SpaceX to limit Ukraine’s military use of Starlink satellite business

Executive Gwynne Shotwell says firm didn’t intend for communications network ‘to be weaponised’.

Gwynne Shotwell said SpaceX had worked to restrict Ukraine from using Starlink for military purposes

Elon Musk’s SpaceX has taken steps to limit Ukraine’s use of the company’s satellite-internet connections for military purposes.

SpaceX president Gwynne Shotwell said SpaceX had worked to restrict the country from using Starlink for military purposes.

“There are things that we can do and have done,” she said on Wednesday after a Washington space industry event.

Starlink has played a high-profile role in Ukraine’s continuing conflict with Russia, providing internet service across the country through its satellites.

In September, Mr Musk said in a tweet that Starlink was designed for peaceful uses only.

The terms of service for Starlink also state the internet connections it makes possible aren’t for military engagements.

“Starlink is not designed or intended for use with or in offensive or defensive weaponry or other comparable end-uses,” the Starlink terms of service document says.

Ms Shotwell on Wednesday reiterated that point, saying Starlink was “never intended to be weaponised” and Ukraine had used it in ways that were not part of any agreement.

“You offer a commercial product to provide connectivity to people, which is helpful in a conflict, but you also want to be careful of how they use it,” she said.

Efforts to reach Ukrainian ­officials for comment weren’t immediately successful.

Ms Shotwell said SpaceX became aware of news reports about Starlink being used in Ukraine on drones.

Russian officials in Oct­ober said the country could target US commercial satellites if they were used to help Ukraine. Mr Musk said last May on Twitter that Starlink had resisted Russian cyberwar and hacking attempts.

The Wall Street Journal