SpaceX $1.8 billion contract to develop networked intelligence gathering satellites for the NRO

[dada_dave]

The recent Ukraine allegations in some ways are worse but also might not be SpaceX’s fault. Basically the Ukrainians allege, with evidence, that the Russians are successfully using StarLink themselves and that they have obtained units beyond what has been captured on the battlefield. Even if all this is true, it may not be that SpaceX has deliberately turned a blind eye, as many Western companies have done, to where their dual use technology is going. While many companies peddling dual use technology have seemingly been unperturbed by the 800% increase in orders to Armenia, Georgia, etc … since 2022, the Russians have aggressively pursued dual use technology and hacking StarLink in particular. So this might not reflect any particular dereliction on their part. Again though given Musk’s attitudes it just raises flags that might not be raised in other circumstances even if that’s still unfair in this instance.

Wall Street Journal is behind a pay wall but also confirms Russian use of Starlink (as well as others) and tracked down shadowy back channels for procuring it like ... (checks notes) ... eBay. Huh.

Russia Deploys Starlink on Ukrainian Front Lines for Year – WSJ Investigation

Shadowy supply chain funnels Starlink to adversaries & accused war criminals via backroom deals in Africa, SE Asia & UAE.

www.kyivpost.com

Anyway, everyone is supposedly working on a solution. Fun.

EDIT: It'd be funny if some of the Western supplied equipment still flowing to the Russian armed forces was deliberate to put faulty or compromised equipment out in the field and that may indeed be happening, but a lot of it simply greed. Again, in this particular case, I'm not saying SpaceX is deliberately turning a blind eye but seems to be a lot of companies who don't care where their dual-use technology is ending up.

 

[Citysnaps]

EDIT: It'd be funny if some of the Western supplied equipment still flowing to the Russian armed forces was deliberate to put faulty or compromised equipment out in the field and that may indeed be happening, but a lot of it simply greed. Again, in this particular case, I'm not saying SpaceX is deliberately turning a blind eye but seems to be a lot of companies who don't care where their dual-use technology is ending up

I wouldn't be shocked at all if those terminals ending up in Russian hands had their communications intercepted (and presumably decrypted) and forwarded to the US and Ukraine. Perhaps even in real time (or near real time).

 

[dada_dave]

I wouldn't be shocked at all if those terminals ending up in Russian hands had their communications intercepted (and presumably decrypted) and forwarded to the US and Ukraine. Perhaps even in real time (or near real time).

I’d certainly like to think so. I’d like to believe that the reason we’re hearing about this at all and why the solution is taking so long from when we first heard about it is that the various parties, SpaceX, the Ukrainians, and Washington are trying to appear to be busy while listening to everything the Russians are saying on those terminals. But we do know that Russia is still getting its hands on dual use tech in general - their missiles flying into apartment blocks in Kyiv are full of western made components fabricated after the war. Again, my hope is that a steady stream of faulty components is also being injected into their supply stream so that the failure rates of those missiles increase, but I’m also well aware of how greedy companies can be. We’ll probably only find out long after the war is over … or in Musk’s case whenever he can’t keep his mouth shut.