The Blubber

Per Defense One

SpaceX has decided to take a step back in supporting Ukraine's military operations. Previously, Musk announced that he would make Starlink satellites available to the country as part of efforts to support Ukrainian citizens.

SpaceX then said that the Starlink satellites technology wasn't meant to be weaponized. The company's President, Gwynne Shotwell, announced a conflict with Starlink playing a role in the "US Army modernization experiments," which aim to fire targets faster, as explained further in an article by Reuters.

Shotwell: "However, Ukrainians have leveraged it in ways that were unintentional and not part of any agreement,"

It was also shared with reporters how SpaceX's satellite internet technology was used in controlling drones by the Ukrainian military. Other uses included dropping bombs and targeting long-range fires.

Shotwell explained that the technology was initially supposed to be available for communication but that they did not want Starlink to be used for offensive reasons. She also noted that the contract was designed for humanitarian purposes.

Starlink's initial purpose was to provide internet connectivity to hospitals, banks, and families affected within Ukraine. This started as SpaceX successfully sent Starlink terminals to Ukraine, which allowed them to access around 4,000 satellites.

In late 2022, SpaceX got a go signal from the FCC to send 7,500 next-gen Starlink satellites to space. This came as the service gained half a million subscribers in June.

The company failed eligibility for an $885 million fund towards rural broadband subsidies, leading to the company challenging the decision by the FCC.

Different countries like France and the United States paid for the shipment of Starlink terminals. So far, Russia has been extending its efforts to block signals for satellite internet tech.

Recently, SpaceX was said to be starting to raise $750 million in its first funding round in 2023 by offering secondary shares. This would result in the company getting a $150 billion valuation.

See flow at unusualwhales.com/flow.

Other News:

• Elon Musk's SpaceX Gets FCC's Go Signal for 7,500 Next-Gen Starlink Satellites to be Deployed
• SpaceX is Trying to Raise $750 Million in Its First Funding Round of 2023

Resources:

Defense One

Reuters