SpaceX Starshield
SpaceX satellite series aimed at government customers / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Starshield is a SpaceX program consisting of purpose-built low-Earth orbit satellites designed to provide new "disruptive" military space capabilities to U.S. and allied governments.[1][2][3][4] Starshield was adapted from the global communications network Starlink but brings additional capabilities such as target tracking, optical and radio reconnaissance, early missile warning, and potential future lethal payloads such as missile interceptors.[5][6][7][8] Primary customers include the Space Development Agency, National Reconnaissance Office and the United States Space Force.[5][9][10]
While SpaceX COO Gwynne Shotwell has indicated there is little information she is allowed to disclose about Starshield, she has noted "very good collaboration" between the intelligence community and SpaceX on the program.[1] The Starshield website says it has an initial focus on three areas; Earth observation, communications and hosted payloads.[11] In addition, Shotwell told the Air Force that SpaceX is not opposed to including space-based weapons "for the defense of [the United States]".[12] Key leaders in the Trump Administration have called for these capabilities, reminiscent of the Strategic Defense Initiative.[13][14][8][6][7] The Wall Street Journal reported that Starshield's online job postings required people with top-secret clearances, as well as experience working with the Defense Department and intelligence community — such as representing Starshield to Pentagon combatant commands.[1]
The program is led by former four-star general Terrence O'Shaughnessy who previously ran U.S. Northern Command and focused on issues in homeland missile defense. According to O'Shaughnessy, the Starshield constellation will be have a "couple hundreds" satellites, compared to Starlink's thousands.[1]
The first satellites were designed for the Space Development Agency and outfitted with advanced thermal imaging cameras meant to provide target-grade tracking of ballistic and hypersonic missiles.[15] In 2021, Starshield had entered a $1.8 billion classified contract with the U.S. government, revealed in 2023,[1] to construct hundreds of spy satellites for continuous real time monitoring of targets around the globe.[9] These are slated to begin operations from May 2024, starting with NROL-146. These satellites are made in cooperation with Northrop Grumman.[16]