SpaceX Builds a Network of Spy Satellites for US Intelligence, Reuters Reports

SpaceX is constructing a network of hundreds of spy satellites under a secret contract with the U.S. Intelligence Agency, as reported by Reuters, citing sources familiar with the project.

The network is being developed by SpaceX's Starshield business division as part of a $1.8 billion contract signed in 2021 with the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO). According to sources, if successful, the program will significantly enhance the U.S. government's and military's ability to rapidly detect potential targets almost anywhere on the globe.

The Wall Street Journal reported in February on the existence of a $1.8 billion Starshield secret contract with an undisclosed intelligence agency, without detailing the project’s objectives.