According to the interlocutors, this network is being built by Starshield, a business unit of SpaceX, under a contract signed with NRO in 2021 for 1.8 billion US dollars.

If successful, the program would greatly increase the ability of the U.S. government and military to quickly identify potential targets almost anywhere on Earth, the sources added.

It was noted that Reuters journalists could not find out exactly when the new satellite network would be operational and could not determine which other companies would participate in this program under their own contracts.

In a statement, NRO acknowledged work to develop the complex satellite system and partnerships with other government agencies, companies, research institutions and countries, but declined to comment on SpaceX’s level of involvement in that collaboration, according to Reuters data.

SpaceX did not comment on the contract, its role in it, or the details of the satellite launch.

The Pentagon is already a major customer of SpaceX, which uses Falcon 9 rockets to launch military cargo into space. The first prototype Starshield satellite launched in 2020 was part of a separate contract worth about $200 million that helped SpaceX win a follow-on contract worth $1.8 billion.

As Ukrinform reported, Elon Musk’s company SpaceX launched the Falcon 9 launch vehicle into space with the satellite needed for US intelligence.

Photo: X / SpaceX