Starshield is a business unit of SpaceX creating purpose-built low-Earth-orbit satellites designed to provide
new military space capabilities to U.S. and allied governments. Starshield was adapted from the global communications network Starlink but brings additional capabilities such as target tracking, optical and radio reconnaissance, and early missile warning. Primary customers include the Space Development Agency, National Reconnaissance Office and the United States Space Force. As of 2024, at least 98 Starshield satellites have been launched, with the latest batch of 17 satellites being launched in October 2024 as part of NROL-167.
While SpaceX president and COO Gwynne Shotwell has indicated that 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. The U.S. Congressional Research Service reports that future satellites in Starshield's participating SDA program may wield interceptor missiles, hypersonic projectiles, or
directed energy weapons, with the program's founder adding "since Reagan’s day,
technology has advanced enough that putting both sensors and shooters in space is not only possible but relatively easy."
The former four-star general Terrence O'Shaughnessy, who previously ran U.S. Northern Command, is the vice president for SpaceX's Special Programs Group who is thought to be involved with Starshield. 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.
Northrop Grumman was selected to partner with SpaceX, with insiders noting that "it is in the government's interest to not be totally invested in one company run by one person".
In the context of military communication satellites, Col. Eric Felt, director of space architecture at the office of the assistant secretary of the Air Force for space acquisition and integration, said that there are plans to acquire at least 100 Starshield-branded satellites for this purpose by 2029. He said that while the military is an active user of SpaceX's commercial Starlink service, they also want to take advantage of the company's dedicated Starshield product line. Clare Hopper, head of the Space Force’s Commercial Satellite Communications Office (CSCO) stated that demand for Starlink's commercial service is "off the charts" and that currently all of their supported users are still using the commercial Starlink satellite constellation,
but that the DoD has "unique service plans that contain privileged capabilities and features that are not available commercially".
en.wikipedia.org
