this post was submitted on 26 Feb 2024
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The House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party sent a letter on Saturday to SpaceX and Tesla CEO Elon Musk demanding that U.S. troops stationed in Taiwan get access to SpaceX's Starshield, a satellite communication network designed specifically for the military.

The letter, obtained by CNBC and first reported by Forbes, claimed that by not making Starshield available to U.S. military forces in Taiwan, SpaceX could violate its Pentagon contract, which requires "global access" to Starshield technology.

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[–] geekworking 97 points 8 months ago (4 children)

Why TF are we renting military stuff from any 3rd party and essentially giving them control to override the military chain of command in the first place? I can't see this sitting well with anyone on the military side of this.

[–] DandomRude 20 points 8 months ago

Presumably for the same reason that many US prisons are run by private individuals.

[–] mods_are_assholes 3 points 8 months ago

Outsourcing is the new thing, you don't have to take the blame and that's value for a lot of decision makers.

Also it always, ALWAYS results in a shittier product. Which is part of the reason why the world is fucked right now.

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[–] [email protected] 57 points 8 months ago (2 children)

"We demand that you make us reliant on you for communications!"

JFC we spend a trillion bucks a year on the military. Why don't they have their own satellite internet already?

[–] Crack0n7uesday 11 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago) (2 children)

They do, it just not as fast or reliable. SpaceX put more into infrastructure whereas the Military just did bare minimum. Now that Starlink is so much better, it's cheaper and more efficient to rent from them than to continue building their own.

[–] [email protected] 28 points 8 months ago (33 children)

You know what would be even cheaper? Seizing Starlink as a national security asset.

[–] Wrench 22 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago) (1 children)

They'd have to seize spaceX too, which is the reason that starlink is viable in the first place due to reduced costs in launching satellites.

And then if they do both, survive the brain drain while simultaneously surviving the onslaught of Republican attempts to defund it into oblivion, because that's what they do.

Yeah. I don't like those chances, nor do I like Musk essentially having power over foreign relations. Kinda lose lose, which is why we're in this shitty holding pattern atm.

[–] [email protected] 15 points 8 months ago (1 children)
[–] Gradually_Adjusting 1 points 8 months ago

Cool thing to say because NASA was great once

[–] Illuminostro 6 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago)

You know what would be the cherry on top? Seize all of Musk's assets, and kick his ass out of the country. Along with the Murdochs.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 8 months ago

You can't really put a real cost on seizing something like that. Not all of the costs will be up front or even obvious. People don't like having their stit stolen, oddly enough.

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[–] lurker8008 9 points 8 months ago

Who do you think paid for SpaceX to launch all those satellites?

[–] [email protected] 7 points 8 months ago

We do. They're all geostationary. So high latency and low bandwidth. Been in operation early 2000.

[–] phoneymouse 31 points 8 months ago (3 children)

US military should build its own damn starlink as a matter of national security

[–] mods_are_assholes 5 points 8 months ago

You are correct, but if they try it'll just get diverted and used to feed the oligarchs.

I'd rather the U.S. government just seize all of the muskrat's businesses and nationalize them.

[–] PeterPoopshit 4 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago)

Something something military industrial complex

[–] [email protected] 1 points 8 months ago

They are working on it, but it's slow to develop something like that.

[–] FlyingSquid 17 points 8 months ago

Elon says no because he doesn't want to start a nuclear war. Which is why he will provide unlimited Starshield access to China.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 8 months ago

lol, at least they're asking nicely. they can "collectivize" the equipment if they decide it's necessary

[–] RestrictedAccount 2 points 8 months ago

MARCH. IN. RIGHTS.

[–] EvilEyedPanda 0 points 8 months ago

You never demand anything from an egotist, it's like our politicians have no idea...

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