--- title: "Russia Warns of Potential Military Strike on SpaceX Satellites" description: "Russia has accused the US of using commercial satellite operators for its intelligence efforts — and is threatening to take military action." date: "2024-03-20" modified: "2024-03-20" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/russia-military-strike-spacex-satellites" categories: - "Military" - "Science & Energy" - "Space" - "SpaceX" tags: - "anti-satellite weapons" - "elon musk" - "Russia" - "SpaceX" - "the digest" --- # Russia Warns of Potential Military Strike on SpaceX Satellites ![Russia has accused the US of using commercial satellite operators for its intelligence efforts — and is threatening to take military action.]() *\Image: Getty / Futurism\* ## Legitimate Target Russia has accused the United States of using commercial satellite operators for its intelligence efforts — and is threatening to take military action in response. The news comes days after *Reuters* [released a report]() earlier this month, detailing a classified contract that SpaceX signed with a US intelligence agency to launch hundreds of spy satellites. "We are aware of Washington's efforts to attract the private sector to serve its military space ambitions," foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told reporters, as [quoted by *Reuters*](). These systems "become a legitimate target for retaliatory measures, including military ones." ## MilitaryX Insider sources told *Reuters* that SpaceX was working on a massive constellation of spy satellites under its military-focused business unit, called Starshield. The Elon Musk-led company signed a $1.8 billion contract with the National Reconnaissance Office in 2021, as the [*Wall Street Journal* reported]() last month. The development highlights SpaceX's deepening ties with the US military, as well as the Pentagon's reliance on the private sector to gain a tactical advantage in orbit. World powers, including the US, Russia, and [China](), have been racing to [develop space-based weapon systems]() that can take out adversary satellites. The consequences of war in Earth's orbit could prove disastrous. Earlier this year, German military officials [warned]() that [nuclear-powered anti-satellite space weapons]() Russia is said to be developing could wipe out all satellites in its range, not just American or Russian ones. According to *Reuters*, a SpaceX-powered spy constellation could give the US military a big leg up, allowing it to identify targets from across the globe through the use of continuous imagery of activities on the ground. "No one can hide," one source told *Reuters*. The relationship between SpaceX and the US military has been strained by the use of Starlink satellite technology in Ukraine. Musk has been [accused of sabotaging]() the besieged country's military by cutting off its forces from Starlink internet. It remains to be seen whether Russia's latest comments are anything more than empty threats — but the US military is certainly listening. **More on SpaceX:** [*US Military Commander Worries China Could Launch Attack From Moon*]() ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()