Five anonymous individuals told Reuters that the world’s largest satellite operator is building a large network of low earth orbiting surveillance capabilities for the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO).
The report stated that SpaceX’s Starshield, owned by American billionaire Elon Musk, signed a $1.8 billion classified contract with the federal agency in charge of America’s spy-satellites.
The 2021 agreement will reportedly produce hundreds of image-gathering satellites that can operate individually or in a coordinated deployment to gather continuous visual information.
Sources told the news outlet that if successful, the program will increase the speed to which the U.S. military can identify potential threats anywhere on Earth. There was no indication as to when the planned project would enter service.
An NRO spokesperson confirmed to Reuters its participation in the program but declined to offer any details of Starshield’s involvement. SpaceX and the Pentagon did not respond to several requests for comment.
The Defense Department already uses the company’s Falcon 9 rockets to launch military hardware into space.
The news comes as Musk has been increasingly critical of the Biden administration’s immigration policies and governing ideologies.
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