Washington: SpaceX, under a shroud of secrecy, is spearheading the development of a clandestine constellation of spy satellites in collaboration with a U.S. intelligence agency, according to five sources intimately familiar with the initiative. This initiative underscores the deepening nexus between Elon Musk’s aerospace juggernaut and national security organs.
This covert network, overseen by SpaceX’s Starshield division, is materializing through a hefty $1.8 billion contract inked in 2021 with the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO), the agency tasked with managing espionage satellites, divulged the sources.
The strategic blueprints unveiled delineate the profound engagement of SpaceX in U.S. intelligence and military endeavors, showcasing the Pentagon’s pivot towards sprawling satellite systems orbiting in low-Earth to bolster ground operations.
Should it come to fruition, insiders suggest this program could revolutionize the U.S. government and military’s capacity to swiftly identify potential targets across the globe.
The contractual entente underscores a burgeoning confidence within the intelligence echelon in a company whose chief has engaged in skirmishes with the Biden administration and stirred controversy over Starlink satellite deployment during the Ukrainian conflict, sources revealed.
In a February report, The Wall Street Journal hinted at a classified $1.8 billion Starshield contract with an undisclosed intelligence agency, refraining from elucidating the project’s objectives.
However, Reuters’ investigative efforts now unmask this SpaceX contract as a pivotal endeavor to erect a potent new surveillance apparatus, comprising hundreds of satellites endowed with Earth-imaging capabilities, primed to operate in a synchronized swarm within low orbits. The covert collaborator? None other than the NRO.
Details regarding the timeline for this satellite network’s activation remain elusive, as does information concerning other corporate participants holding their own contracts within the program.
Despite multiple outreach attempts, SpaceX, the preeminent satellite operator globally, remained reticent regarding queries pertaining to the contract, its scope, and satellite deployment specifics. The Pentagon deflected inquiries, redirecting them to the NRO and SpaceX.
The NRO, in a statement, acknowledged its mission to foster a sophisticated satellite framework and its collaborative undertakings with governmental agencies, private entities, research institutions, and foreign allies. However, it demurred from commenting on Reuters’ revelations regarding SpaceX’s extensive involvement.
“The National Reconnaissance Office is forging ahead to develop the most advanced, diverse, and resilient space-based intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance infrastructure known to humankind,” a spokesperson remarked.
Insiders reveal that these satellites boast ground-tracking capabilities, facilitating the real-time dissemination of intelligence to U.S. officials, thus potentially enabling continuous surveillance of global activities to aid military and intelligence operations.
Since 2020, approximately a dozen prototypes have been launched aboard SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rockets, discreetly integrated into other satellite deployments, disclosed three of the sources.
An inventory of orbiting objects maintained by the U.S. government corroborates the clandestine nature of these missions, revealing SpaceX launches that neither the company nor the government have publicly acknowledged. Two informants corroborated these as prototypes for the Starshield network.
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Cementing its status as a key contractor for the Pentagon, SpaceX has previously collaborated on military payloads’ launches using Falcon 9 rockets. The inaugural Starshield prototype, dispatched in 2020, was part of a separate $200 million contract, laying the groundwork for the subsequent $1.8 billion undertaking, according to sources.
Distinguishing itself from Starlink, SpaceX’s burgeoning commercial broadband constellation, comprising approximately 5,500 satellites, aimed at furnishing near-global internet coverage, the classified spy satellite constellation epitomizes a coveted capability for the U.S. government, promising unparalleled surveillance coverage of terrestrial activities.
“The reach of this system’s potential capabilities is boundless,” remarked one source, alluding to the network’s ubiquitous surveillance prowess.
Musk, the polymath behind SpaceX, Tesla, and the social media giant X, has spurred innovation in space technology, albeit attracting criticism from Biden administration officials due to his control over Starlink during the Ukrainian conflict, where it served as a vital communication lifeline for Kyiv’s military.
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A succession of Reuters reports has shed light on Musk’s manufacturing practices, including those at SpaceX, spotlighting concerns regarding consumer welfare and labor conditions.
The Starshield initiative encapsulates the escalating rivalry between the U.S. and its adversaries vying for dominance in space, epitomized by the shift towards agile, low-orbiting satellite networks for enhanced military surveillance capabilities. China, too, is poised to embark on its satellite constellation endeavors, while the Pentagon remains vigilant against space weapon threats emanating from Russia.
Designed to withstand assaults from formidable space-faring nations, Starshield aims to fortify the U.S. government’s remote sensing capabilities, comprising large imaging satellites and an extensive array of relay satellites utilizing cutting-edge inter-satellite laser communication, according to two sources.
Comprising personnel from the U.S. Space Force and CIA, the NRO plays a pivotal role in furnishing classified satellite intelligence to the Pentagon and other intelligence outfits.
Sensors crucial for the spy satellites will be provided by a separate entity, disclosed three sources.
