Elon Musk’s SpaceX building spy satellite network for US intelligence agency, insiders say
- The US$1.8 billion Starshield contract could significantly advance the ability of the US military to spot potential targets almost anywhere on the globe
- The powerful new spy system will involve the use of hundreds of satellites bearing Earth-imaging capabilities that can operate as a swarm in low orbits
SpaceX is building a network of hundreds of spy satellites under a classified contract with a US intelligence agency, five sources familiar with the programme said, showing 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 US$1.8 billion contract signed in 2021 with the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO), an intelligence agency that manages spy satellites, the sources said.
The plans show the extent of SpaceX’s involvement in US intelligence and military projects and illustrate a deeper Pentagon investment into vast, low-Earth orbiting satellite systems aimed at supporting ground forces.
If successful, the sources said the programme 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 Biden administration and sparked controversy over the use of Starlink satellite connectivity in the Ukraine war, the sources said.