Since the start of the Russian invasion, American billionaire Elon Musk’s aerospace company SpaceX has delivered more than 22,000 Starlink antennas to the Ukrainian government. This connection to satellites in space enabled navigation and observation of the enemy even when mobile and fixed internet went down. Again and again there was talk of the “secret weapon” of the Ukrainian artillery. But now the company wants to massively limit the applicability of the infrastructure.
The U.S. satellite Internet service was “never intended to be used as a weapon,” SpaceX president Gwynne Shotwell said Wednesday at a U.S. Space Agency conference in Washington DC. The manager pointed out that under the contract, Starlink should only be used for humanitarian purposes, such as providing broadband internet to hospitals, banks and families. “It was never our intention to use it offensively,” Shotwell continued. Moments later, SpaceX’s president said her company had the option of limiting the operation of the satellites. She was well aware of the use by the Ukrainian military “out of contract”.
Cluster of Starlink failures
It was not explained in detail why people are only now responding to these abusive practices, which have been going on for some time. However, in recent months there have been repeated system failures for which no further explanation has been given. It was striking that this mainly happened in those regions where the Ukrainian armed forces had gained ground. Media reports in October speculated about a deal between Musk and Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin. American political scientist and author Ian Bremmer fueled the rumors when he posted on Twitter about a conversation between Musk and Putin. It was about Ukraine and the “red lines of the Kremlin”. The entrepreneur reacted immediately and contradicted the representation. “I spoke to Putin once. That was 18 months ago and it was about space,” Musk tweeted.
Musk’s fear of nuclear escalation
Even then, the tech billionaire, who has South African and Canadian citizenship in addition to American citizenship, spoke out against expanding the satellite network to the Black Sea peninsula of Crimea. A direct request from Kiev was rejected for fear of a nuclear escalation. Shotwell could not or would not answer on Wednesday whether the failures were reactions to the Ukrainian drone offensive at the time: “I’m not sure I know the answer,” said the manager.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
