SpaceX Is Building a Spy Satellite Network for US, Reuters Says

SpaceX headquarters in Hawthorne, California.

Photographer: Patrick T. Fallon/AFP/Getty Images
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Elon Musk’s SpaceX is building a network of hundreds of spy satellites under a classified contract with a US intelligence agency, Reuters reported, citing five people familiar with the program.

SpaceX’s Starshield business unit is building the network as part of a $1.8 billion contract signed in 2021 with the National Reconnaissance Office, Reuters said. The new spy system comprises of hundreds of satellites bearing Earth-imaging capabilities that can operate as a swarm in low orbits, according to the news agency.