Billionaire Elon Musk's SpaceX "encroaches" on intelligence surveillance services?

Elon Musk's SpaceX corporation is reportedly collaborating with US aerospace and defense giant Northrop Grumman on a secret spy satellite network project aimed at capturing detailed images of Earth, The Independent reported on April 19.

The British newspaper, citing Reuters – the first to report on this secret project – said the project aims to enhance the US government's ability to track military and intelligence targets from low Earth orbit.

The network's imaging capabilities are said to offer superior resolution compared to most existing U.S. government espionage systems. Once fully deployed, the network will be equipped with a range of different sensors, including optical and radar technology, Reuters sources said.

The system also includes relay satellites that can transmit images and other data across the network. The project is also expected to mitigate the risks associated with reconnaissance imagery collected by U.S. aircraft and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in conflict zones.

The involvement of Northrop Grumman – one of the world's largest arms manufacturers and military technology suppliers – is believed to be aimed at ensuring that control of the highly sensitive project is not given to a single contractor. However, it is unclear whether other contractors will join the project, or whether more contractors will be involved later, Reuters reported.

Technology - Is Elon Musk's SpaceX venturing into intelligence surveillance services? — Billionaire Elon Musk, owner of SpaceX, is seen on November 1, 2023. Photo: Getty Images

In March, Reuters reported that in 2021, the U.S. National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) awarded SpaceX a $1.8 billion contract for a secret project to deploy a planned network of hundreds of satellites.

To date, the company of South African billionaire Elon Musk has released around a dozen prototypes and is providing test images to the NRO. The collection of images has not been previously reported.

Reuters reports that Northrop Grumman is reportedly supplying sensors for some of SpaceX's satellites and will test those satellites at its own facilities before they are launched.

According to a source, at least 50 SpaceX satellites are expected to arrive at Northrop Grumman facilities for procedures including testing and sensor installation in the coming years.

In a statement, an NRO spokesperson said the agency “is always working with a wide range of partners to provide the most capable, diverse and flexible space reconnaissance, surveillance and intelligence capabilities.”

The spokesperson declined to comment further on the specific details of the satellite network or identify any other companies that might be involved. The Independent has reached out to SpaceX and Northrop Grumman for comment.

Technology - Is Elon Musk's SpaceX venturing into intelligence surveillance services? (Figure 2). — A photographer prepares to photograph SpaceX's massive Starship rocket as it prepares for a test flight from Starbase in Boca Chica, Texas, on March 13, 2024. Photo: Times of Israel

For SpaceX, known for its ability to quickly and successfully launch reusable rockets and commercial internet satellites, this project marks the company's first known foray into intelligence-based surveillance services.

Since SpaceX began operations more than two decades ago, billionaire Musk and other company officials have opposed partnering with long-established defense and aerospace contractors, many of whom they criticize as bureaucratic and slow .

Minh Duc (According to The Independent, Reuters)

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