SpaceX is building a network of hundreds of spy satellites under a confidential contract with a US intelligence agency, five sources familiar with the program said, demonstrating the deepening ties between billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk’s space company and intelligence agencies. National security.
According to Reuters, the satellite network is being built by SpaceX’s Starshield under a USD 1.8 billion contract signed in 2021 with the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO), an intelligence agency that manages spy satellites.
For sources interviewed by the media on condition of anonymity, if successful, the program will significantly increase the ability of the US government and military to quickly detect potential targets almost anywhere on the globe.
The Wall Street Journal even reported, in February, regarding the existence of a secret Starshield contract worth USD 1.8 billion with an unknown intelligence agency, without detailing the purposes of the program.
Reuters was unable to determine, however, when the new satellite network would come into operation and was unable to establish which other companies are part of the program with their own contracts besides the NRO.
SpaceX, the world’s largest satellite operator, did not respond to multiple requests for comment regarding the contract, its role in it and details regarding satellite launches.
In a statement, the NRO acknowledged its mission to develop a sophisticated satellite system and its partnerships with other government agencies, companies, research institutions and nations, but declined to comment on Reuters’ revelations regarding the extent of SpaceX’s involvement. in effort.
According to sources, satellites can track targets on the ground and share this data with US intelligence and military authorities, streamlining ground operations based on the data generated.
The new network promises, through this new configuration of large satellites with image sensors and relay satellites, the expansion of the US government’s remote sensing capabilities.
About a dozen prototypes have been launched since 2020, among other satellites from SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rockets, three of the sources told the investigation.
A US government database of objects in orbit shows that several SpaceX missions have deployed satellites that neither the company nor the government have ever recognized.
Two sources confirmed that they were prototypes of the Starshield network. The Pentagon is already a major SpaceX customer, using its Falcon 9 rockets to launch military payloads into space.
The first Starshield satellite prototype, launched in 2020, was part of a separate contract worth around USD 200 million that helped position SpaceX for this new contract.
China also plans to begin building its own satellite constellations, and the Pentagon has warned of space weapons threats from Russia — something consistently refuted by the Kremlin.
