SpaceX's private control of satellite internet concerns military leaders: report
www.space.com
"We worry that if we order devices from Starlink, we'll fall into some sort of trap."

SpaceX’s Private Control Of Satellite Internet Concerns Military Leaders::Military leaders around the world have expressed concerns over the dominance of SpaceX founder Elon Musk when it comes to satellite-based internet services.

  • einfach_orangensaft@feddit.deEnglish
    536·
    11 months ago

    SpaceX and Starlink got most of the funding strait from the DoD. The Spaceforce Branch of the US Military has 100% full controll over the whole constelation if they need to.

    Using Musk as a Front to launch a shit ton of Satelites is just a good front so people arent enraged the US Military but so many new sats up.

    They Squat on the best orbits so the chinese cant take those. They can be uses for Signal inteligence. They even can be uses as distributed SAR lens for observations. Possible even for the interception of balistic Missiles once there are enouth of them up there.

    The military implication are enormus. It is the High ground you wana have. Making the world thing thay this wasnt an American Defense projekt was the best psyop ever pulled.

    • what_is_a_name@lemmy.worldEnglish
      191·
      11 months ago

      The problem for me is that Musk is an unreliable partner to any government. He is for sale to the highest bidder that strokes his ego.

      But I guess that is a risk the feds will have to deal with in due time.

      Honestly I waiting for the moment when one of Musk’s stunts gets Space X banned from government contracts until the boot the Muppet.

      Edit: grammar

      • Chunk@lemmy.worldEnglish
        3·
        11 months ago

        The US gov can take control of the constellation through the Defense Production Act and they can even jail or remove musk if he doesn’t comply. In the event of an actual war, assuming the constellation doesn’t get shot down, it wouldn’t be a problem.

      • Zalack@startrek.websiteEnglish
        2·
        11 months ago

        Yeah. Part of me has to wonder what – if any – backchanneled agreements there are between Glynn Shotwell and the DoD for if/when Musk does something truly compromising.

      • zer0@thelemmy.clubEnglish
        613·
        11 months ago

        Musk is an unreliable partner to any government.

        Doubt that or he wouldn’t be where he is at

      • yata@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
        197·
        11 months ago

        Helps them up to a point. He didn’t allow Ukrainians to use it in Crimea for example, which shows allegiance to Russia more than anything else.

        • Thorny_Thicket@sopuli.xyzEnglish
          811·
          11 months ago

          He could just not let them use starlink at all. Ask any Ukrainian and they’ll tell you how invaluable it has been to them yet here we are still doing mental gymnastics about how he’s a Russian asset. I get that you don’t like the guy but this is just ridiculous.