Senate Letter Highlights Ukraine’s Rising Excitement and Implications of SpaceX Starlink Service

WASHINGTON — Three Democratic members of the Senate Committee on Armed Services have requested information from the Pentagon about SpaceX CEO Elon Musk. They want to know if Musk had any involvement in disabling or obstructing Starlink satellite communications terminals used by the Ukrainian Armed Forces in southern Ukraine in 2022, and if he had the authority to do so.

Democratic Senators Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire, Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, and Tammy Duckworth of Illinois wrote a letter last Friday to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin expressing their concerns over whether Musk undermined a crucial U.S. partner at a critical moment.

Their inquiries were prompted by a biography of Elon Musk, the CEO of SpaceX and automaker Tesla and owner and chief technology officer of the social network X (formerly Twitter). The book, written by Walter Isaacson, claimed that Elon Musk ordered the disconnection of Starlink during a Ukrainian drone submarine attack on Russian warships.

These claims raised concerns in Washington, among NATO allies, and in Ukraine. Musk denied the disconnection over Crimea and stated that he declined a request from Ukraine to provide connectivity there. He argued that complying with the request would have made SpaceX complicit in an act of war and escalation. The author of the book, Walter Isaacson, has issued a correction stating that the connectivity had already been disabled in the affected area, and Musk simply refused to turn it back on.

Musk also suggested that Ukraine should negotiate a truce with Russia. However, this “peace plan” proposal received criticism from Ukrainian officials, politicians, and experts on Russia’s President Putin.

In an interview with CNBC’s “Squawk Box,” Walter Isaacson spoke about SpaceX’s development of a military-grade version of Starlink to address Musk’s concerns about the satellite network’s use in war.

CNBC reached out to the U.S. Department of Defense with questions regarding SpaceX. These questions included inquiries about the re-evaluation of the company’s government contracts, whether Musk’s calls for a truce between Ukraine and Russia align with the U.S. government’s position, and whether Musk’s actions, including personal meetings with Putin, comply with the terms of awarded contracts. The Department of Defense spokesperson, Jeff Jurgensen, declined to offer further details or answer the specific questions but confirmed that they do contract with Starlink for satellite communication services.

Earlier, Senator Elizabeth Warren called for a Congressional investigation into Elon Musk and SpaceX. She expressed the need for Congress to ensure that foreign policy is conducted by the government and not by individual billionaires. SpaceX is currently seeking a new license from the Federal Aviation Administration and approvals from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to resume test flights for its Starship Super Heavy launch vehicle. The company plans to use Starship for launching its next-generation Starlink satellites, as well as for missions to the moon and eventually Mars.

For the full letter, click here.