SpaceX has supplied around 25,000 Starlink satellites to Ukraine since the war began. Musk says the donations have cost the company $80 million and will exceed $100.
A hot potato: Elon Musk has been praised for supplying Ukraine with SpaceX Starlink terminals to help in the war against Russia, but the world’s richest person has warned that his company can’t continue its donations or fund the existing system indefinitely and is asking the Pentagon to start paying for the service.
SpaceX has supplied around 25,000 Starlink satellites to Ukraine since the war began. Musk says the donations have cost the company $80 million and will exceed $100 million by the end of the year.
Ukraine vice prime minister Mykhailo Federov has thanked Musk for the deliveries, which have allowed the country’s military and civilians to continue communicating and accessing the internet even as Russia targets its comms infrastructure.
But it seems SpaceX’s generosity isn’t without its limits. According to a CNN report, SpaceX sent a letter to the Pentagon last month warning that it can no longer continue funding the Starlink service. It’s estimated that costs could reach almost $380 million over the next 12 months, and it wants the US government to pay for additional terminals and ongoing service costs.
