SpaceX, Twitter and electrical automotive maker Tesla CEO Elon Musk, arrives for a US Senate bipartisan Synthetic Intelligence (AI) Perception Discussion board on the US Capitol in Washington, DC, on September 13, 2023.
Andrew Caballero-Reynolds | AFP | Getty Photos
WASHINGTON — Three Democratic members of the Senate Armed Companies Committee have requested the Pentagon for details about SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, and whether or not he “directed the unilateral disabling or obstacle of operate of Starlink satellite tv for pc communications terminals utilized by the Ukrainian Armed Forces in southern Ukraine in 2022,” or ever had the authority to take action.
Democratic Sens. Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire, Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Tammy Duckworth of Illinois wrote a letter on Friday to Protection Secretary Lloyd Austin to exppress their “severe issues about whether or not Mr. Musk has personally intervened to undermine a key U.S. associate at a vital juncture.”
Their questions comply with the publication of a biography of Elon Musk, who’s CEO of SpaceX and automaker Tesla, and proprietor and CTO of the social community X (previously Twitter). Within the e book, creator Walter Isaacson wrote {that a} Ukrainian drone submarine assault on Russian warships was disrupted by a disconnect from Starlink, ordered by Musk.
Excerpts from the e book raised alarm bells in Washington, amongst NATO allies and within the Ukrainian capital. After they had been printed, Musk painted himself as a peacekeeper, and wrote on social media that he didn’t disconnect Starlink over Crimea, however quite denied a request by Ukraine to offer it there. He wrote, “If I had agreed to their request, then SpaceX could be explicitly complicit in a serious act of struggle and battle escalation.” Isaacson has issued a correction to his biography stating that connectivity had already been disabled within the affected space, and that Musk had merely refused a request to show it on.
Musk additionally argued, as he has up to now, that Ukraine ought to strike a “truce” with Russia. Musk’s “peace plan” argument was shouted down by Ukraine officers, politicians, and Putin consultants.
On Tuesday, in an interview with CNBC’s “Squawk Field,” Isaacson mentioned SpaceX growing a military-grade model of Starlink, which might assist resolve issues expressed by Musk concerning the satellite tv for pc networks’ use in struggle.
CNBC requested the Division of Protection a number of questions pertaining to SpaceX, together with whether or not the division could be re-evaluating any of the corporate’s authorities contracts, whether or not Musk’s requires a truce between Ukraine and Russia replicate the U.S. authorities’s place, and whether or not Musk’s conduct, together with taking private conferences with Putin up to now, had been in step with the phrases of contracts awarded to his firm.
A spokesperson for the division, Jeff Jurgensen, informed CNBC by way of e-mail, “The Division does contract with Starlink for satellite tv for pc communication companies in assist of our Ukrainian companions,” however declined to supply additional particulars or reply the precise questions posed.
He added that the Division of Protection “continues to work intently with business business to make sure we’ve the suitable capabilities the Ukrainians must defend themselves — and extra broadly — the sort of communication and space-related capabilities vital to perform our personal world missions and assist our nationwide protection technique.”
Earlier within the week, Sen. Warren known as for a Congressional probe of Musk and SpaceX. “Congress wants to research what’s occurred right here, and whether or not we’ve satisfactory instruments to verify international coverage is carried out by the federal government and never by one billionaire,” Warren stated on Monday, Bloomberg first reported.
SpaceX is at the moment working to acquire a brand new license from the Federal Aviation Administration, and approvals from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, to renew check flights for its Starship Tremendous Heavy launch automobile from its Boca Chica, Texas facility. An earlier check flight this yr resulted in an explosion and a mishap investigation overseen and lately accomplished by the FAA.
The corporate plans to make use of Starship to launch and deploy its subsequent era Starlink satellites. Musk additionally envisions Starship taking astronauts and provides to the Moon, and finally Mars.