WASHINGTON (AP) — The Defense Department has gotten a request from SpaceX and Tesla founder Elon Musk to take over funding for his satellite network that has provided crucial battlefield communications for Ukrainian military forces during the war with Russia, a U.S. official said.
The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss a sensitive matter not yet made public, said the issue has been discussed in meetings and senior leaders are weighing the matter. There have been no decisions.
A Pentagon spokesperson said the Pentagon has been “in touch with SpaceX” regarding the Starlink system, but declined to answer whether a letter was received or provide any details about the communication and whether it involved the pay issue.