Global positioning system using satellite constellations; Internet server; Telecommunication hardware, namely, devices that allow wireless connection to global communication networks and wireless connection of electronic devices to global communication networks; Computer software to enable the transmission of information in the fields of meteorology, climatology, geography, topography, oceanography, and human and animal migration to telecommunications networks and navigation devices; Computer software to enable wireless connection to global communication networks and wireless connection of electronic devices to global communication networks; Electronic global positioning and geo-location systems devices, namely, global positioning satellite-based receivers; *all of the foregoing excluding the US government's global positioning systems; Equipment for receiving, processing, and transmitting voice, video, data and information via telecommunications and wireless signals, satellites, and computers, namely, satellite receivers, satellite receiver modules, transmitters of electronic signals, multiplexers, decoding boxes, data processors, integrated circuits; Computer operating hardware and software for use in the aforementioned goods, satellite terminals, and satellite earth stationsInternet service provider (ISP) services; Satellite telecommunications services, namely, transmission of a wireless internet signal via satellites; Providing third party users with access to satellite telecommunications infrastructure; Telecommunication services, namely, transmission and delivery of digital data, light files, sound files, data, information and image signals, by means of computer and satellite networks; Collecting and transmitting real-time data and images obtained via satellites and space vehicles; Satellite communication and transmission services; Wireless broadband communication services; Transmission of data, voice and video via satellite; Interactive satellite communication services; Delivery of messages by electronic transmission; Providing telecommunications connections to the Internet; Telecommunications gateway services; Providing high-speed wireless internet access; Providing multiple-user access to the internet, global computer networks, and electronic communications networks; Providing access to global computer information networks; Telecommunications services, namely, transmission of voice, data, graphics, images, audio and video by means of telecommunications networks, wireless communication networks, and the Internet; Providing a website featuring information in the field of satellite telecommunications services; Providing a website featuring information in the field of providing internet access via satelliteProviding information in the fields of meteorology, climatology, geography, topography, oceanography, and human and animal migration via telecommunications networks and satellite aided navigation devices; Providing global positioning and geo-location information via wireless and satellite networks, excluding the US government's global positioning systems; Providing a website featuring geographic data and images obtained via satellites and space vehiclesCloud storage services for electronic data and files; Cloud computing services; Cloud computing featuring software for collecting, tracking, monitoring and analyzing data obtained via satellites and space vehicles in the fields of meteorology, climatology, geography, topography, oceanography, human and animal migration; Cloud computing featuring software for enabling and managing simultaneous, multiple modes of communication via satellites; Cloud computing featuring software for use in connection with data processing, data storage, data capture, data collection, data warehousing, data management, data mining, database analytics, and secure data sharing; Satellite telecommunications technology service; Design, development, and maintenance of telecommunications networks, software and apparatus in the field of satellite communications; Providing information in the fields of meteorology, climatology, geography, topography, oceanography, and human and animal migration via telecommunication networks and wireless navigation devices; Providing online computer mapping services; Research and development of technology in the field of satellite communications; Engineering services in the field of satellite communications; Scientific research; Scientific and technological services, namely, scientific research and analysis of data in the fields of meteorology, climatology, geography, topography, and oceanography; Electronic monitoring of environmental and atmospheric conditions using satellites and sensors; Remote sensing services, namely, aerial surveying through the use of satellites; Searching and retrieving information, sites, and other resources available on computer networks for others in relation to satellite data, recordings, and measurements; Providing information concerning satellite internet services via a global information network
As a DSP engineer on the SpaceX satellite R&D project team, you will be a part of a mission to provide global connectivity to the US government including immediate access to critical intelligence and national security data anywhere it is needed. You will work with a team of RF engineers, DSP engineers, software engineers, hardware engineers and end users to design and build systems for proliferated sensing in low earth orbit. You will work in a highly collaborative and fast-paced environment, where we are exploring unsolved problems and applying the SpaceX mindset of iterating rapidly to go from design and demo to operational capability at lightning pace.
The Goods and Services is similar to Starlink, the "Shield" thing makes it sounds like military related, could be dedicated military branch of Starlink?
It could be SDA Constellation++ transport layer, coexisting on civil Starlink. They basically bailed out of that constellation as is, probably under the valid assumption they can do better, faster, using an extant megaconstellation. Also implying a giant middle finger to core network interoperability, which is the heart of SDA's constellation due to it's heterogeneous nature.
Likely delivery being of about 60 too 72 of them (possibly a few more) per Starship launch at about 15 to 30 launches per year starting somewhere close to 2024 and increase launch rate rapidly each year after that. Prior to that just a few launches to test deployment and the sats design in groups of 24, 48 or 72 as Starship capabilities improve in 2023 and 2024.
On SpaceX's job listing on Greenhouse, a new department called "Starshield" is added, currently the jobs in it are all related to satellite.SpaceX also filed a new trademark application for "Starshield" on 10/29/2022 with the following Goods and Services descriptions:QuoteGlobal positioning system using satellite constellations; Internet server; Telecommunication hardware, namely, devices that allow wireless connection to global communication networks and wireless connection of electronic devices to global communication networks; Computer software to enable the transmission of information in the fields of meteorology, climatology, geography, topography, oceanography, and human and animal migration to telecommunications networks and navigation devices; Computer software to enable wireless connection to global communication networks and wireless connection of electronic devices to global communication networks; Electronic global positioning and geo-location systems devices, namely, global positioning satellite-based receivers; *all of the foregoing excluding the US government's global positioning systems; Equipment for receiving, processing, and transmitting voice, video, data and information via telecommunications and wireless signals, satellites, and computers, namely, satellite receivers, satellite receiver modules, transmitters of electronic signals, multiplexers, decoding boxes, data processors, integrated circuits; Computer operating hardware and software for use in the aforementioned goods, satellite terminals, and satellite earth stationsInternet service provider (ISP) services; Satellite telecommunications services, namely, transmission of a wireless internet signal via satellites; Providing third party users with access to satellite telecommunications infrastructure; Telecommunication services, namely, transmission and delivery of digital data, light files, sound files, data, information and image signals, by means of computer and satellite networks; Collecting and transmitting real-time data and images obtained via satellites and space vehicles; Satellite communication and transmission services; Wireless broadband communication services; Transmission of data, voice and video via satellite; Interactive satellite communication services; Delivery of messages by electronic transmission; Providing telecommunications connections to the Internet; Telecommunications gateway services; Providing high-speed wireless internet access; Providing multiple-user access to the internet, global computer networks, and electronic communications networks; Providing access to global computer information networks; Telecommunications services, namely, transmission of voice, data, graphics, images, audio and video by means of telecommunications networks, wireless communication networks, and the Internet; Providing a website featuring information in the field of satellite telecommunications services; Providing a website featuring information in the field of providing internet access via satelliteProviding information in the fields of meteorology, climatology, geography, topography, oceanography, and human and animal migration via telecommunications networks and satellite aided navigation devices; Providing global positioning and geo-location information via wireless and satellite networks, excluding the US government's global positioning systems; Providing a website featuring geographic data and images obtained via satellites and space vehiclesCloud storage services for electronic data and files; Cloud computing services; Cloud computing featuring software for collecting, tracking, monitoring and analyzing data obtained via satellites and space vehicles in the fields of meteorology, climatology, geography, topography, oceanography, human and animal migration; Cloud computing featuring software for enabling and managing simultaneous, multiple modes of communication via satellites; Cloud computing featuring software for use in connection with data processing, data storage, data capture, data collection, data warehousing, data management, data mining, database analytics, and secure data sharing; Satellite telecommunications technology service; Design, development, and maintenance of telecommunications networks, software and apparatus in the field of satellite communications; Providing information in the fields of meteorology, climatology, geography, topography, oceanography, and human and animal migration via telecommunication networks and wireless navigation devices; Providing online computer mapping services; Research and development of technology in the field of satellite communications; Engineering services in the field of satellite communications; Scientific research; Scientific and technological services, namely, scientific research and analysis of data in the fields of meteorology, climatology, geography, topography, and oceanography; Electronic monitoring of environmental and atmospheric conditions using satellites and sensors; Remote sensing services, namely, aerial surveying through the use of satellites; Searching and retrieving information, sites, and other resources available on computer networks for others in relation to satellite data, recordings, and measurements; Providing information concerning satellite internet services via a global information networkThe Goods and Services is similar to Starlink, the "Shield" thing makes it sounds like military related, could be dedicated military branch of Starlink?
I think there was work on weather monitoring using GPS reflections, so that's an interesting merge of pseudo-GPS and meteorology in the RF realm.
I don't think a military application needs a trade mark...But a general law-enforcement system that is basically aimed at municipalities definitely needs to be marketed...Real-time fire detection, for example, or traffic monitoring. Your eye-in-the-sky, 24/7.From a PR perspective, these are things that will make people nervous, and therefore need to be given a reassuring name like "shield".
Mentions cloud services. I guess if Amazon can use Cloud money to build a constellation, SpaceX can use constellation money to add cloud services to it offering.
Quote from: meekGee on 11/15/2022 04:19 amI don't think a military application needs a trade mark...But a general law-enforcement system that is basically aimed at municipalities definitely needs to be marketed...Real-time fire detection, for example, or traffic monitoring. Your eye-in-the-sky, 24/7.From a PR perspective, these are things that will make people nervous, and therefore need to be given a reassuring name like "shield".While I like the idea of selling real time global surveillance to municipalities, I do believe weapons manufacturers register trademarks, for example Raytheon owns the trademark for "Stinger", and Lockheed Martin owns the trademark for "Javelin".
Maybe Starshield has to be with the Missile detection satellites that the DOD wants. It was mentioned a couple years ago the US Gov. was interested in missile detection from SpaceX. Don't ask me to find the article.
I think Asteroza is correct in saying SpaceX has realized SDA constellation is becoming a bureaucratic mess and they can build a better military constellation faster and cheaper. What would be surprising is SpaceX doing this without being paid first (unless something crazy happened).
Satellites to test-fly new cyber softwareby Debra Werner — April 13, 2022As space systems face growing cyberattacks, the Aerospace Corp. and TriSept Corp. are preparing separate flight tests of software to alert satellite operators of anomalies detected onboard.[…]Aerospace plans to test its Starshield intrusion-detection software on Slingshot, a 12-unit cubesat
- EARTH OBSERVATION- COMMUNICATIONS- HOSTED PAYLOADS- Starlink's inter-satellite laser communications terminal, which is the only communications laser operating at scale in orbit today, can be integrated onto partner satellites to enable incorporation into the Starshield network.
These could be the 'mystery secret Starlinks' that were stacked on top of Globalstar FM15 and Transporter-3. The on-sat photo matches the diagram of the 'dual array' Starlink.
Quote from: edzieba on 12/02/2022 11:05 pmThese could be the 'mystery secret Starlinks' that were stacked on top of Globalstar FM15 and Transporter-3. The on-sat photo matches the diagram of the 'dual array' Starlink. Was thinking the same.
Speculation, now that we see Starlink getting into the Earth Observation business, and with the past purchase of IoT's Swarm, could it be integrated into the Starlink constellation?
Now that SpaceX has established itself as a leading provider of U.S. national security launches, it is seeking a bigger share of the defense market with a new product line called Starshield. SpaceX quietly unveiled Starshield last month offering defense and intelligence agencies custom-built spacecraft, sensors, and secure communications services leveraging SpaceX’s investment in its Starlink network of broadband satellites.
SpaceX is building Starshield for the US government, which is similar to, but much smaller than Starlink, as it will not have to handle millions of users. That system will be owned and controlled by the US government.
So, is Starshield happening separate from the SDA's program?
Quote from: spacenuance on 09/09/2023 04:32 amSo, is Starshield happening separate from the SDA's program?Yeah, SpaceX bailed on subsequent SDA transport layer tranches, since you know, they have operational network experience, and thought poorly of the laser link interoperability SDA/DoD/DARPA was forcing on the participants. To be fair, integrating other people's partially complete chunks/endpoints into your own network that is already global, orbital, and highly optimized for itself is a difficult endeavor.
The existence of the one-year contract was confirmed to Bloomberg by Air Force spokesperson Ann Stefanek, who said it was awarded on September 1st. Under the deal, SpaceX will provide “Starshield end-to-end service via the Starlink constellation, user terminals, ancillary equipment, network management and other related services.” The contract has a $70 million ceiling, with $15 million being obligated to the company by the end of this month, and is expected to support 54 mission partners across the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Coast Guard.
SpaceX’s Starlink satellite service successfully completed nine months of US military tests in the Arctic, potentially clearing the way for owner Elon Musk to deepen his ties with the Pentagon in a region of growing strategic competition.
The previously undisclosed testing found that StarLink to be a “reliable and high-performance communications system in the Arctic, including on-the-move applications,” Brian Beal, principal engineer with the Air Force Research Laboratory’s Integrated Capabilities Directorate, said in a statement to Bloomberg News.
What would be surprising is SpaceX doing this without being paid first (unless something crazy happened).
SpaceX is deepening its ties with U.S. intelligence and military agencies, winning at least one major classified contract and expanding a secretive company satellite program called Starshield for national-security customers.The Elon Musk-led company entered into a $1.8 billion classified contract with the U.S. government in 2021, according to company documents viewed by The Wall Street Journal. SpaceX said in the documents that funds from the contract were expected to become an important part of its revenue mix in the coming years. It didn’t disclose the name of the government customer.
The company has also won significant national-security clients for its satellite technologies—a different set of offerings from SpaceX’s traditional work blasting off satellites for those customers. One such client has been the National Reconnaissance Office, according to people familiar with the matter.
Exclusive: Musk's SpaceX is building spy satellite network for US intelligence agency, sources sayBy Joey Roulette and Marisa TaylorMarch 16, 20243:22 PM GMTUpdated 2 hours agoWASHINGTON, March 16 (Reuters) - SpaceX is building a network of hundreds of spy satellites under a classified contract with a U.S. intelligence agency, five sources familiar with the program said, demonstrating deepening ties between billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk's space company and national security agencies.The network is being built by SpaceX's Starshield business unit under a $1.8 billion contract signed in 2021 with the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO), an intelligence agency that manages spy satellites, the sources said.
Will a Direct to Device component be included in Starshield architecture. Perhaps SpaceX will develop a custom secure waveform for DoD use and implement it in on-board RANS similar to D2D?Similar to Iridium's architecture? Iridium's 7 year EMSS ~$740MM contract ends in early 2017.
https://www.twz.com/space/if-spacexs-secret-constellation-is-what-we-think-it-is-its-game-changing
More reporting on Starshield from Yahoo Finance.https://finance.yahoo.com/news/exclusive-northrop-grumman-working-musks-144135155.htmlThe main takeaway is that Northrop Grumman is providing the sensors.
Awesome gift I received from SpaceX for working there since 2023. [Apr 24]
In a stark illustration of how rapidly the satellite communications landscape is shifting toward large constellations of smaller satellites in low-Earth orbit, the Defense Department plans to add more than 100 of SpaceX’s Starshield satellites to its future satcom architecture.
. . . the plan is to acquire a constellation of Starshield satellites by 2029, contingent upon receiving the necessary funding appropriations from Congress.
O'Shaughnessy proposed the SHIELD missile defense system, which stands for Strategic Homeland Integrated Ecosystem for Layered Defense.[9]
Since 2021, O'Shaughnessy is employed by SpaceX[10] where he leads government programs.
The most concrete evidence of Mr. Musk’s efforts to reshape the agencies he does business with are his efforts to install his employees in the Defense Department. People familiar with those efforts said Mr. Musk recommended two SpaceX employees — a retired Air Force general and a government-affairs executive — as possible hires.Among the SpaceX executives who have been recommended by Mr. Musk, Gen. Terrence J. O’Shaughnessy, an adviser who is retired from the Air Force, and Tim Hughes, a government affairs executive, are among Mr. Musk’s closest advisers, according to one of the people briefed. Mr. Hughes did not return a request for comment and Mr. O’Shaughnessy could not be reached.
Elon Musk’s Martian dreams are a boon to the U.S. militaryDefense experts say SpaceX has leapfrogged global rivals and could help the United States deter -- or win -- a war against China.Amused observers have long dismissed Elon Musk’s dream to colonize Mars as unserious science fiction. But in his pursuit of the Red Planet, Musk has managed to build a deadly serious business with vast military consequences.Security experts say SpaceX has leapfrogged so far ahead in several critical technologies that it could deter major rivals like China from engaging in a war with the United States — or tip the balance if one breaks out. Others worry that it could provoke an untimely response.
Sec. 3. Implementation. Within 60 days of the date of this order, the Secretary of Defense shall: (a) Submit to the President a reference architecture, capabilities-based requirements, and an implementation plan for the next-generation missile defense shield. The architecture shall include, at a minimum, plans for: ...(iii) Development and deployment of proliferated space-based interceptors capable of boost-phase intercept; ...
This may have huge implications for SpaceX's DoD business: Trump just issued an executive order to revive SDI/Star Wars. ...This is brilliant pebbles, which as have been pointed out many times on X, is now entirely doable as proven by Starlink.
Quote from: thespacecow on 01/28/2025 04:50 amThis may have huge implications for SpaceX's DoD business: Trump just issued an executive order to revive SDI/Star Wars. A bit confusingly he called it The Iron Dome For America, but if you read the order it's basically an anti-ICBM shield, aimed at not just to defeat missiles from "rogue nations", but from "peer, near-peer" adversaries as well. It's going to have strong space components such as:QuoteSec. 3. Implementation. Within 60 days of the date of this order, the Secretary of Defense shall: (a) Submit to the President a reference architecture, capabilities-based requirements, and an implementation plan for the next-generation missile defense shield. The architecture shall include, at a minimum, plans for: ...(iii) Development and deployment of proliferated space-based interceptors capable of boost-phase intercept; ...This is brilliant pebbles, which as have been pointed out many times on X, is now entirely doable as proven by Starlink.Ugh.I've always maintained that the Kessler syndrome can be avoided, but that's assuming nobody is intentionally going to cause it.If I were a peer nation that's incapable of competing with it but is volnerable to it, it'd be a red line for me, and it's super easy to defeat in advance with "dumbass pebbles".Except dumbass pebbles, they're not a targeted weapon. They basically take out spherical shells (less some polar donut holes)
This may have huge implications for SpaceX's DoD business: Trump just issued an executive order to revive SDI/Star Wars. A bit confusingly he called it The Iron Dome For America, but if you read the order it's basically an anti-ICBM shield, aimed at not just to defeat missiles from "rogue nations", but from "peer, near-peer" adversaries as well. It's going to have strong space components such as:QuoteSec. 3. Implementation. Within 60 days of the date of this order, the Secretary of Defense shall: (a) Submit to the President a reference architecture, capabilities-based requirements, and an implementation plan for the next-generation missile defense shield. The architecture shall include, at a minimum, plans for: ...(iii) Development and deployment of proliferated space-based interceptors capable of boost-phase intercept; ...This is brilliant pebbles, which as have been pointed out many times on X, is now entirely doable as proven by Starlink.
It's not at all clear that area denial in orbit is any easier than "proliferated interceptors". The effectiveness of the denial is proportional to the density of the impactors: mass throughout the available volume. As the available volume is huge this requires enormous amounts of mass, thousands of tons at minimum and probably more like tens of thousands of tons to be effective on a useful time scale. That means it requires highly advanced launch systems, or a enormous effort to scale out existing launch technology. And at Starlink altitudes the launch requirements are compounded by the fact that drag clears the impactors out of orbit in a few years, so the continuous launching of huge amounts of mass is required. I did a BOTE a while back on what it would take to deny LEO to large targets (e.g. Keyhole), and it showed a requirement of roughly 7500 tonnes in LEO just to reduce the mean operational lifetime to 2 years. And that was without considering any shielding on the target satellites, which can quickly increase the impactor mass requirement by 1 or 2 orders of magnitude.
This morning, the Washington Post has an overview article of the military implications of SpaceX's lead. Starlink/Starshield, Starship, and rocket cargo all discussed. The lead over China is guessed to be ~10 years. The article plays it straight.QuoteElon Musk’s Martian dreams are a boon to the U.S. militaryDefense experts say SpaceX has leapfrogged global rivals and could help the United States deter -- or win -- a war against China.Amused observers have long dismissed Elon Musk’s dream to colonize Mars as unserious science fiction. But in his pursuit of the Red Planet, Musk has managed to build a deadly serious business with vast military consequences.Security experts say SpaceX has leapfrogged so far ahead in several critical technologies that it could deter major rivals like China from engaging in a war with the United States — or tip the balance if one breaks out. Others worry that it could provoke an untimely response.Access through an archive site if you don't have a subscription to WaPo.https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2024/12/07/musk-mars-technology-us-national-security/
Keep in mind, while it's likely that the brilliant carriers will be shielded, the Starlinks won't be, and my concern is them, not them.
It's a dumbass escalation that will result in (surprise) counter escalation, and there are a million ways to escalate which the pebbles are useless against.
Quote from: meekGee on 01/28/2025 12:28 pmKeep in mind, while it's likely that the brilliant carriers will be shielded, the Starlinks won't be, and my concern is them, not them.Starlink satellites already have shields around critical areas. As satellites get bigger, the cost for losing one to MMOD increases, and the cost for adding shield decreases due to lower launch cost, so I think future satellites will get even better protection.Besides, Russia and China are already planning to attack Starlink before this announcement, so I don't think this put Starlink in more danger than it is already in.Quote from: meekGeeIt's a dumbass escalation that will result in (surprise) counter escalation, and there are a million ways to escalate which the pebbles are useless against.I'm pretty sure China is already thinking about this, this is one of the most obvious military use case for reusable launch, I mean it's literally what DC-X was originally designed for. If US doesn't do this it'll just be left behind, like in hypersonic where it naively think just because US doesn't weaponize it, nobody else will, that was a big mistake.
Sens. Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska) and Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.) introduced the “Iron Dome Act” on Feb. 6, proposing $19.5 billion in funding for fiscal year 2026 to implement Trump’s recent executive order dubbed “Iron Dome for America.” The legislation includes $960 million for space-based technologies.
SpaceNewsQuoteSens. Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska) and Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.) introduced the “Iron Dome Act” on Feb. 6, proposing $19.5 billion in funding for fiscal year 2026 to implement Trump’s recent executive order dubbed “Iron Dome for America.” The legislation includes $960 million for space-based technologies.
In one case, Pentagon officials are reviewing an outside proposal to build a defense system using technology from Anduril, Palantir and Elon Musk’s SpaceX, according to people familiar with the matter. The plan is a response to President Trump’s January executive order to develop a next-generation missile defense shield that the administration called the Iron Dome for America, an effort since renamed the “Golden Dome.”The defense-tech sector’s missile-defense pitch is one of a few options the Defense Department could pursue to meet the president’s requirements, which include a satellite network and space-based interceptors. The executive order requires the Pentagon to submit an implementation plan for the missile shield by late March.
...NRO Director Chris Scolese called this week “the world’s most capable, resilient, and technologically advanced satellite constellation.”<snip>The constellation is made up of what are believed to be Starshield satellites, a government variant of SpaceX’s Starlink. In a video statement shared on April 8, Scolese described the May 2024 launch of the NROL-146 mission as “setting a new standard for data collection, speed, and responsiveness.”“This enhanced constellation is already shortening revisit times and increasing observational persistence; delivering enhanced coordination; and empowering faster data processing, fusion, and transmission speeds. All with greater resilience and security,” Scolese said.“Most profoundly, we’re making it harder for our adversaries to hide, while reducing time to insights for our customers from minutes to seconds – strengthening national security with improved prospects for lethality, when it’s necessary.”Without going into firm specifics, Scolese said that across the past eight missions supporting this constellation, SpaceX launched more than 150 satellites on behalf of the NRO.
I note B1063, B1071, and B1088 were used for 8 of the nine previous NRO Future Proliferated Architecture launches. 📝
The Space Force in contracting with SpaceX for a new government-owned, contractor-operated satellite communication constellation in low Earth orbit (LEO), called MILNET, that eventually will be integrated into the service’s grand plan for a “hybrid mesh network” combining commercial and Defense Department satellites, a senior Space Force official revealed today.
MILNET, which has rarely been discussed publicly until now, comprises “480-plus” satellites, Weisler said, that will be operated by SpaceX
The network will use terminals created by SpaceX for its Starshield satellites being configured for military use, which also can link into SpaceX’s commercial Starlink constellation. The Starshield terminals have more encryption than those sold to consumers for Starlink access, he explained.
FORT MCCOY, Wis. - Many things can cripple a military. One is the inability to adapt and integrate new technology and remain competitive on the battlefield, and the other is the loss of communication between personnel, military systems, and allies. U.S. Army Reserve Soldiers assigned to the 324th Expeditionary Signal Battalion (ESB), Bravo Company, are working to ensure that the Army continues to move into the future by utilizing new and better technology with their use of SpaceX’s laser-operated Starshield communications system.“This is the UAT-222 dish,” said Cpt. Harvey Degree, a lead engineer with the 324th ESB. “This is Starlink’s high-speed dish. It’s a five-terabyte global plan that we use to activate our Starlinks and essentially make them Starshields.” The Starshield provides fast, high-bandwidth, low-latency information transfer to any unit, anywhere in the world, with upload speeds between 300-500 Mbps, and low 25 ms latencies.The ability to reliably communicate within a military has always been a top priority that has existed as long as there has been conflict. As technology advances, not only does communication become easier, but the transport of communication devices also becomes safer and quicker.One of the Army’s standard communication devices, such as the Satellite Transportable Terminal (STT), is around 12 feet long and 20 feet tall, and requires a large vehicle or trailer to move it, making transportation in a combat zone a danger to the equipment and to the soldiers tasked with using it. But the newer Starshield technology is a small square about two feet on each side. Along with its smaller size, the unit has fewer power requirements and components, allowing Soldiers to begin operations within minutes. In a field where efficiency and urgency can be the difference between mission success and mission failure, these improvements can be invaluable.Because the Starlink systems are designed to be civilian-friendly, the time it takes to train soldiers in the use of this technology is also drastically lowered. “We’ve been using this new system for about five days,” said Sgt. Chandon Otten, an engineer with the 324th ESB. “You just grab it out of the box, put it up, there you go.”All of this combines to make a better system that improves the Army’s capabilities in the field, with better data, speed, and decision-making. “That’s the bottom line, it saves lives,” said Degree.
Sascha Meinrath, a Penn State professor who has studied Starlink’s capabilities, recently published an analysis about the ability of the network to support internet traffic amid increasing use. In comments to FedScoop, he said the undisclosed “potential dependencies” between Starlink and Starshield have left “everyone from the U.S. military to U.S. states looking to bridge the digital divide with unknown downside risks.”“Starshield and Starlink may share components of a common network architecture — yet the limitations of any shared assets have not been publicly disclosed,” he added. “This introduces serious potential life-safety issues, both for military personnel and to the general public.”
“For many U.S. Government users, Starlink and Starshield are indistinguishable,” the Air Force argued. “Starshield contracts are so sensitive that the work under them is classified. … [T]he distinction between Starshield and Starlink does not exist for some U.S. Government users, and Starlink itself is the basis for exclusive and specialized U.S. Government services and capability.”
QuoteSascha Meinrath, a Penn State professor who has studied Starlink’s capabilities, recently published an analysis about the ability of the network to support internet traffic amid increasing use. In comments to FedScoop, he said the undisclosed “potential dependencies” between Starlink and Starshield have left “everyone from the U.S. military to U.S. states looking to bridge the digital divide with unknown downside risks.”“Starshield and Starlink may share components of a common network architecture — yet the limitations of any shared assets have not been publicly disclosed,” he added. “This introduces serious potential life-safety issues, both for military personnel and to the general public.”
SpaceX differentiates between Starlink and Starshield, but the services are intertwined [Aug 13]QuoteSascha Meinrath, a Penn State professor who has studied Starlink’s capabilities, recently published an analysis about the ability of the network to support internet traffic amid increasing use. In comments to FedScoop, he said the undisclosed “potential dependencies” between Starlink and Starshield have left “everyone from the U.S. military to U.S. states looking to bridge the digital divide with unknown downside risks.”“Starshield and Starlink may share components of a common network architecture — yet the limitations of any shared assets have not been publicly disclosed,” he added. “This introduces serious potential life-safety issues, both for military personnel and to the general public.”
Satellites associated with the Starshield satellite network appear to be transmitting to the Earth's surface on frequencies normally used for doing the exact opposite: sending commands from Earth to satellites in space. The use of those frequencies to "downlink" data runs counter to standards set by the International Telecommunication Union, a United Nations agency that seeks to coordinate the use of radio spectrum globally.Starshield's unusual transmissions have the potential to interfere with other scientific and commercial satellites, warns Scott Tilley, an amateur satellite tracker in Canada who first spotted the signals.[...]Tilley says he's detected signals from 170 of the Starshield satellites so far. All appear in the 2025-2110 MHz range, though the precise frequencies of the signals move around.Signal's purpose in questionIt's unclear what the satellite constellation is up to. Starlink, SpaceX's public satellite internet network, operates at much higher frequencies to enable the transmission of broadband data. Starshield, by contrast, is using a much lower frequency range that probably only allows for the transmission of data at rates closer to 3G cellular, Tilley says.Tilley says he believes the decision to downlink in a band typically reserved for uplinking data could also be designed to hide Starshield's operations. The frequent shift in specific frequencies used could prevent outsiders from finding the signal.Gifford says another possibility is that SpaceX was just taking advantage of a quiet part of the radio spectrum. Uplink transmissions from Earth to satellites are usually rare and brief, so these frequencies probably remain dark most of the time.
SpaceX is set to receive $2 billion to develop satellites that can track missiles and aircraft under President Trump’s Golden Dome project, people familiar with the matter said.The funding was included in the tax-and-spending bill that Trump signed in July, but wasn’t publicly linked to a contractor. The planned “air moving target indicator” system could eventually field as many as 600 satellites, some of the people said.The Elon Musk-led company is expected to play a major role in two other Pentagon satellite networks, according to people familiar with the situation. One, called Milnet, would relay sensitive military communications, while the other involves satellites capable of tracking vehicles on the ground, the people said.
Elon posted that SpaceX hasn’t bid on any golden dome projects. SpaceX would handle projects if the president asked, but that hasn’t happened.SpaceX prefers to remain focused on the Moon and Mars.
In el-Fasher, Sudanese under siege have only been able to use the Starlink satellite internet service to contact the outside world over the past few months.The military, meanwhile, also had satellite phones made by Thuraya, a UAE-based company.According to a source from an international telecommunications company in Sudan, telecoms systems experienced severe disruption from 24-26 October across the regions of Darfur and Kordofan.Mobile phone signals and internet services were severely impacted as the RSF seized el-Fasher and Bara, a town in North Kordofan taken the same weekend, he said.Meanwhile, a Sudanese tech expert told MEE that people who managed to flee el-Fasher told him that they were unable to connect to Starlink in the days before the city was taken.“My sources told me that two drones were flying over the Darja Awla neighbourhood every day for five hours at a time. Whenever they were in the air, people could not connect to Starlink,” he said.“The drones seemed new, their type was unfamiliar. People in el-Fasher had not reported such issues connecting to Starlink before.”Middle East Eye has asked SpaceX, Starlink’s parent company, for comment.Tech and military experts told MEE that interfering with satellite connections was not necessarily a complex operation and jamming such services has been seen before in Sudan.Large-scale satellite signal jamming was recorded off the Sudanese coast in August, and when MEE visited Port Sudan in May GPS services were not working in the city.“Thuraya satellite phones can be jammed or eavesdropped on,” the source in the telecoms company said.“The jamming or hacking of Starlink is more difficult but not impossible.”
According to a source close to Sudanese Prime Minister Kamal Idriss, the commanders in el-Fasher were able to reach the military leadership through a Starlink connection to get the withdrawal plan approved.
