US defense and aviation expert Tyler Rogoway has expressed doubts about reports that Elon Musk personally ordered restrictions on the Starshield satellite service used by Ukraine.
The Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday, citing US officials and people familiar with the matter, that Musk ordered a slowdown of the service last week. The restrictions reportedly disrupted the use of Ukrainian strike and interceptor drones.
Rogoway, editor-in-chief of defense publication The War Zone, said on X that he had “real reservations” about the claim.
According to Rogoway, Starshield is governed by extensive terms and contractual arrangements between the Pentagon and SpaceX. The idea that Musk could simply order an employee to impose a speed restriction on terminals operating around Ukraine would, he argued, raise serious questions for both the Pentagon and Ukraine.
– I have real questions here, Rogoway wrote.
Rogoway specializes in military technology, aviation and unmanned systems.
Who actually gave the order?
Rogoway’s doubts center on Starshield’s role as a system designed for government and national-security customers.
SpaceX describes Starshield as a secure satellite network for government use that builds on Starlink technology but is intended specifically for national-security missions.
The US Department of Defense has previously confirmed contracts with SpaceX for satellite communications services supporting Ukraine. The precise operational terms of those arrangements have not been made public because of their military sensitivity.
That is why Rogoway considers the idea of a completely unilateral decision by Musk so consequential.
The Wall Street Journal report itself presents differing accounts of what happened. Some US officials told the paper that Musk acted on his own and that president Donald Trump had not ordered retaliation against Ukraine.
Another person familiar with the matter said Musk spoke with several senior administration officials, including Trump, before imposing the restriction.
Rogoway said it would be more plausible if Musk had proposed the idea but the actual order had come from the US Department of Defense or the White House. He stressed, however, that he did not know whether Musk had been involved in originating the idea at all.
The implications go beyond Ukraine. If the head of SpaceX were able to unilaterally alter the operation of a critical satellite communications system used by the Pentagon during military operations, it would raise fundamental questions over who ultimately controls the network.