Elon Musk’s company, SpaceX, is reportedly engaged in a new contract aimed at enhancing the US intelligence agency’s ability to detect global threats through a constellation of satellites.
According to five sources familiar with the program, SpaceX is constructing a network of hundreds of spy satellites under a classified contract with a US intelligence agency. This demonstrates a deepening collaboration between Elon Musk’s space company and national security agencies.
The network, being developed by SpaceX’s Starshield business unit, is part of a $1.8 billion contract signed in 2021 with the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO), which manages spy satellites, the sources revealed.
This program underscores SpaceX’s increasing involvement in US intelligence and military projects, highlighting the Pentagon’s growing investment in extensive low-Earth orbit satellite systems to support ground forces.
If successful, the program is expected to significantly enhance the US government and military’s ability to quickly identify potential threats worldwide.
Despite tensions between Elon Musk and the Biden administration, the contract signals a growing trust in the intelligence establishment in SpaceX. However, controversy has arisen over the use of Starlink satellite connectivity in the Ukraine conflict.
While a $1.8 billion classified Starshield contract was reported earlier, reports now disclose that the contract is for a potent new spy system comprising hundreds of satellites with Earth-imaging capabilities. The intelligence agency collaborating with SpaceX is revealed to be the NRO.
The exact timeline for the deployment of the new satellite network remains unclear, and details about other companies involved in the program have not been established.
SpaceX, the world’s largest satellite operator, declined to comment on the contract or its role in it, despite several requests for information. The Pentagon referred inquiries to the NRO and SpaceX.
In response, the NRO acknowledged its mission to develop an advanced satellite system and its partnerships but declined to comment specifically on findings regarding SpaceX’s involvement.
The spy satellites will be capable of tracking ground targets and sharing data with US intelligence and military officials, potentially offering continuous imagery of global activities to aid intelligence and military operations.
Despite being launched as prototypes since 2020, several SpaceX missions have deployed satellites for the Starshield network, which neither the company nor the government previously acknowledged.
The Starshield network represents a significant capability for the US government in space, providing persistent, pervasive, and rapid coverage of Earth’s activities.
Elon Musk’s involvement in Starlink, used by Ukraine’s military, has caused tension with the US government. However, the Starshield network represents a separate endeavor aimed at enhancing US military capabilities in space.
As competition intensifies among global powers in space, Starshield aims to provide a more resilient and expansive satellite system, leveraging low Earth orbit to enhance remote sensing capabilities.
The NRO, comprising personnel from the US Space Force and CIA, plays a crucial role in providing classified satellite imagery to the Pentagon and other intelligence agencies. The sensors for the spy satellites will be provided by another company, according to three of the sources familiar with the program.
