SpaceX has been contracted by the Division of Protection’s Nationwide Reconnaissance Workplace (NRO) to construct a community of lots of of low-orbiting spy satellites able to working as a swarm and monitoring targets on the bottom, in accordance with . The Reuters report, which cites 5 sources with information of this system, builds on earlier reporting by that exposed SpaceX had signed a $1.8 billion contract in 2021 with an unnamed company.
This community, known as Starshield, would reportedly have the ability to collect steady imagery throughout Earth for US intelligence, utilizing a mixture of massive imaging satellites to gather information and relay satellites to transmit info. In response to one supply who spoke to Reuters, it has the potential to make it so “nobody can conceal.” Neither SpaceX nor the NRO instantly confirmed the corporate’s involvement within the venture, however an NRO spokesperson advised Reuters, “The Nationwide Reconnaissance Workplace is growing probably the most succesful, various, and resilient space-based intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance system the world has ever seen.”
Final fall, it was reported that SpaceX had to supply satellite tv for pc communications beneath its Starshield program. This can be a distinct entity from SpaceX’s Starlink constellation, not less than in accordance with , who has stated Starlink “must be a civilian community,” whereas Starshield is supposed for use for presidency and nationwide safety functions.
