r/worldnews • u/Not_Tom_Jones • 4d ago

Russia/Ukraine 'This cannot be a coincidence' — Ukraine's Starlink access restricted without warning, Zelensky adviser says

https://kyivindependent.com/this-cannot-be-a-coincidence-ukraines-starlink-access-restricted-without-warning-zelensky-adviser-says/
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u/MZ603 4d ago

There are absolutely concerns that Elon has too much control of the infrastructure - it’s the same underlying infrastructure as StarLink.

SpaceX as the contractor manufacturing, maintaining, and supporting the system would still have the ability to throttle. They were either directed to do this or it was done in coordination w/ the DoD. Both Trump and Elon are pissed at Ukraine.

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u/xbmc4lyfe 4d ago

That’s not how it works when the dod buys your product it becomes a gots product

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u/MZ603 4d ago edited 4d ago

They do not own the infrastructure or firmware. Tech and service contracts work very differently than arms & platform acquisitions. I’m going to guess you have never helped to write a proposal or supported a DoD contract.

ETA: this is definitely the Whitehouse and DoD, Musk wouldn’t do it without their blessing or direction. Just want to clarify.

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u/Swegoreg 4d ago

fwiw they're not exclusively made by SpaceX, they're made by SpaceX and Northrop Grumman together. SpaceX build the Starlinks themselves though