Tesla CEO Elon Musk arrives for a U.S. Senate bipartisan Artificial Intelligence Insight Forum on the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., Sept. 13, 2023.
Andrew Caballero-Reynolds | AFP | Getty Images
WASHINGTON — Three Democratic members of the Senate Committee on Armed Services have requested the Pentagon for details about SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, and whether or not he “directed the unilateral disabling or impediment of function of Starlink satellite communications terminals used by the Ukrainian Armed Forces in southern Ukraine in 2022,” or ever had the authority to take action.
Democratic Sens. Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire, Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Tammy Duckworth of Illinois wrote a letter Friday to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin to precise their “serious concerns about whether Musk has personally intervened to undermine a key U.S. partner at a critical juncture.”
Their questions observe the publication of a biography of Elon Musk, who’s CEO of SpaceX and automaker Tesla, and proprietor and chief know-how officer of the social community X, previously often called Twitter. In the e-book, writer Walter Isaacson wrote {that a} Ukrainian drone submarine assault on Russian warships was disrupted by a disconnect from Starlink, ordered by Musk.
Excerpts from the e-book raised alarm bells in Washington, amongst NATO allies and within the Ukrainian capital. After they have been revealed, Musk painted himself as a peacekeeper and wrote on social media that he didn’t disconnect Starlink over Crimea, however moderately denied a request by Ukraine to offer it there. He wrote, “If I had agreed to their request, then SpaceX would be explicitly complicit in a major act of war and conflict escalation.” Isaacson has issued a correction to his biography stating that connectivity had already been disabled within the affected space, and that Musk had merely refused a request to show it on.
Musk also argued, as he has prior to now, that Ukraine ought to strike a “truce” with Russia. Musk’s “peace plan” argument was shouted down by Ukraine officers, politicians and Putin consultants.
On Tuesday, in an interview with CNBC’s “Squawk Box,” Isaacson mentioned SpaceX growing a military-grade model of Starlink, which might assist resolve issues expressed by Musk concerning the satellite tv for pc networks’ use in conflict.
CNBC requested the U.S. Department of Defense a number of questions pertaining to SpaceX, together with whether or not the division could be re-evaluating any of the corporate’s authorities contracts, whether or not Musk’s requires a truce between Ukraine and Russia mirror the U.S. authorities’s place and whether or not Musk’s conduct, together with taking private conferences with Putin prior to now, had been consistent with the phrases of contracts awarded to his firm.
A spokesperson for the division, Jeff Jurgensen, advised CNBC through e mail, “The Department does contract with Starlink for satellite communication services in support of our Ukrainian partners,” however declined to supply additional particulars or reply the particular questions posed.
He added that the Department of Defense “continues to work closely with commercial industry to ensure we have the right capabilities the Ukrainians need to defend themselves — and more broadly — the kind of communication and space-related capabilities necessary to accomplish our own global missions and support our national defense strategy.”
Earlier within the week, Sen. Warren known as for a Congressional probe of Musk and SpaceX. “Congress needs to investigate what’s happened here, and whether we have adequate tools to make sure foreign policy is conducted by the government and not by one billionaire,” Warren stated Monday, Bloomberg first reported.
SpaceX is at the moment working to acquire a brand new license from the Federal Aviation Administration and approvals from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to renew take a look at flights for its Starship Super Heavy launch car from its Boca Chica, Texas, facility. An earlier take a look at flight this yr resulted in an explosion and a mishap investigation overseen and just lately accomplished by the FAA.
The firm plans to make use of Starship to launch and deploy its subsequent era Starlink satellites. Musk additionally envisions Starship taking astronauts and provides to the moon, and finally, Mars.
Read the total letter right here.
Source: www.cnbc.com”
