Pentagon, SpaceX in talks after Musk said insufficient Starlink funds

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
14 Oct 2022 22:32

The Pentagon is presently examining alternatives to keep Starlink satellite communication services operational for the Ukrainian armed forces.

SpaceX's envisioned Starlink satellites

Pentagon Deputy Press Secretary Sabrina Singh said on Friday that the US Defense Department began talks with SpaceX after the company founder, Elon Musk, said the company no longer has sufficient funds to continue to service Starlink satellites in Ukraine.

“I can confirm that the department has been in communication with SpaceX regarding Starlink [in Ukraine],” Singh said during a press briefing.

Singh further added that the Pentagon is presently examining alternatives to keep Starlink satellite communication services operational for the Ukrainian armed forces.

Earlier today, a US defense official announced that the US is working with its allies to assist Ukraine with its communications needs.

Last month, US sources reported that the company informed via letter to the Pentagon it could no longer donate its Starlink services to Ukraine and requested that the government take lead over the funding.

In the letter, SpaceX highlighted its financial issues and urged the government to begin funding Starlink services for Ukraine, stating it will cost more than $120 million for the remainder of 2022 and $400 million over the next year.

It was confirmed today by corporate documents obtained by CNN that SpaceX has requested the US military to take over funding for its Starlink satellite internet service in Ukraine.

Since the beginning of the crisis in late February, SpaceX has provided around 20,000 Starlink satellite units to Ukraine, providing internet connectivity and military cooperation in chaotic battlegrounds that would otherwise be cut off from the internet. Ukrainian officials have praised the system as "an essential part of critical infrastructure."

Despite this, Kiev has pressed the firm to supply thousands more Starlink terminals. Another letter acquired by CNN revealed that a top Ukrainian general, Valery Zaluzhny, specifically requested 8,000 devices in July.

An external SpaceX consultant wrote that the firm “faces terribly difficult decisions here,” adding, “I do not think they have the financial ability to provide any additional terminals or service as requested by General Zaluzhny.”

SpaceX did not restrict Russian media outlets from purchasing Starlink, but Beijing has asked Elon Musk not to sell it in China

Musk told a journalist that Starlink's rollout in Ukraine triggered scrutiny in China in a recent interview with the Financial Times.

Though the launch of the satellite is intended to fortify Ukraine's internet network against Putin’s forces, Beijing thinks it could pose a strategic threat due to its links with the US and asked Musk not to sell Starlink in China.

Therefore, SpaceX's ties with the Pentagon confirm China's concerns.

Musk recently launched a perfume line to finalize his $44 billion acquisition of Twitter before the end of the month.