Starshield throttled its service to block terminals traveling above specific speeds, causing Ukrainian army interceptors to stop working at high velocities. Russia attacked Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, resulting in at least 17 injuries and 2 deaths.
The Ukrainian military reported receiving no advance warning regarding the speed restrictions imposed on the Starshield system. But Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the restriction was a direct message from the US.
Elon Musk and Donald Trump traded denials concerning the Starshield restriction. Musk stated that SpaceX has no control over Starshield and that the US military makes all decisions.
The White House denied taking any action on Starshield. Reports suggest Musk suggested the slowdown tactic to Trump, while others claim Musk unilaterally ordered the restrictions.
Starlink coverage was not extended to cover a counterattack operation in Crimea in 2022. SpaceX currently has over 10,000 Starlink satellites in low Earth orbit.
SpaceX launched Amazon Kuiper (now Leo) satellites. Whitman Cobb and Karasu claimed that Falcon 9 launches are becoming more expensive, especially for low Earth orbit deployments.
Starlink service prices saw considerable increases since the beta launch in 2020. SpaceX is reportedly not accepting any new missions from 2028 for its Falcon 9 rocket.
The Space Shuttle Columbia disaster in 2003 killed 7 astronauts. No humans were launched into space from the US between 2011 and 2020.
Reliability issues with the Falcon 9 temporarily grounded the rocket in February this year. The SpaceX Falcon 9 remains the most successful rocket in history.
