Elon Musk's SpaceX Launching Starshield Satellite Internet Service To Support Government Security

Tech billionaire Elon Musk's SpaceX is set to launch a project called Starshield, which is intended to be used by governments.

Tech billionaire Elon Musk's SpaceX is set to launch a project called Starshield, which is intended to be used by governments. SpaceX has made the satellite network Starshield for government use, in a bid to help in national security efforts, says a recently published SpaceX webpage. Musk's Starlink satellite-based internet services Starlink has already been launched in several regions globally.  

"Starshield leverages SpaceX's Starlink technology and launch capability to support national security efforts. While Starlink is designed for consumer and commercial use, Starshield is designed for government use, with an initial focus on three areas: earth observation, communications and hosted payloads," the SpaceX webpage read.

Starshield satellites can also utilise the same inter-satellite laser communications terminal featured on Starlink satellites.

Explaining how Starshield intends to be an offering purely for government use, SpaceX page added, "Starlink already offers unparalleled end-to-end user data encryption. Starshield uses additional high-assurance cryptographic capability to host classified payloads and process data securely, meeting the most demanding government requirements."

Currently, the private firm has over 3,200 active Starlink satellites in orbit. The company is aiming to increase its mega constellation in the coming months and years to bring its service to more parts of the globe while maintaining a high-quality service. Musk-led SpaceX has permission from the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to deploy 12,000 first-generation Starlink satellites. It has also applied for approval to launch approximately 30,000 Starlink 2.0 satellites.

SpaceX's Starlink has applied to India's Department of Telecommunications (DoT) for a global mobile personal communication by satellite services (GMPCS) to launch the Starlink internet services from space. Previously, Starlink was denied permission to launch its broadband services in the country.