{"id":3554,"date":"2024-04-05T08:50:27","date_gmt":"2024-04-05T08:50:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/aitesonics.com\/spacex-lands-us-space-force-contract-for-starshield-satellite-communications-085045883\/"},"modified":"2024-04-05T08:50:27","modified_gmt":"2024-04-05T08:50:27","slug":"spacex-lands-us-space-force-contract-for-starshield-satellite-communications-085045883","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/aitesonics.com\/spacex-lands-us-space-force-contract-for-starshield-satellite-communications-085045883\/","title":{"rendered":"SpaceX lands US Space Force contract for Starshield satellite communications"},"content":{"rendered":"
SpaceX has won a $70 million contract with the US Space Force to provide satellite communications for the US Space Force via its Starshield program, Bloomberg<\/em><\/a> reported. The company will effectively be repurposing its Starlink network for military usage as a way to provide a “secured satellite network for government entities,” according to SpaceX’s website<\/a>. The contract has a one-year duration.<\/p>\n “The SpaceX contract provides for Starshield end-to-end service (via the Starlink constellation), user terminals, ancillary equipment, network management and other related services,” a Space Force spokesperson told CNBC <\/em><\/a>in a statement. The initial phase requires the Space Force to pay $15 million to SpaceX by September 30th, and SpaceX will support 54 military “mission partners” across Department of Defence (DoD) branches.<\/p>\n A group of US senators recently criticized SpaceX’s actions in Ukraine, after a biography on Elon Musk revealed that he refused Ukraine’s request to extend Starlink coverage to allow a naval attack on Russian-held Crimea. “We are deeply concerned with the ability and willingness of SpaceX to interrupt their service at Mr. Musk\u2019s whim and for the purpose of handcuffing a sovereign country\u2019s self-defense, effectively defending Russian interests,” they wrote.<\/p>\n