Democrats on the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee have urged SpaceX founder Elon Musk to preserve all documents and email correspondence related to the operation of the Starlink and Starshield systems in Ukraine.
This was reported by Bloomberg and Reuters, citing a letter from the senators.
Senators Jeanne Shaheen and Chris Coons said that recent restrictions on the use of the satellite systems have undermined key capabilities of Ukraine’s air defence and put US personnel at risk. They also voiced concern about SpaceX’s control over critical communications assets.
According to Reuters, the senators are demanding that the company preserve documents covering the period since 1 September. This includes correspondence regarding the Starlink and Starshield projects in Ukraine, as well as communications between Musk, SpaceX leadership, the White House and the Pentagon.
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The appeal was prompted, among other things, by statements from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy about new restrictions on the use of Starshield terminals by the Ukrainian military. Ukraine reported similar problems with the operation of the SpaceX system last month.
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Shaheen and Coons urged Musk to confirm in writing by 30 November that the company has taken all necessary steps to preserve the data.
Democrats also pledged to make SpaceX’s role in the war in Ukraine one of the key issues for the new US Congress, which will begin work in January.