{"id":37456,"date":"2024-03-31T03:13:05","date_gmt":"2024-03-31T07:13:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usa.businessupturn.com\/?p=37456"},"modified":"2024-03-31T03:13:05","modified_gmt":"2024-03-31T07:13:05","slug":"house-democrats-launch-probe-into-spacex-over-alleged-illegal-export-and-use-of-starlink-by-russia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.businessupturn.com\/usa\/house-democrats-launch-probe-into-spacex-over-alleged-illegal-export-and-use-of-starlink-by-russia\/37456\/","title":{"rendered":"House Democrats Launch Probe into SpaceX Over Alleged Illegal Export and Use of Starlink by Russia"},"content":{"rendered":"

Robert<\/span> Garcia,<\/b><\/span> D-Calif.<\/b><\/span> and<\/span> Jamie<\/span> Raskin,<\/b><\/span> D-Md.,<\/b><\/span> responded<\/b><\/span> to<\/b><\/span> reports<\/span> that<\/b><\/span> Russia<\/b><\/span> may<\/b><\/span> be<\/b><\/span> illegally<\/b><\/span> purchasing<\/b><\/span> and using\u00a0Starlink<\/span> satellite<\/span> internet<\/span> equipment<\/span> in<\/span> parts<\/b><\/span> of<\/span> Ukraine.<\/b><\/span> SpaceX<\/b><\/span> started<\/b><\/span> looking.<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

In<\/b><\/span> a<\/span> letter<\/span> to<\/span> SpaceX,<\/b><\/span> President<\/span> and<\/span> Chief<\/span> Operating<\/span> Officer<\/span> Gwynne<\/span> Shotwell<\/b><\/span> said<\/b><\/span> members<\/b><\/span> of<\/b><\/span> Congress<\/b><\/span> want<\/b><\/span>\u00a0spacecraft launches <\/b>to<\/b><\/span> continue<\/b><\/span> working<\/b><\/span> to<\/b><\/span> prevent<\/b><\/span> unauthorized<\/b><\/span> use<\/b><\/span> of<\/span> Starlink<\/span> tools<\/b><\/span> and<\/span> services.<\/span> The<\/b><\/span> move<\/span> comes<\/span> amid<\/b><\/span> growing<\/span>concerns<\/span> over<\/span> Russia\u2019s<\/span> alleged<\/span> purchase<\/b><\/span> and<\/span> deployment<\/span> of<\/span> Starlink<\/span> terminals<\/span> in<\/span> eastern<\/span> Ukraine.<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

SpaceX,<\/b><\/span> founded<\/span> and<\/span> managed<\/b><\/span> by<\/span> Elon<\/span> Musk,<\/span> faced<\/span> scrutiny<\/span> after<\/span> allegations<\/b><\/span> emerged<\/span> that<\/b><\/span> Russia<\/b><\/span> was<\/b><\/span> using<\/b><\/span> the<\/b><\/span> Starlink<\/span>satellite<\/span> terminal<\/b><\/span> in<\/span> Ukraine<\/span> under<\/span> its<\/span> control.<\/span> The<\/span> company<\/span> made<\/b><\/span> a<\/b><\/span> profit<\/b><\/span> by<\/b><\/span> providing<\/span> satellite<\/span> internet<\/span> service<\/b><\/span> during<\/span> the beginning of<\/span> Russia\u2019s<\/span> invasion<\/span> of<\/span> Ukraine.<\/span> However,<\/span> after<\/b><\/span> the<\/b><\/span> incident,<\/b><\/span> questions<\/span> arose<\/b><\/span> regarding<\/b><\/span> the<\/span> unintended consequences\u00a0of<\/span> providing<\/span> such<\/span> technology<\/span> in<\/span> a<\/b><\/span> conflict<\/span> zone.<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

In<\/b><\/span> Walter<\/span> Isaacson\u2019s<\/b><\/span> memoirs,<\/b><\/span> Elon<\/b><\/span> Musk<\/b><\/span> said<\/b><\/span> that<\/span> he<\/b><\/span> believed<\/b><\/span> Starlink<\/span> was<\/span> not<\/span> intended<\/span> for<\/span> military<\/span> use,<\/span> but<\/b><\/span> that<\/b><\/span> its<\/span> purpose was\u00a0to<\/b><\/span> support<\/b><\/span> peaceful<\/span> purposes<\/b><\/span> such<\/span> as<\/span> education<\/span> and<\/span> entertainment.<\/span> The<\/span> book<\/span> states<\/b><\/span> that<\/span> Musk<\/span> ordered<\/span> the<\/span> shutdown<\/span> of the\u00a0Starlink<\/b><\/span> satellite<\/span> network<\/span> over<\/span> Crimea<\/span> to<\/span> protect<\/b><\/span> Ukraine<\/b><\/span> from<\/b><\/span> attacking<\/b><\/span> Russian<\/span> ships,<\/b><\/span> but<\/b><\/span> Musk<\/b><\/span> denied<\/span> this<\/b><\/span> claim.<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

The<\/b><\/span> proposal<\/b><\/span> caused<\/b><\/span> controversy<\/b><\/span> when<\/b><\/span> it<\/b><\/span> was<\/b><\/span> published<\/b><\/span> in<\/span> 2023<\/span> and<\/b><\/span> drew<\/b><\/span> criticism<\/span> from<\/span> Ukrainian<\/span> leaders,<\/b><\/span> including President Volodymyr<\/span> Zelensky.<\/b><\/span> Kiev\u2019s<\/b><\/span> General<\/b><\/span> Intelligence<\/span> Service<\/b><\/span> (GUR)<\/span> later<\/b><\/span> released<\/b><\/span> evidence<\/span> of<\/span> Russian<\/span> forces<\/span>\u00a0using starlink<\/b>\u00a0in<\/span> Donetsk,<\/span> raising<\/span> concerns<\/span> about<\/span> violations<\/span> of<\/span> US<\/b><\/span> export<\/span> controls.<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

House<\/b><\/span> Democrats\u2019<\/span> investigation<\/b><\/span> into<\/span> SpaceX\u2019s<\/span> practices<\/span> is<\/span> not<\/span> isolated,<\/b><\/span> as<\/span> bipartisan<\/span> concerns<\/span> have<\/b><\/span> also<\/b><\/span> been<\/b><\/span> raised<\/b><\/span>\u00a0about the <\/b>company\u2019s<\/span> satellite<\/span> communications<\/span> network.<\/b><\/span> In<\/span> February,<\/span> the<\/span> House<\/span> Committee,<\/b><\/span> led<\/span> by<\/span> Representative<\/b><\/span> Wisconsin.<\/b><\/span> Mike <\/span>Gallagher<\/span> asked<\/b><\/span> Elon<\/span> Musk<\/span> to<\/span> allow<\/b><\/span> the<\/b><\/span> US<\/b><\/span> military<\/b><\/span> in<\/span> Taiwan<\/span> access<\/span> to<\/span> SpaceX\u2019s<\/span> Starshield<\/span> network<\/b><\/span> designed<\/span> for<\/span> military<\/span> use.<\/span>Failure<\/span> to<\/span> meet<\/b><\/span> contractual<\/span> obligations<\/span> would<\/b><\/span> have<\/span> a<\/b><\/span> significant<\/span> impact<\/b><\/span> on<\/b><\/span> SpaceX\u2019s<\/span> relationship<\/span> with<\/span> the<\/span> Department<\/span> of Defense.<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

When<\/b><\/span> asked<\/b><\/span> to<\/b><\/span> comply<\/b><\/span> with<\/span> US<\/b><\/span> government<\/span> contracts,<\/span> SpaceX<\/b><\/span> has<\/span> yet<\/span> to<\/span> respond<\/span> to<\/span> concerns<\/b><\/span> about<\/b><\/span> its<\/b><\/span> alleged<\/span> use<\/span> of<\/span>Russia\u2019s<\/b><\/span> Starlink.<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

The<\/b><\/span> congressional<\/span> investigation<\/span> followed<\/b><\/span> recent<\/span> developments,<\/span> including<\/span> the<\/span> arrest<\/span> of<\/span> a<\/b><\/span> New<\/span> Jersey<\/span> man<\/b><\/span> on<\/span> charges<\/span> of<\/span>\u00a0trading stolen<\/b>\u00a0cards<\/b><\/span> or<\/b><\/span> stolen<\/b><\/span> money<\/b><\/span> in<\/b><\/span> 675<\/span> credit<\/b><\/span> accounts.<\/b><\/span> SpaceX<\/span> Starlink<\/span> Terminal.<\/b><\/span> Police<\/b><\/span> working<\/b><\/span> with<\/span> SpaceX<\/b><\/span> continue<\/span> to<\/span>investigate<\/span> the<\/span> nature<\/b><\/span> of<\/b><\/span> the<\/span> illegal<\/b><\/span> purchase<\/b><\/span> and<\/span> the<\/span> location<\/b><\/span> of<\/span> the<\/span> equipment.<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

The<\/b><\/span> outcome<\/span> of<\/span> House<\/span> Democrats\u2019<\/span> investigation<\/b><\/span> into<\/span> SpaceX\u2019s<\/span> management<\/b><\/span> of<\/span> the<\/span> Starlink<\/span> satellite<\/span> network<\/span> will<\/b><\/span> also<\/b><\/span> depend<\/b><\/span>on<\/b><\/span> lawmakers\u2019<\/b><\/span> efforts<\/b><\/span> to<\/span> enforce<\/b><\/span> export<\/span> laws<\/b><\/span> and<\/span> reduce<\/b><\/span> security<\/span> risks<\/span> associated<\/span> with<\/span> unauthorized<\/span> use<\/b><\/span> of<\/span> technology<\/span> in<\/span>conflict<\/span> zones.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Congressional Inquiry Demands Transparency from SpaceX Amidst Concerns of Unauthorized Utilization of Starlink Equipment<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":331,"featured_media":36883,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[3768,4745],"class_list":["post-37456","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-tech","tag-space","tag-tech"],"reading_time":"3 min read","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.businessupturn.com\/usa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37456","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.businessupturn.com\/usa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.businessupturn.com\/usa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.businessupturn.com\/usa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/331"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.businessupturn.com\/usa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=37456"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.businessupturn.com\/usa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37456\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.businessupturn.com\/usa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/36883"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.businessupturn.com\/usa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=37456"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.businessupturn.com\/usa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=37456"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.businessupturn.com\/usa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=37456"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}