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WASHINGTON — SpaceX has taken steps to limit Ukraine’s use of the company’s satellite-internet connections for military purposes, a top executive at the Elon Musk–founded company said Wednesday.
SpaceX President Gwynne Shotwell said SpaceX had worked to restrict the country from using Starlink, as the company’s satellite-internet business is called, for military purposes.
“There are things that we can do and have done,” she told reporters after an appearance at a space-industry event. She declined to discuss details.
“Musk said last May that Starlink had resisted Russian cyberwar and hacking attempts.”
Starlink, as the company’s satellite-communications network is called, has played a high-profile role in Ukraine’s continuing defense against the full-scale Russian invasion underway since last February, providing internet service across the country through its satellites.
From the archives (December 2022): Ukraine minister says country developing air-to-air combat drones, says Musk’s Starlink has helped transform war with Russia
Key Words (October 2022): Elon Musk suggests SpaceX can’t afford to provide Starlink access for Ukraine much longer but might bear the cost anyway
Shotwell said that the Ukrainian military’s use of Starlink for typical communications purposes was permitted and that the high-speed internet the business offers also helped with humanitarian relief, linking families and hospitals.
In September, Musk said in a tweet that Starlink is designed for peaceful uses only. The terms of service for Starlink also state the internet connections it makes possible aren’t for military engagements.
An expanded version of this report appears at WSJ.com.
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