Operator Says Military Drone Use Falls Outside Pacifist Mission of Starlink

SpaceX has taken some small steps to prevent Ukraine MoD and military use of the network for long range command and control over drones, saying it falls outside the peaceful intentions of the service.

Over the last year, Starlink has become one of the few reliable internet providers in the country, providing service to a wide range of Ukranian military and government units across the country - for communication. SpaceX reportedly outlined appropriate use and intent for providing access when they signed their contract with Ukraine, seeing Starlink as a way to provide humanitarian internet access for hospitals, families, and vital infrastructure to maintain safety and quality of life for the average citizen. SpaceX cCEO Gwynne Shotwell admitted that the military use was known to the company - how could it not be - but the network was never intended to be used for "offensive purposes". 

Neither Ukraine nor SpaceX have outlined exactly what "small steps" were taken in order to prevent long-range UAV C2, with Shotwell only disclosing that "There are things that we can do to limit their ability to do that, and have done." 

The stance may be seen as unpopular among some war-enthusiasts in the West, but SpaceX is likely wise to refrain from poking the Eastern bear too much lest they incur a portion of Russia's not-insignificant cyberwarfare capabilities. The considerable investment that's gone into Starlink up to this point, is already struggling for survival against tremendous launch costs and low subscriber counts, only leaving beta in the last year. Company founder Elon Musk hinted at considerable monetary costs that came with Ukrainian deployment earlier this year, offhandedly tweeting that it cost somewhere around $20 million per month just to keep offering service in Ukraine.

FMI: www.spacex.com