SpaceX, Elon Musk’s rocket company, has been awarded its first defence contract by the United States.
Under the US$70 million contract, SpaceX’s military-specific network Starshield - a version of the Starlink satellite constellation - will be controlled by the US government.
“The SpaceX contract provides for Starshield end-to-end service, user terminals, ancillary equipment, network management and other related services,” a US Space Force spokesperson said.
SpaceX had unveiled Starshield late last year in a bid to offer up its Starlink satellites specifically for military use.
According to the company’s website, Starshield focuses on observation, communications and building “satellite buses to support the most demanding customer payload missions”.
Though vague, the contract with Space Force marks the first for SpaceX’s Starshield system, with the Pentagon having previously purchased Starlink’s commercial terminals for use in Ukraine in June.