A report highlights military leaders’ worry over SpaceX’s exclusive grip on satellite internet.
Military leaders are concerned that purchasing devices from Starlink could lead them into a trap.
A new report reveals that numerous military leaders worldwide have expressed concerns to US officials about the increasing dominance of SpaceX founder Elon Musk in the satellite internet industry. Over the last decade, SpaceX’s revolutionary Falcon 9 rocket, which is reusable, has disrupted the launch industry and enabled the company to establish itself as the leading player in satellite internet with its Starlink project.
More than 4,500 Starlink satellites are orbiting the Earth, contributing to over half of the active satellites in existence. The number of satellites in the Starlink constellation has the potential to increase to 42,000 in the future. The significance and potential of SpaceX’s Starlink system became evident during the Russian invasion of Ukraine, where it played a critical role in providing essential communications to Ukraine after its infrastructure was damaged and signals from geostationary satellites were intentionally disrupted.
The lack of significant regulation and oversight regarding Starlink’s operations has raised concerns about how Elon Musk might wield his authority over the system, including the potential to cut off access.
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