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What a wonderful human being that Elon is.

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Musk zapped internet ahead of Ukraine attack
Chesnot/Getty Images

Though it likely won’t attract a line outside your local Barnes & Noble like Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows did, Walter Isaacson’s upcoming biography of Elon Musk, which will be released next week, is already causing a stir thanks to an excerpt obtained by CNN.

According to Isaacson, last year Musk secretly ordered his engineers to turn off Starlink satellites near Crimea as Ukrainian submarines approached the Russian naval fleet for a sneak attack. Ukraine, which relies on Starlink for communication, was forced to abandon the operation.

Why’d he do it? Musk reportedly turned off Starlink due to discomfort with the idea that his internet-beaming satellite network was enabling a Ukraine offensive, which he believed could lead to a larger conflict involving nuclear weapons. He asked Isaacson, “How am I in this war?” And said, “Starlink was not meant to be involved in wars.”

But it has been very involved in the Ukraine war. Musk sent Starlink satellite dishes to the frontlines following Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine and the subsequent wipeout of the internet in parts of the country. These dishes became instrumental to Ukraine’s communications infrastructure…until, for that crucial period, they weren’t.

Big picture: While Starlink is still operating in Ukraine, Musk’s power grip—and ability to single-handedly impact the course of the war—is a major concern for top US government leaders. Many said they treat Musk like an “unelected official,” according to The New Yorker.—CC
 
Well, interesting conundrum...

Some people get upset at Google for wanting to do business with the military and now people are upset because Musk doesn't want his tech to be used for war.

What's most stunning is that the US is asking Musk for his Starlink system to supply Ukraine's communications needs. With a US military budget close to 1 trillion dollars, isn't the US military capable to support Ukraine without asking Musk? That's unconscionable to me.
 
VicBee said:
Well, interesting conundrum...

Some people get upset at Google for wanting to do business with the military and now people are upset because Musk doesn't want his tech to be used for war.

What's most stunning is that the US is asking Musk for his Starlink system to supply Ukraine's communications needs. With a US military budget close to 1 trillion dollars, isn't the US military capable to support Ukraine without asking Musk? That's unconscionable to me.
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The US military didn't establish a billion low-earth-orbit disposable internet satellites like Musk did.
 
Overnight said:
The US military didn't establish a billion low-earth-orbit disposable internet satellites like Musk did.
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dual use, that’s what accuse the chinese tech, including dji drones.

you fight with what you got, not wish what you ought to have, forgot who said that.
 
mervyn said:
dual use, that’s what accuse the chinese tech, including dji drones.

you fight with what you got, not wish what you ought to have, forgot who said that.
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What does dual-use have to do with anything? Musk is in control of his network, and he can do with it as he pleases. Don't know why the US military doesn't just funnel a few thousand satellite phones to Ukraine, have them distributed across the war zones.
 
Overnight said:
What does dual-use have to do with anything? Musk is in control of his network, and he can do with it as he pleases. Don't know why the US military doesn't just funnel a few thousand satellite phones to Ukraine, have them distributed across the war zones.
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russians had threaten to shoot down the satellites over its space, outspace included. starlink from what we read is for civilian and emergency use, like nordstream pipeline, dji drones, and all the good stuff in peace time. now they are all weapons or targets in wartime.

spaceX is 150 billion company, sure elon doesn't want to lose money until cashing out.
 
Overnight said:
You have a link to that news bit?
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Not just a newa link, it was analyzed and concluded by West Point already, that's why Pentagon is silent on Elon's remarks.

https://lieber.westpoint.edu/can-starlink-satellites-be-lawfully-targeted/

Conclusion

The Starlink constellation is a valid military objective but, as for Russia targeting it, a kinetic attack levied against an entire constellation would be of such a scale that it is difficult to imagine the attack would not run afoul of the principle of proportionality.

However, while Russia has not yet succeeded in deploying non-kinetic methods of attack in space, China is watching closely and already holds a robust arsenal of counterspace capabilities. Chinese defense-affiliated researchers have called for the development of vigorous countermeasures, including kinetic countermeasures, for use against Starlink. The United States military will wish to preserve and protect the utility of Starlink, and avoid a situation in which China employs such a capability.
 
mervyn said:
Not just a newa link, it was analyzed and concluded by West Point already, that's why Pentagon is silent on Elon's remarks.

https://lieber.westpoint.edu/can-starlink-satellites-be-lawfully-targeted/

Conclusion

The Starlink constellation is a valid military objective but, as for Russia targeting it, a kinetic attack levied against an entire constellation would be of such a scale that it is difficult to imagine the attack would not run afoul of the principle of proportionality.

However, while Russia has not yet succeeded in deploying non-kinetic methods of attack in space, China is watching closely and already holds a robust arsenal of counterspace capabilities. Chinese defense-affiliated researchers have called for the development of vigorous countermeasures, including kinetic countermeasures, for use against Starlink. The United States military will wish to preserve and protect the utility of Starlink, and avoid a situation in which China employs such a capability.
More...
So, the US government is asking (telling?) Starlink to support Ukraine's military coms needs, an unintended consequence of the company's success and something its founder Elon Musk had never imagined he'd be strong-armed into complying with. As far as I know Starlink is not a US military contractor and never intended to be.

Wait what? Isn't this exactly what the US is accusing China of doing with a number of Chinese global companies, from drones to telecoms?

Oh wait, we're the good guys so that's ok.
 
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