This time, Elon Musk’s company SpaceX has stepped into the defense industry. He designed the defense-oriented version of the Starlink satellite internet service that everyone knows. The first customer for the Starshield satellite system has been announced. SpaceX signed its first contract with the US Space Force for Starshield, the defense-focused version of the Starlink satellite internet service.
US Space Force shook hands with SpaceX for the Starshield satellite system!
In a statement, a representative of the US Air Force stated that the maximum value of the one-year contract will be 70 million dollars. In addition, the representative “The Starlink constellation provides end-to-end service of Starshield through user terminals, ancillary equipment, network management and other related services” told. SpaceX will have a liability of $15 million by the end of this month. Additionally, this contract will support more than 50 mission partners across all branches of the U.S. military.
Satellite-based communication systems, and especially Starlink, came to the fore during the Russia-Ukraine War. Early in the war, SpaceX’s activation of service in Ukraine added another dimension to the war. In addition, the company shipped large quantities from Starlink terminals for use by civilians and the Ukrainian military.
The Russia-Ukraine war may have started because of Elon Musk!
Elon Musk got involved in the war between Russia and Ukraine with the Starlink service. It was even claimed that Musk deliberately shut down Starlink in some cases.
However, Elon Musk objected to Starlink’s role in the Russia-Ukraine War. At first, Musk was uncomfortable with being seen as a party to the war because Starlink terminals were sent to the Ukrainian military. He stated that Ukraine requested this aid. Additionally, Musk refused to activate the service requested by Ukraine ahead of the planned attack on the Russian navy. It is important that Starlink satellites are available for civilian use. It is developing Starshield, a defense-oriented version of Starlink for military use.
The US Space Force is also paying attention to increasing satellite internet capacities. Because Starlink uses the replicated architecture of thousands of satellites in low Earth orbit. In this way, countries can ensure national security thanks to many satellites orbiting the earth. Additionally, this will provide a great advantage against enemy attacks.