Every two hours or so, a satellite that SpaceX built for the Department of Defense circles Earth. The exact purpose of the satellite isn’t clear: The project is confidential. But its significance for SpaceX, the rocket company founded and led by Elon Musk, is coming into focus.
That satellite is part of Starshield, a business SpaceX unveiled publicly last week through which it will build and launch satellites that cater to the national security needs of government clients. SpaceX didn’t say much about what those satellites will do, but people familiar with the project told The Information their capabilities will include climate change research, missile tracking and surveillance.
Starshield is actually a four-year-old business but has operated largely in secret until now. And yet it has already made a huge dent inside SpaceX. It has been a financial boon for the company, which has otherwise relied on private fundraising and revenue from launching rockets to finance its most ambitious projects, such as the Starlink satellite internet service and a powerful new rocket, Starship, two people told The Information. A couple of years ago, as the small team behind Starshield built a prototype satellite, SpaceX’s president and chief operating officer, Gwynne Shotwell, told them in a meeting that billions of dollars in contracts were riding on the success of their efforts, one of the people said.