Elon Musk will create hundreds of reconnaissance satellites for the United States
Elon Musk-owned SpaceX is building a network of hundreds of spy satellites as part of a classified contract with American intelligence. This was reported by Reuters, citing sources.
According to them, according to the $1.8 billion contract signed by the company in 2021 with NRO, the US National Space Reconnaissance Office (under the Pentagon), the Starshield division is responsible for creating the network. Reuters points to significant investments by the US Department of Defense in low-orbit satellite systems designed to support ground forces.
According to the agency’s interlocutors, if successful, the SpaceX network will significantly expand the capabilities of the US Armed Forces to quickly detect potential targets almost anywhere on Earth. According to the contract, the company is creating a new reconnaissance program with hundreds of satellites that can operate as a single system in low orbits. It will allow the American military department to quickly obtain high-quality images of almost anywhere on the planet. “No one can hide,” one Reuters source said, describing the capabilities of the intelligence network. About a dozen prototype reconnaissance satellites have been launched since 2020, the agency’s interlocutors note. Starshield is separate from SpaceX's Starlink commercial network, which has about 5,500 satellites responsible for providing uninterrupted internet to its customers.
Reuters did not say when the new network of reconnaissance satellites would become operational. SpaceX did not respond to requests for comment on this information. The Pentagon forwarded the request to NRO and SpaceX. In turn, NRO announced the development of a complex satellite system and partnerships with other government agencies, private companies, research institutions and countries, but declined to comment on SpaceX's participation in this work.
