The United States Government has hired SpaceX to act as the backbone of its military telecommunications system. After several delays of an initial system, based on the participation of multiple companies and entities, it has now been decided to bet all data transport on Elon Musk’s request.
Starshield satellites. Although the technical details have not been announced at the moment, this agreement between the Pentagon and SpaceX is possibly based mainly on the contracting of Starshield services, satellites with technology similar to that of Starlink, but adapted to military applications. The space company It already has hundreds of these satellites in low Earth orbit, some of them involved in actions such as attacks on Iran.
A system made up of layers. The hiring of SpaceX, in which 2.29 billion dollars have been invested, is aimed at the development of the backbone. That is, the central layer of the data transport system used by the United States for military purposes. This system consists of more layers, in which more companies will intervene, which will be in charge, for example, of tracking. However, everything revolves around the axis constituted by Elon Musk’s satellites.
The functions. With all these contracts, the United States intends to facilitate the tactical communications of the US Army thanks to access to broadband communication services worldwide. In addition, the aim is to work on the detection and tracking of missile launches and, in turn, connect sensors and shooters.
In short, SpaceX must provide the backbone of a system composed of sensors that detect possible threats and a network that communicates these threats as quickly as possible to anti-missile systems and shooters so that they act accordingly.
Other companies. While SpaceX will focus on data transportation and the cohesion of all actors involved in the United States military plan, other companies will be in charge of tracking. In recent years, the Space Development Agency hired for it to L3Harris Technologies, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman and Rocket Lab, all companies that have already begun developing satellites for this purpose.
On the other hand, the last three, together with York Space Systems, they had been hired also for transportation purposes, similar to those that have finally been entrusted to SpaceX. At the moment it does not seem that the development of its own satellites has been cancelled, but the change in strategy, much more focused on SpaceX, is clear.
Concerned legislators. Despite the intervention of other companies, legislators have expressed concern about the decision to put all the transportation and telecommunications eggs in Elon Musk’s basket. Given this situation, the spokesperson for the United States Space Force has assured who are already looking for a second contractor to build Space Data Network satellites. At the moment it is only SpaceX’s task, but they intend to increase competition.
SpaceX’s duties. As they point out from Ars TechnicaElon Musk’s company is obliged to deliver a “prototype of fully operational capacity” for its telecommunications system before the end of 2027. With this, SpaceX diversifies its work, entering fully into the military field. Is this surprising? The truth is, not too much. Now all that remains is to see how it swims in these waters in which He had already made his first dives.
Image | US Space Force photo by Gwendolyn Kurzen/Diego González (Unsplash)
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