SpaceX is understood to be working with aerospace and defense industry Northrop Grumman on a spy satellite program that would provide the US military with improved pictures information.
Last month there were reports that the company owned by Musk was building a network of spy satellites as part of a classified contract with an unnamed US intelligence agency.
The National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) is said to have awarded a $1,8 billion contract to SpaceX for the classified project in 2021.
Now, it Reuters he argues that the company is working with defense contractor Northrop Grumman as part of a program aimed at helping US government agencies better track military and intelligence targets from low orbit.
The project already records very high quality images analysisof the Earth's surface.
It's no secret that SpaceX works with the US government on various issues. In 2022, the company added a new subsidiary called Starshield to develop an orbital fleet designed for government use.
It is built on the same basic technology that the Starlink project uses to provide broadband services accesss to consumers from low orbit. The Starshield project, however, has additional capabilities for ground observation, communications and payload hosting.
Starshield is now understood to be the subsidiary working with Northrop Grumman, which is said to be involved because Washington wants to avoid too much control of a highly sensitive intelligence program in the hands of Musk, who is known to be unpredictable and – against times – aggressive.
Northrop Grumman is reportedly providing the sensors for the satellites, with imaging features designed to provide superior clarity compared to existing intelligence-gathering systems. It is not clear if other contractors are involved in the project.
However, this situation could be dangerous for SpaceX, which could see its space hardware targeted by rivals such as Russia and China.
