SpaceX and U.S. Intelligence agencies are working together to build a constellation of spy satellites, reports Reuters citing people familiar with this matter.
In 2021, SpaceX signed a $1.8 billion deal with the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) featuring Starshield satellites. The company announced this satellite technology in 2022 and specially designed for government use focusing on three areas:
- Earht’s observation
- Communication for government users
- Building satellite buses
Compared to consumer-grade Starlink, the Starshield uses additional cryptographic technologies to host classified payloads and secure data transmission.
SpaceX is offering this service as its constellation continues to grow each week with new rocket launches.
This type of contract comes into effect with top-notch secrecy because SpaceX also similarly launched DoD’s rocket. So, it’s usual to see such contracts as countries around the globe have their spy satellites planned for the near future.