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SpaceX President and COO Gwynne Shotwell said at the FAA Space Transportation Conference on Wednesday that it took steps to prevent the Ukrainian military from using Starlink satellite internet on drones.
“Using Starlink on drones was beyond the scope of the agreement SpaceX signed with the Ukrainian government, Shotwell said, adding that the deal would provide broadband services to hospitals, banks and families affected by the Russian invasion. It added that it was intended for humanitarian purposes such as providing the Internet.
“We are really happy to provide connectivity to Ukraine and help in the fight for freedom,” Shotwell said. “It was never meant to be weaponized. We have used it in ways that were not part of the agreement,” according to the Associated Press.
Starlink’s Terms of Service specifically address this by stating that it is “not designed or intended for use in offensive or defensive weapons or other equivalent end uses”.Space “We know the military uses them for communications, and that’s fine,” Shotwell was quoted as saying. It was not intended to be used in
Shotwell declined to say exactly how SpaceX prevented Ukraine from using Starlink on its drones. There are things we can do… there are things we can do and have done,” she said.
Ukrainian officials express anger and confusion
SpaceX helped Ukraine after Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022.
Shotwell’s comments are based on recent statements from SpaceX founder and CEO Elon Musk.and Tweet On January 31, Musk said, “SpaceX’s Starlink has been the backbone of Ukraine’s connectivity all the way to the front lines… but we are not allowing Starlink to be used for long-range drone strikes.” No,’ he wrote. Musk’s comments came after a Russian state channel TV host called Musk a “war criminal”.
After Shotwell’s comments, Ukrainian officials criticized SpaceX for restricting the military’s use of Starlink. Mikhail Podlyak, an adviser to President Volodymyr Zelensky, wrote: Tweet Yesterday, the corporation either sided with Ukraine and “seeks no right to liberty and no way to harm” or sided with Russia and “has the ‘right’ to kill and occupy territory.” SpaceX (Starlink) ) and Mrs. Shotwell must choose certain options. “
One “Ukrainian military official called Shotwell’s remarks ‘strange’ given the well-established fact that the country uses Starlink as a combat tool,” wrote the AP.
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Digital Transformation of Ukraine Mikhail Fedorov said in a statement quoted by the press that Starlink is helping Ukraine in several ways. “Ukraine’s Starlink has no problem operating an uplink terminal,” Musk said. “He is one of the biggest personal donors to our future victories.”
“Starlink helps save thousands of lives every day,” said Fedorov. “Thanks to Starlinks, our energy infrastructure continues to function. Doctors are performing complex surgeries thanks to the connectivity that Starlinks provides.”
