SpaceX’s launch services have already become an invaluable resource for the U.S. government, but the company is now jumping into the deep end of the pool it had heretofore only splashed around in. Starshield, a new vertical within SpaceX, will provide “government entities” (think three-letter agencies) with secure communications and bespoke satellite designs.
The new brand (possibly a subsidiary) appeared as a new top-line category on SpaceX’s website, alongside Dragon, Starlink and Starship, but beyond that has not received any visible promotion or discussion in the company’s media channels. I’ve asked the company for more details on certain aspects, but for now all there is to know is on the Starshield page.
Kirstie Alley: Emmy-winning Cheers actress dies of cancer at 71
The tagline is “supporting national security,” but it’s unclear as yet whether this will actually directly support military intelligence or operations, or restrict itself to, if not purely civilian, then less combat-forward roles. Satellite-sourced data — particularly live imagery — is of enormous importance to the military, which both produces its own with spysats and pays companies like BlackSky for it. While some other nations may be able to take advantage of some of these capabilities, laws limit how much can be sold abroad.
Read more: yahoo
