Musk’s SpaceX Creates ‘Starshield’ For Pentagon Revealed By Secret $1.8 Billion Contract
by Emmitt Barry, Worthy News Correspondent
(Worthy News) – Elon Musk’s SpaceX is advancing a covert satellite project called Starshield, aimed at supporting the Pentagon and its national security allies, as unveiled by a $1.8 billion secret contract, according to a report by the Wall Street Journal.
According to the report, SpaceX secured a staggering $1.8 billion contract with the U.S. government in 2021. The classified contract seen by the Wall Street Journal details SpaceX’s work with the Pentagon, including the launch of military satellites. The magnitude and confidentiality of the contract highlight the increasing mutual relationship between SpaceX, a leading entity in the space sector, and the national defense and intelligence agencies.
Details about SpaceX’s Starshield division, explicitly designed for the defense industry and led in part by a former Air Force general, remain scarce. However, it was revealed last August that Starshield secured a $70 million contract from the military to offer communication services to numerous Pentagon partners.
Terrence O’Shaughnessy, who transitioned to SpaceX following his 2020 retirement from the Air Force as a general, plays a significant role in Starshield, according to sources familiar with the situation. His biography on a trade group’s website identifies him as a “Senior Advisor to Elon Musk on matters regarding SpaceX” and as vice president of the company’s Special Programs Group.
SpaceX President Gwynne Shotwell remarked in May, “When I’m never sure what I can say in a public forum, I tend to zip it. But I can say that there is very good collaboration between the intelligence community and SpaceX.”
In late 2022, SpaceX revealed on a webpage that Starshield involves supplying satellites designed for secure communications, earth data capture, or bearing sensors and observation tools for the government.
Online job listings for Starshield have called for candidates possessing top-secret clearances and a background in working with the Defense Department and intelligence community.
SpaceX has demonstrated its rapid satellite construction and deployment capabilities throughout Ukraine’s conflict with Russia. Since the beginning of the war, the company’s Starlink satellite network has supported communication for Ukrainian civil society and its military forces.
However, the company has dealt with some controversies regarding its service. Last year, SpaceX’s Gwynne Shotwell mentioned that the company had implemented measures to restrict Ukrainian forces from using the service for direct combat operations. More recently, Ukraine’s chief military intelligence officer reported that Russian forces occupying Ukrainian territory are utilizing thousands of Starlink terminals to gain internet access.
Musk has stated that, to SpaceX’s knowledge, no Starlink terminals have been sold directly or indirectly to Russia. Starlink has announced that SpaceX actively takes measures to deactivate terminals if it finds that unauthorized parties are using them.
If you are interested in articles produced by Worthy News, please check out our FREE sydication service available to churches or online Christian ministries. To find out more, visit Worthy Plugins.