Exclusive: Musk's SpaceX says it can no longer pay for critical satellite services in Ukraine, asks

[blue-wave]

Source: CNN

Since they first started arriving in Ukraine last spring, the Starlink satellite internet terminals made by Elon Musk’s SpaceX have been a vital source of communication for Ukraine’s military, allowing it to fight and stay connected even as cellular phone and internet networks have been destroyed in its war with Russia.

So far roughly 20,000 Starlink satellite units have been donated to Ukraine, with Musk tweeting on Friday the “operation has cost SpaceX $80 million and will exceed $100 million by the end of the year.”

But those charitable contributions could be coming to an end, as SpaceX has warned the Pentagon that it may stop funding the service in Ukraine unless the US military kicks in tens of millions of dollars per month.

Documents obtained by CNN show that last month Musk’s SpaceX sent a letter to the Pentagon saying it can no longer continue to fund the Starlink service as it has. The letter also requested that the Pentagon take over funding for Ukraine’s government and military use of Starlink, which SpaceX claims would cost more than $120 million for the rest of the year and could cost close to $400 million for the next 12 months.

Read more: https://www.cnn.com/2022/10/13/politics/elon-musk-spacex-starlink-ukraine/index.html

---

Long title here is the full:

Exclusive: Musk’s SpaceX says it can no longer pay for critical satellite services in Ukraine, asks Pentagon to pick up the tab


There have already been reports of service outages. Further in the article sources claim this is the main way units on the battlefield communicate.

[PSPS]

1. This is a rounding error in musk's wealth. Make him pay some tax for a change and use that.

[aggiesal]

2. I'm calling BS on Elon Musk & SpaceX ...

Musk net worth is $215.9 billion.
Not being able to pay $100,000,000 is equalvalent to a person making $100,000/yr., complaining about being unable to pay $46.

I think I did the math correctly.

[blue-wave]

3. Yup

Here's some more perspective on the situation:

Link to tweet

[truthisfreedom]

4. NOT GOOD, Elon.

Even for a man “on the spectrum”, this is ridiculous. It should have been handled behind the scenes with the appropriate authorities. It makes me fucking ashamed to be a starlink subscriber.

[Grimelle]

24. Knowing what we know now

It's safe to say he is doing Putin's bidding.

[LudwigPastorius]

5. The Ukrainian's lives are just pawns in Musk's game of revenge for...

the FCC passing on the nearly-billion-dollar subsidy that Space X was seeking.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/dereksaul/2022/08/10/spacex-misses-out-on-8885-million-government-subsidy-for-starlink/?sh=5e44f7ee6e64

What a petty little b__ch that fucking guy is.

[Duppers]

6. "Can no longer pay"?!

Poor little billionaire, just scraping by on his $216 billions. But he's a business man, doing his thing. And it nice of him to have covered the cost up to this point.

[DallasNE]

7. Looks like Musk And Putin Did Talk

Plus Musk's numbers don't add up. Why would the last 2 1/2 months cost much more than the first 8 months. Is this how Musk got so filthy rich? Makes a deal that loses money in the beginning then the prices go way up.

[FM123]

38. Yep.

Musk denied it, but Bremmer says he did....

In a reply to a tweet, Elon Musk denied a report that he had spoken to Vladimir Putin directly. Asked if Ian Bremmer’s claim was true, he wrote: “No, it is not. I have spoken to Putin only once and that was about 18 months ago. The subject matter was space.” Bremmer subsequently reiterated his initial claims, which he first made to his Eurasia Group newsletter subscribers. Like Musk, he took it to Twitter.

“Elon Musk told me he had spoken with Putin and the Kremlin directly about Ukraine. He also told me what the Kremlin’s red lines were,” Bremmer wrote.

https://www.vice.com/en/article/ake44z/elon-musk-vladimir-putin-ukraine

[blue-wave]

39. I read that article too

If this really happened, how can Musk be so naive as to believe Putin? If Musk is doing this because his company missed out on a government subsidy, he's playing a dangerous game with nuclear war as a possibility. Maybe it's just me, but the U.S. seemingly has too many billionaires that love Pooty. The almighty buck will not do them any good if the world is blown to bits.

[SergeStorms]

8. OK, Musk. Deduct it from the hundreds of millions....

you screwed the American taxpayers out of with the renewable energy subsidies for your Tesla autos. Your "battery swap" con game really got into the government's wallet and kept Tesla floating when things weren't looking so bright for the "smartest man in the world".

Fuck you, Musk. People know who you are and how you got there. Asshole.

[OnlinePoker]

20. I thought subsidies for EV's was one of the cornerstones of the Inflation Reduction Act?

The advancements in EV technology would be nowhere near where they are now without Tesla proving the market exists and putting all their patents in the public sphere. You may hate Musk, and some plans may not work out the way they wanted, but overall, Tesla puts out a really good and innovative product.

[SergeStorms]

26. Not when it's a scam.

Im all for EVs, but don't falsify information to collect subsidies to keep your company afloat.

You're saying that the end justifies any means. I don't happen to share that opinion, sorry.

[OnlinePoker]

27. Battery swapping was not a scam

Tesla tried to make it work for 3 years and when they found it wasn't practical, they opted for the national network of Supercharging stations instead.

[SergeStorms]

41. There were no batteries.

People sat recharging from charging stations run by smoke belching generators. They'd come for battery swaps but there were no batteries there.

Musk falsified the data given to the government in order to receive the subsidies.

It'll take me quite awhile to find the article, but I'll post it as soon as I can.

[SunSeeker]

9. SpaceX was paid by US to send some Starlink terminals to Ukraine despite claiming it wasn't.

https://finance.yahoo.com/finance/news/spacex-paid-us-government-send-123622770.html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAANetOw3zJPMTjAqFWTTQoMam-tomH4Fax8MEHxxxiiOBQBFWzOjciJyuZwY45cfj-AXkFkN-VgP3qPZ41-rwbVQprAbEHWj8pTWIuMH7TSnB8tIgyBTJ8s1QhSsKwA1Au5FHAl1jCBzAi1WXObyfQgIDlWRSVrE6MrGK-JFLGA95

In addition to the US government, Poland and other countries were also helping pay SpaceX to supply Starlink services to Ukraine. But Elon Musk took all the glory as if he was paying for it all.

[Simeon Salus]

10. First, you get them addicted. They begin to need you.

And then, once they've gotten hooked, you can charge what you want.

And getting the Pentagon to pay is genius; nobody will ever know how jacked up the contract will get.

When push comes to shove, Musk always acts like a dealer.

[Delmette2.0]

19. This!!!

[Bohunk68]

11. Putin's latest Fluffer.

Snowflake Donald is going to be soooooo pissed.

[JohnSJ]

12. F**k Musk, F**k Sauidi Arabia, F**k all the autocrats

[C_U_L8R]

13. Amateur Bond villain.

Money really brings out the worst in people. Here we see what too much money does.

[Maeve]

14. I think he's earned the nickname Musk-rat by now

Scurry away, Elon

[EYESORE 9001]

15. Is there a 'plan b' for this situation?

Totally spitballing here, but could AWACS provide tactical data to Ukrainian forces?

[2naSalit]

18. Maybe.

I don't know a whole lot about that option but now that you mention it, would be a relief to know there is a possible back-up coms system that can replace SL quickly.

[former9thward]

36. No.

AWACs are set up to relay information to central command headquarters. They can't relay information to individual field units. That is what Starlink is being used for.

[DonCoquixote]

16. since elon is our space program now

Did anyone think that Putin would not have the talk?

THIS is why certain things need to be kept OUT of the privates sector

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10796113/Elon-Musk-claims-hes-threatened-Russian-space-agency-head-providing-Ukraine-internet.html

[2naSalit]

17. Sorry to say but...

I saw this coming the instant I learned that StarLink was being relied upon. Never allow private entities like that with too much to offer and no accountability.

That fucker is trying to help pooptin win the war. So we need to find a way to replace StarLink. In fact, that whole network of space trash need to be brought down and soon since it has become obvious what the muskratfucker has in mind regarding power grabbing.

Muskratfucker hs just played his cards. He has just exposed himself, without question now, as the rl Dr. Evil or whatever the evil rich guy in the cartoons is called. He's here.

Should never have relied on that system. This is a great example of why privatization of crucial infrastructure is not a good idea.

[LiberalFighter]

21. Musk working for the Russians?

[sinkingfeeling]

22. Elon Musk is a lying POS.

[turbinetree]

23. Hey Musk.......maybe it is time to start a letter campaign to ask that we the taxpayers

not fund any of your launches....this is why private greed should not be part of this system.......I don't like being blackmailed....

[OhioTim]

25. Tesla Taxes

CNN reported that Tesla paid no U.S. taxes in 2021.

[dembotoz]

28. so he wants to become the Hobby Lobby of IT?????

Piss off enough folks and it hurts his bottom line

[Oneironaut]

29. Bullshit!

Elon is a man baby and had his ego bruised.

He’s really bad news. Honestly, I think he would be worse than Trump if he got into any meaningful political office. He’s not above killing people for not kissing the ring.

[ripcord]

30. It is strange that companies are getting rich from supplying arms and other equipment to Ukraine

But SpaceX is expected to provide their service for free as long as needed, why aren't we expecting the MIC to donate to Ukraine?

[BradBo]

31. Musk is a freaking traitor to the US.

We subsidize a large portion of his business . He only survived because he used tax payer money. I am starting to really hate that dude. Why do so many middle aged rich white dudes love Putin and hate democracy.
They dream of being oligarchs. It’s a race of the rich to the top of the mountain.

[Snoopy 7]

32. grifters grift

Notice how when the "Government has to pay" is when the price sky rockets, Hum, wonder why? (grifters will grift) So I guess he's not so rich?

[relayerbob]

33. I don't care if he can or can't pay

I want the control of the off button out of his hands.

[malthaussen]

34. Makes one wonder if the system is compromised...

... if we stipulate that Mr Musk had this in mind all along (which is rank speculation), who designed the satellites, and is there a way to eavesdrop on them or unscramble their encryption?

-- Mal

[mjvpi]

35. The US military industrial complex. THE welfare state.

[bluestarone]

37. So is he looking for the highest bidder situation here?

Wouldn't surprise me if he let POOTY use his bullshit Starlink satellites!

[copperearth]

42. Why wouldn't that be treason?

After all the US backs Ukraine!

[The Mouth]

43. "Treason" requires a congressional declaration of war

It's been literally impossible to commit 'Treason' since the end of WW2.

Espionage is another matter, however (that's what they got the Rosenbergs on)

Just an anal .02

[sybylla]

40. So Musk got his payout from Putin?

Such a little rat fink.

[LiberalLovinLug]

44. It was a mistake to rely on such a nutbar to provide such important communication systems

He probably got hurt feewings from the Ukraine rebuttal to his suggestion that Russia had a point to their invasion and Ukraine should just bow and submit.

He's as unpredictable and unreliable as TFG

[blue-wave]

45. Yeah, in the past

I reserved judgement, but I'm leaning toward unpredictable and unreliable myself.

[EndlessWire]

46. Anyone who values money over

people's lives has no honor. I think his timing is suspect. Soon Ukraine will be fighting at Crimea's doorstep, and it doesn't look good for Russia. Who would have thought it? It's difficult to dismiss this as just a business consideration, but it's nice to know exactly what his character is. Tell your business concerns to the toddler that got raped, Elon.