US military gives Elon Musk’s SpaceX access to sensitive tracking data
This gives the company an advantage in tracking objects in orbit, raising national security concerns and fears of greater control over the space industry
TL;DR
- SpaceX has been granted access to the US military's most precise data on potential satellite collisions and space objects.
- Critics fear this move could lead to the privatization of space traffic control and give SpaceX a monopoly in the commercial space sector.
- The US government's own space traffic control program, Traccs, has faced significant underfunding attempts.
- The data access is part of a contract between SpaceX and the Space Force, where the government receives access to SpaceX's sensor data in return.
- Concerns have been raised about ethical conflicts, with some viewing this as the Trump administration rewarding a donor with lucrative government contracts.