Elon Musk’s dangerous grip on outer space
Tensions have risen following reports that SpaceX's Starshield service was throttled for the Ukrainian military, hindering their defense against Russian drone attacks. The incident has led to finger-pointing between Elon Musk, the White House, and the Trump administration regarding control over the technology.
Why it matters
The reliance on private technology companies for military operations raises critical questions about sovereignty and the influence of tech CEOs in global conflicts.
Last week, Starshield — the version of SpaceX’s Starlink used by the Ukrainian military — was throttled to block terminals traveling above certain speeds from accessing the service. The Ukrainian army’s interceptors, which counter Russian drones carrying bombs, suddenly stopped working at high speeds, making it easier for Russia to attack the country’s energy infrastructure and leading to a reported two deaths and at least 17 injuries.
The Ukrainian military reported receiving no advance warning about the Starshield speed restriction. But Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said it was a direct message from the US amid rising tensions between himself and President Donald Trump. The abrupt nature of the cutoff and its potentially dangerous military and humanitarian ramifications led to widespread public outcry focused both on Trump for pulling the rug out from under Ukraine and on SpaceX CEO Elon Musk for enabling him.
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