What is Starshield, SpaceX’s military version of Starlink?
A Ukrainian serviceman prepares a Starlink satellite internet systems near the front line in Donetsk region, Ukraine, in 2024. | REUTERS
REUTERS
Oct 15, 2026
WASHINGTON – Ukraine said on Wednesday that Elon Musk’s SpaceX had restricted “military-grade” Starlink services, hampering Ukrainian drone strike missions and air defenses.
The complaint has drawn renewed attention to the distinction between Starlink, SpaceX’s commercial satellite internet service, and Starshield, a military version developed for the Pentagon. While Musk has said the two systems are separate, in many cases they share the same underlying satellite technology.
“Starshield systems are owned and controlled by the U.S. government,” Musk said on Wednesday in a post on social media platform X, adding that any limits on speed or usage are decided by the U.S. military or the U.S. president.
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