- The Message That Putin Has Told Elon Musk In A Private Conversation That Terrifies The West About The War In Ukraine

Billionaire and Tesla owner Elon Musk in a file image from August 2021.

Musk asks the Pentagon to pay for SpaceX to continue donating satellites to Ukraine

SpaceX billionaire founder Elon Musk has asked the US Department of Defense to bear the cost of supplying communications satellites to Ukraine, something it was doing for free until now.

As published on Thursday by the US channel CNN, SpaceX would have already informed the Pentagon that if it does not contribute tens of millions of dollars each month, the donations could be nearing their end.

Since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, Musk has been sending terminals of his SpaceX Starlink satellite connection service to try to alleviate internet service interruptions in Ukraine caused by the bombing.

According to Musk himself, the operation has already cost SpaceX $80 million and is expected to reach $100 million by the end of the year.

Last July, SpaceX launched a rocket with 53 compact broadband repeater stations for the Starlink internet network, which is close to reaching 3,000, from the Cape Canaveral air base (Florida).

The new Starlink satellites were dropped into an orbit between 144 miles and 209 miles in altitude (232 by 337 kilometers) and used onboard propulsion to reach a circular orbit 335 miles (540 kilometers) above Earth.

Capacity for up to 30,000 satellites

With this addition, there are now 2,759 Starlink Internet satellites, including prototypes and test units that are no longer in service.

After reaching their operational orbit, the satellites entered commercial service and began transmitting broadband signals to consumers, who can purchase Starlink service and connect to the network with a SpaceX-provided ground terminal.

According to specialized media, the network has more than 250,000 users worldwide and has permission to launch 12,000 satellites, but is seeking approval to deploy up to 30,000 more.