Elon Musk & SpaceX Are Helping US Intelligence Build The World’s Largest Spy Satellite Network
Why are so many freedom loving, privacy aware people using a military contractor’s satellite service, and turning a blind eye to the surveillance grid he is co-creating with the U.S. military and intelligence?
On Monday, former Texas Congressman Dr. Ron Paul told his audience on Twitter/X that due to an “internet outage in our area” he would not broadcast his daily live broadcast, The Ron Paul Liberty Report.
Elon Musk, the executive chairman and chief technology officer of Twitter, responded to Paul, stating, “You should get Starlink”. Finally, Paul asked, “That sounds like a great idea! How much does it cost?”
Starlink is what is known as a satellite internet constellation which is operated by Starlink Services, an international telecommunications company that is wholly owned by Musk’s aerospace company, SpaceX. Starlink satellites were first launched by SpaceX in 2019, and now reportedly provide internet access to people in more than 100 countries. They have become increasingly popular because of their ease of setup and relatively low cost.
The most recent numbers on Starlink satellites say the satellite constellation consists of more than 7,000 small satellites in low Earth orbit. SpaceX has plans for 12,000 satellites over the coming years. Starlink is said to have more than 4 million worldwide subscribers.
Ron Paul obviously knew what Starlink was, and he might even be aware that Starlink has been a vital part of SpaceX’s success. However, what Ron Paul and most of the general public might not know is that SpaceX has become a key partner of the U.S. military and intelligence apparatus, and is helping them build a massive surveillance grid.
SpaceX, Starshield, and the Military-Industrial-CompleX
In September 2023, Bloomberg reported that SpaceX had received its first contract from the US Space Force to “provide customized satellite communications for the military” under SpaceX’s new “Starshield” program. The move, Bloomberg noted, would “extend” Elon Musk’s role as a “defense contractor”.
Starshield will offer service to the military for one year using SpaceX’s existing Starlink satellites. Air Force spokeswoman Ann Stefanek told Bloomberg that the contract “provides for Starshield end-to-end service via the Starlink constellation, user terminals, ancillary equipment, network management and other related services.”
That is to say, the U.S. military and intelligence will be piggybacking off the Starlink satellites which are being sold to the average person as a convenient and fast way to access the internet.
The pursuit of military contracts is not a new feature of SpaceX’s business model. In 2002 it was reported that SpaceX had contracted with an undisclosed U.S. intelligence customer. More recently, Musk’s Starlink contracted with the U.S. Department of Defense for an undisclosed amount to provide Starlink communication to the Ukrainian military.
The official website for Starshield says the program is aimed at providing satellites to customers for processing encrypted communications, as well as capturing data about the Earth. Starshield also offers “satellites buses” for the “most demanding customer payload missions”.
While little else was known about the Starshield program at the time of its announcement, the public has learned more details about the program.
https://thefreethoughtproject.com/government-surveillance/elon-musk-spacex-are-helping-us-intelligence-build-the-worlds-largest-spy-satellite-network
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