On Sunday, the Chinese military and state-controlled media criticised the US for jeopardising global security after a Reuters report revealed that Elon Musk’s SpaceX was constructing hundreds of surveillance satellites for a US intelligence agency.
Reuters Report
According to a Reuters report, SpaceX is constructing a network of hundreds of spy satellites for the US government. SpaceX's Starshield division is spearheading the satellite network project under a classified $1.8 billion contract with the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO).
This underscores the increasing collaboration between SpaceX and national security agencies, reflecting the Pentagon’s deeper investment in extensive satellite systems orbiting low Earth to support ground forces. If successful, the programme is poised to significantly enhance the US' capacity to swiftly identify potential targets worldwide.
Comments from China
A social media account affiliated with the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) highlighted that the SpaceX initiative underscores the US’ “hypocrisy and double standards,” particularly as Washington accuses Chinese technology firms of posing threats to US security. “We urge US companies to not help a villain do evil,” Junzhengping, a PLA account with 1.1 million followers, posted on Weibo on Sunday. The post urged all countries to be vigilant against security threats created by the US.
Wang Yanan, chief editor of Aerospace Knowledge, a magazine overseen by the ruling Communist Party, warned the SpaceX satellite project posed “a challenge” to global security and stability. “The United States’ high-profile intelligence reconnaissance of countries or regions it is concerned about will inevitably cause some hot issues to become more sensitive or even escalate,” Wang told Chinese state mouthpiece Global Times in an interview published on Sunday.
SpaceX Constructing Hundreds of Spy Satellites for US Intelligence Agency: Report
China has condemned the project as an example of US hypocrisy and double standards.
March 19, 2024
IMAGE SOURCE: NASAThe arrival, capture and berthing of the SpaceX Dragon cargo capsule at the International Space Station on 20 April, 2014.