SpaceX making spy satellites for US agency

WASHINGTON — SpaceX is building a network of hundreds of spy satellites under a classified contract with a US intelligence agency, five sources familiar with the program said, demonstrating deepening ties between billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk's space company and national security agencies.

The network is being built by SpaceX's Starshield business unit under a $1.8 billion contract signed in 2021 with the National Reconnaissance Office, or NRO, an intelligence agency that manages spy satellites, Reuters quoted the sources as saying.

The plans show the extent of SpaceX's involvement in US intelligence and military projects and illustrate a deeper Pentagon investment in vast, low-Earth orbiting satellite systems aimed at supporting ground forces.

If successful, the sources said, the program would significantly advance the ability of the US government and military to quickly spot potential targets almost anywhere on the globe.

The contract signals growing trust by the intelligence establishment of a company whose owner has clashed with the administration of President Joe Biden and sparked controversy over the use of Starlink satellite connectivity in the Ukraine conflict, the sources said.

The Wall Street Journal reported in February the existence of a $1.8 billion classified Starshield contract with an unknown intelligence agency without detailing the purposes of the program.

Reuters disclosed for the first time that the SpaceX contract is for a powerful new spy system with hundreds of satellites bearing Earth-imaging capabilities that can operate as a swarm in low orbits, and that the spy agency Musk's company is working with is the NRO.

Reuters was unable to determine when the new network of satellites would come online and could not establish which other companies were part of the program with their own contracts.

SpaceX, the world's largest satellite operator, did not respond to several requests for comment about the contract, its role in it and details on satellite launches. The Pentagon referred a request for comment to the NRO and SpaceX.

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' report about the extent of SpaceX's involvement in the effort.

Roughly a dozen prototypes have been launched since 2020, among other satellites on SpaceX's Falcon 9 rockets, three of the sources said.

On Friday, Falcon 9 launched 23 Starlink satellites to low-Earth orbit, media reports said.

All the sources asked to remain anonymous because they were not authorized to discuss the US government program, Reuters said.

Agencies via Xinhua