Reuters reported that the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) under the U.S. Department of Defense has signed a contract with SpaceX to build a network of hundreds of low-orbit spy satellites. These satellites can operate together and track ground targets. Reuters quoted five people familiar with the matter as saying that the program, code-named “Starshield”, will enable U.S. intelligence agencies to collect images of the Earth around the clock.
The Reuters report confirmed a previous report by the Wall Street Journal, which reported in 2021 that SpaceX signed a contract worth US$1.8 billion with an unnamed organization (IT Home Note: currently about 12.96 billion yuan) Contracts.
It is reported that the system will be able to provide US intelligence agencies with all-weather images of the Earth, use large imaging satellites to collect data, and transmit information through relay satellites. According to sources, Starshield will leave “no place for anyone to hide.”
Neither SpaceX nor the National Reconnaissance Office directly confirmed the company’s involvement in the project. However, a spokesman for the National Reconnaissance Office said, “We are developing the most powerful, diverse and resilient space intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance systems in the world.”
It was reported last fall that SpaceX signed a $70 million contract with the U.S. Space Force to provide satellite communications services for its Starshield project. SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has previously stated that Starshield is an independent project from the Starlink constellation. Starlink is designed to provide civilian network services, while Starshield is used for government and national security purposes.
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