Starshield is a SpaceX program consisting of purpose-built low-Earth orbit satellites designed to provide new military space capabilities to U.S. and allied governments. ^{[1] [2] [3] [4]} Starshield was adapted from the global communications network Starlink but brings additional capabilities such as target tracking, optical and radio reconnaissance, early missile warning, and potential future lethal payloads such as missile interceptors. ^{[5] [6] [7] [8]} Primary customers include the Space Development Agency, National Reconnaissance Office and the United States Space Force. ^{[5] [9] [10]}

While SpaceX COO Gwynne Shotwell has indicated 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. ^[1] The Starshield website says it has an initial focus on three areas; Earth observation, communications and hosted payloads. ^[11] In addition, Shotwell told the Air Force that SpaceX is not opposed to including space-based weapons "for the defense of [the United States]". ^[12] Key leaders in the Trump Administration have called for these capabilities, reminiscent of the Strategic Defense Initiative. ^{[13] [14] [8] [6] [7]} 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. ^[1]

The program is led by former four-star general Terrence O'Shaughnessy who previously ran U.S. Northern Command and focused on issues in homeland missile defense. According to O'Shaughnessy, the Starshield constellation will be have a "couple hundreds" satellites, compared to Starlink's thousands. ^[1]

The first satellites were designed for the Space Development Agency and outfitted with advanced thermal imaging cameras meant to provide target-grade tracking of ballistic and hypersonic missiles. ^[15] In 2021, Starshield had entered a $1.8 billion classified contract with the U.S. government, revealed in 2023, ^[1] to construct hundreds of spy satellites for continuous real time monitoring of targets around the globe. ^[9]

History

Starshield program

The Starshield name was publicly announced December 2022, ^[16] however in 2021, Starshield had already entered a $1.8 billion classified contract with the U.S. government, revealed in 2023. ^[1] In the documents of the contract, SpaceX says that funds from the contract were expected to become an important part of the revenue mix of the company after 2021. ^[1] Reuters revealed in 2024 that this contract was between the National Reconnaissance Office and SpaceX, and for a spy satellite network consisting of hundreds of satellites functioning as a swarm. ^[9] The satellites will have imaging capabilities and the satellite network will enable the US government to have continuous surveillance of nearly anywhere around the globe. ^[9] Starshield also plans to be more resilient to attack from other powers. ^[9] Starshield's imaging capabilities are designed to have superior resolution over most existing U.S. government spying systems. Northrop Grumman was selected to partner with SpaceX with insiders noting "it is in the government's interest to not be totally invested in one company run by one person". ^[17]

As early as 2020, SpaceX was designing, building, and launching customized military satellites based on variants of the Starlink satellite bus for the Space Development Agency (SDA). SDA accelerates development of missile defense capabilities using industry-procured low-cost low Earth orbit satellite platforms. ^[6] The program was conceived and instituted by Under Secretary of Defense (R&E) Michael D. Griffin (who had decades earlier joined Musk on his trip to Russia to examine ICBMs as part of SpaceX's founding). ^[18] A few months after Space Development Agency was announced, SpaceX Chief Operating Officer Gwynne Shotwell was asked by the United States Air Force, given the nature of the program, whether SpaceX would launch weapons into space for the US military. She affirmed "we would if it's for the defense of this country." ^[12]

In October 2020, SDA awarded SpaceX an initial $150 million dual-use contract to develop 4 satellites to detect and track ballistic and hypersonic missiles. ^[15] The first batch of satellites were originally scheduled to launch September 2022 to form part of the Tracking Layer Tranche 0 of the Space Force's National Defense Space Architecture. ^[19] The launch schedule slipped multiple times but eventually launched in April 2023. ^{[20] [21]}

The NDSA will be composed of seven layers with specific functions: data transport, battle management, missile tracking, custody/weapons targeting, satellite navigation, deterrence, and ground support. ^{[8] [22]} Historically, space-based missile defense concepts were expensive, but reusable launch systems have mitigated costs according to a 2019 Congressional Budget Office analysis. ^[23] NDSA leverages existing commercial satellite bus development such as Starlink to reduce costs, including free-space optical laser terminals for a secure command and control mesh network. ^[19] The 2019 Missile Defense Review notes space-based sensing enables "improved tracking and potentially targeting of advanced threats, including HGVs and hypersonic cruise missiles". ^[24] However, the Union of Concerned Scientists warns developments could escalate tensions with Russia and China and called the project "fundamentally destabilizing". ^[25] The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace later advocated for a treaty halting development to prevent an arms race in space. ^[26]

Since 2021, Starlink's military satellite development is overseen internally at SpaceX by retired four-star general Terrence J. O'Shaughnessy. ^{[27] [28]} O'Shaughnessy advocated before the United States Senate Committee on Armed Services for a layered capability with lethal follow-on that incorporates machine learning and artificial intelligence to gather and act upon sensor data quickly. ^[29] Terrence O’Shaughnessy reportedly has had a high-level role at Starshield. ^[1]

SpaceX was not awarded a contract for the larger Tranche 1, with awards going to York Space Systems, Lockheed Martin Space, and Northrop Grumman Space Systems. ^[30]

As Starlink was being relied on in the Russo-Ukrainian war, expert on battlefield communications Thomas Wellington argued that Starlink signals, because they use narrow focused beams, are less vulnerable to interference and jamming by the enemy in wartime than satellites flying in higher orbits. ^[31]

Another Starshield contract was announced in September 2023, involving communications-focused services for U.S. Space Systems Command. ^{[32] [33]} This contract with the US Space Force plans to provide customized satellite communications for the military. ^[34] This is under the Space Force's new "Proliferated Low Earth Orbit" program for LEO satellites, where Space Force will allocate up to $900 million worth of contracts over the next 10 years. Although 16 vendors are competing for awards, the SpaceX contract is the only one to have been issued to date. ^{[32] [34]} The one-year Starshield contract was awarded on September 1, 2023. ^[10] The contract is expected to support 54 mission partners across the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Coast Guard. ^[10]

In February 2024, the United States House Select Committee on Strategic Competition between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party sent a letter to Elon Musk stating that the Starshield program was potentially in breach of contract for not providing access to U.S. troops stationed in Taiwan when "global access" was "possibly" required by the contract. ^{[35] [36]} SpaceX responded that they were in full compliance with their U.S. government contracts. SpaceX had notified the Select Committee a week earlier that they were misinformed, but the Select Committee "chose to contact media before seeking additional information [regarding Starshield military use in Taiwan]". ^[37]

Launches

Between 2020 and March 2024, a dozen Starshield prototypes and operational satellites were launched on Falcon 9. ^[9] Reuters reported that these satellites have never been acknowledged by SpaceX or the US government and remain classified. ^[9]

It is suspected^{[ by whom?]} as per the images, ^[38] that the two SpaceX-built Starlink derived Space Development Agency Tranche 0 Flight 1 Tracking Layer infrared imaging satellites launched on 2 April 2023 are based on the Starshield satellite bus. ^{[39] [38]} Similar confirmed evidences were found during Starlink Group 7-16 launch when US cataloged only 20 of a 22 starlink batch and designated the next USA satellite launch as 352 and skipped 350 and 351, that are Starshield satellites. ^[40]

See also

• Defense Satellite Communications System
• Rocket Cargo, other U.S. Space Force program involving SpaceX.

References