SpaceX is reported to have a Starshield internet service contract with the US military. A congressmen has requested activation of the service over Taiwan from SpaceX. SpaceX and Elon Musk will provide an update by March 8, 2024 on the status of activation and operations. SpaceX says it is in full compliance with all of its U.S. government contracts and the House Select Committee is misinformed.
SpaceX’s Starshield is a satellite communication network designed specifically for the military. Starshield is a more secure and jam-resistant communication. Jam-resistance was shown in Ukraine, when firmware updates were made faster than Russian jamming attempts.
The House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party sent a letter on Saturday to SpaceX and Tesla
CEO Elon Musk demanding that U.S. troops stationed in Taiwan get access to SpaceX’s Starshield, a satellite communication network designed specifically for the military.
The letter claimed that by not making Starshield available to U.S. military forces in Taiwan, SpaceX could violate its Pentagon contract, which requires global access to Starshield technology.
The Pentagon awarded SpaceX a one-year $70 million contract for Starshield in September, after commissioning SpaceX’s Starlink network months earlier for Ukraine’s war against Russia.
Taiwan has a contract with SpaceX competitor OneWeb for construction of 700 satellite ground stations.
SpaceX Starlink and Starshield communications are proving to be critical for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan in current and future wars.
Elon Musk's SpaceX clinches its first Pentagon contract, valued at $70M, for Starshield, a dedicated network for national security. Starshield offers distinct capabilities beyond Starlink.#news #spacex#transportation #technology #logistics #transport #calculator pic.twitter.com/g7FkYo7vvd
— FrateChain (@FrateChain) September 29, 2023
Congressmen asked Musk to deploy SpaceX Starshield in Taiwan to deal with China
The US House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) on February 24 sent Elon Musk a letter asking SpaceX to provide Starshield internet service to the US military in Taiwan. pic.twitter.com/BhyNOu2PsA
— Spotlight on China (@spotlightoncn) February 29, 2024
SpaceX is in full compliance with all of its U.S. government contracts. SpaceX notified the Select Committee last week that it is misinformed, but the Committee chose to contact media before seeking additional information.
@CommunityNotes— SpaceX (@SpaceX) February 26, 2024
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What we don’t know is SpaceX’s “understanding” w/China or Taiwan. As much as I’m a fan of free enterprise, it’s unproductive when any of those “free enterprise actors” are seriously amorphous as to their actions, but more importantly, their intentions/objectives. No one can decipher what’s actually going on here. A simple term to define this? Bull S***. Usually you see that when someone works very hard to hide the truth. Whatever that is…
“SpaceX is in full compliance with all of its U.S. government contracts.”
That’s a non-denial denial, and obviously so; Because Congress didn’t ask them to be in compliance with their contracts, so why did they respond by saying they were?
Because Musk needs the cover with his Chinese partners and government on the mainland. By showing he has no choice, he can show he’s not taking sides against China.
It’s literally in the tweet SpaceX was replying to. Forbes was claiming a violation.
US forces in Taiwan? I think the war would already have started if this was true. Surely they mean in the south china sea?
You are assuming it would be public knowledge
It is public knowledge – there are a tiny number there
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Taiwan_Defense_Command
That we know of.
That is my point