What is Starshield? SpaceX’s military Starlink explained
Uncertainty over who controls SpaceX’s military satellite system, Starshield, has drawn renewed attention, as restrictions on the technology hinder Ukraine’s defenses.
Ukraine has accused SpaceX-owned Starlink of restricting its military-grade services, known as Starshield, as Russia intensified attacks on Kyiv.
Officials in Kyiv said SpaceX had imposed restrictions on Starshield without advance notice, disrupting military operations and hampering efforts to protect civilians amid intense Russian attacks this week.
In response, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk appeared to shift responsibility for any changes to Starshield’s use in Ukraine to the U.S. government and President Donald Trump. He said that Starshield systems are owned and controlled by Washington, with the U.S. military and ultimately the president determining any limits on their use. The White House and the Pentagon didn’t immediately reply to CNBC’s request for comment.
Here’s what to know about Starshield, and how it differs from Starlink.
What is Starshield and how does it work?
Starshield is SpaceX’s satellite network designed for government and national security use, building on the technology developed for Starlink. On Tuesday, Ukrainian officials reported that their Starlink communication systems were no longer working for terminals moving at speeds above 100 miles per hour, or about 160 kilometers per hour.
Ukraine relies on this connectivity to track and intercept incoming threats. Ukraine’s military also uses the commercial Starlink technology, according to media reports, but it is not clear which of its terminals operate under the commercial arm versus those provided through Starshield.
Speaking to Piers Morgan on Wednesday, Zelenskyy lamented that “Starlink was switched off.”
He said connectivity in the middle of the night, disrupting Ukrainian drones used to intercept Russian attacks, and that restrictions had prevented Ukraine from intercepting some Russian drones, contributing to civilian deaths. He also criticized the lack of advance warnings about incoming Russian ballistic missiles.
“Often when we destroy jet shaheeds, we use drones with Starlinks,” he said.
“It’s not about attack. It’s also about defending the lives… People were killed because not enough destroying, not enough interceptors, including interceptors with Starlink, which didn’t work.”
“They knew what they did,” Zelenskyy said, referring to SpaceX and the U.S. and describing the Starlink restrictions as particularly troubling given Ukraine’s reliance on the U.S. as a strategic partner.
Mykhailo Fedorov, who was until recently Ukraine’s defense minister, said Wednesday that Starlink connectivity at speeds of up to 160 km/h was being restored, and that “removing Starshield’s speed limit entirely is now critical for Ukraine’s defense.”
According to SpaceX, Starshield currently focuses on Earth observation, secure global communications for government users, and so-called “hosted payloads,” which refers to hosting…
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