joined the uproar over Musk’s endorsement of an antisemitic conspiracy theory on X. On Monday, the White House announced it would be joining X rival Threads, which is owned by Meta, as backlash to Musk intensifies. Musk faced backlash a year ago when he had complained about the cost of that service. The White House bragged early this year that after months of negotiations, Tesla would open up part of its charging network to non-Tesla EVs.

Persons: Elon, Andrew Bates, Bates, Musk, ”, David Sanger, Eric Lipton, ” John Kirby, ” Kirby, Kirby, CNN’s Kristin Fisher, Pat Ryder, Lloyd Austin, He’s, CNN’s Chris Isidore, Tesla Organizations: CNN, NASA, Pentagon, Twitter, White House, Warner Bros, Meta, New York Times, White, SpaceX, National Security, House, Reliant, SpaceX The, Starlink, ” Locations: Ukraine

☆ SpaceX wins first Pentagon contract for Starshield, its satellite network for military use
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-27 | by ( Michael Sheetz | In Michaeljsheetz | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

The Pentagon has awarded Elon Musk's SpaceX its first confirmed contract for the Starshield network it's developing, a military-specific version of the company's Starlink satellite internet system, the defense agency said Wednesday. A Space Force spokesperson confirmed that SpaceX on Sept. 1 was awarded a one-year contract for Starshield with a maximum value of $70 million. SpaceX did not immediately respond to CNBC's request for comment on the Starshield contract. The Pentagon is already a high-value buyer of the company's rocket launches and had shown increasing interest in its Starlink satellite internet. SpaceX's award for Starshield follows its June win of a Pentagon contract to buy an undefined number of Starlink ground terminals for use in Ukraine.

Persons: Elon, Ann Stefanek, Starshield, — CNBC's Claudia Johnson Organizations: Pentagon, SpaceX, Space Force, Starshield, Space, CNBC, Department of Defense, Bloomberg Locations: Ukraine

Elon Musk’s Unmatched Power in the Stars The tech billionaire has become the dominant power in satellite internet technology. Today, more than 4,500 Starlink satellites are in the skies, accounting for more than 50 percent of all active satellites. 53% of active satellites are Starlink.” The Starlink satellites are highlighted and are all operating in low-Earth orbit. How Starlink customers connect to the internet Starlink satellites orbit at much lower altitudes than traditional satellite internet services. “Everywhere on earth will have high bandwidth, low latency internet,” Mr. Musk predicted on the Joe Rogan podcast in 2020.

Persons: Elon Musk’s, Mark, Valeriy Zaluzhnyi, Elon Musk, Zaluzhnyi, General Zaluzhnyi, Musk, Musk’s, ”, Starlink’s, ” Mykhailo Fedorov, Mr, Biden, ” Dmitri Alperovitch, Sir Martin Sweeting, Sweeting, Mike Blake, Patrick Seitzer, Rafael Schmall, Joe Rogan, Jeff Bezos, Starlink, Russia —, Fedorov, —, Clodagh Kilcoyne, Nancy Pelosi, Colin H, Kahl, Lynsey Addario, messaged Mr, Lloyd Austin, Gregory C, Allen, we’ve, Mykhailo Podolyak, Volodymyr Zelensky, Jason Hsu, Hsu, “ Elon, Michael McCaul of, Tsai Ing, Tsai, Audrey Tang, Mariana Suarez, Thierry Breton, SpaceX, Chérif El, Amazon Organizations: Joint Chiefs of Staff, Ukraine’s Armed Forces, SpaceX, Tesla, Twitter, Mr, U.S . Defense Department, NASA, Senior Pentagon, The Defense Department, Starlink, European Union, Silverado, Accelerator, Surrey Satellite Technology, Reuters, Airbus, Earth, Getty, Satellite, University of Michigan, National Science Foundation, Rivals, Amazon, Origin, Viasat, Pentagon, CNN, The New York Times, U.S, Defense Department, Center for Strategic, International Studies, Elon, Harvard Kennedy School, Republican, House Foreign Affairs, OneWeb, Agence France, European, United Nations Locations: Ukraine, United States, Iran, Turkey, Japan, Starlink, Crimea, Russian, Starlinks, Europe, Taiwan, China, Beijing, British, Colorado, Cape Canaveral, Fla, —, California, Florida, Latin America, Africa, Nigeria, Mozambique, Rwanda, Ukrainian, Russia, Kreminna, Aspen, Colo, Kherson's, Kherson, Dnipro, Shanghai, Taipei, Michael McCaul of Texas, del, Uruguay, European Union

☆ Elon Musk's government satellite network Starshield will help pump money into cash-strapped Starlink, experts say
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-30 | by ( Kate Duffy | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

SpaceX's government satellite network Starshield will bring in extra cash for Starlink, per experts. Elon Musk's SpaceX announced Starshield on its website in early December, but has given no further details about the network. Starshield, which is specifically for governmental use, will provide a means of financially boosting Starlink, experts in the satellite industry told Insider. "Starlink needs to start earning some money," Bill Ray, vice president analyst at management consulting firm Gartner, told Insider. He said Starlink needs between five and 10 million customers to be viable.

☆ Elon Musk’s SpaceX Courts Military With New Starshield Project
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-08 | by ( Micah Maidenberg | Drew Fitzgerald | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

SpaceX has for years launched payloads for the Pentagon, NASA and other government customers. Elon Musk’s SpaceX is stepping up its efforts to win more national-security business after years of keeping its work under wraps. The Hawthorne, Calif.-based company this month posted more than 30 job openings on its website for Starshield, a business that it says offers Earth observation, communication and other services to government clients. Most of the job listings say a top-secret clearance is preferred or required.

☆ Elon Musk's SpaceX unveils Starlink-like satellite service for governments called 'Starshield'
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-07 | by ( Kate Duffy | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

SpaceX has launched a satellite network, called Starshield, to be used by governments. Starshield will offer a higher level of security than its Starlink satellite service, SpaceX says. Despite this, SpaceX indicated that Starshield will be different from the Starlink satellite constellation, which now has more than 3,200 satellites in low-Earth orbit. "While Starlink is designed for consumer and commercial use, Starshield is designed for government use," SpaceX says on its website. SpaceX says it can work at "unprecedented speed" to deploy its Starshield network given that it provides "end-to-end" solutions from building rockets to user terminals.

☆ SpaceX unveils 'Starshield,' a military variation of Starlink satellites
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-05 | by ( Michael Sheetz | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

An uncaptioned image posted on the company's website appears to show Starshield technology in orbit. Elon Musk's SpaceX is expanding its Starlink satellite technology into military applications with a new business line called Starshield. "While Starlink is designed for consumer and commercial use, Starshield is designed for government use," the company wrote on its website. Few details are available about the intended scope and capabilities of Starshield. The company hasn't previously announced tests or work on Starshield technology.

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