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Elon Musk has rejected calls from former NASA astronaut Scott Kelly to boost his Starlink internet system over Ukraine to help the military.
Kelly tweeted to Musk on Saturday saying: ‘Ukraine desperately needs your continued support. Defending from a genocidal invasion is not an offensive capability. it is survival. Innocent lives will be lost. Can you help. Thank you.’
It came after Musk’s company restricted Ukraine’s military access to Starlink, in particular, it is used to control drones carrying grenades.
Musk was quick to respond to Kelly, defending his caution on Sunday about increased coverage in the country.
‘You are smart enough not to fall for the media and other propaganda. Starlink is the main source of communication for Ukraine, especially on the front lines where almost all other internet connections have been lost.
“However, we will not contribute to the escalation of the conflict that could lead to World War III,” he wrote.
Musk defended the decision, saying SpaceX would not contribute to escalating the conflict, which could lead to World War III.
Former NASA astronaut Scott Kelly has asked Elon Musk, the founder of SpaceX, to expand his Starlink internet service in Ukraine.
Kelly made the plea on Twitter, urging Musk to help Ukraine fend off a possible genocidal invasion, after SpaceX limited military access to Starlink.
Last week, Gwynne Shotwell, the president of SpaceX, announced that the company was limiting Ukraine’s use of Starlink for military purposes, explaining that the high-speed broadband was not designed for offensive or military operations.
Shotwell claimed that the service could be used for typical communications and humanitarian efforts, such as connecting families and hospitals.
The service allowed Ukrainians to benefit from uninterrupted, independent and secure internet access, while Russia destroyed the country’s telecommunications infrastructure, but Starlink satellites also became the only means of communication for the Ukrainian armed forces on the front lines. .
Mykhailo Fedorov, Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine and Minister of Digital Transformation of Ukraine, praised Starlink last October.
Starlink terminals are small, portable, have low power requirements, and are nearly impossible for Russia to block, providing Ukraine with an ideal communications network.
Drones used in the field can use the newly available Starlink to stay connected and provide intelligence as internet and power outages hit Ukraine.
In particular, Starlink satellites have helped Ukrainian military drones carrying anti-tank grenades to destroy Russian army tanks and trucks.
“More than 100 cruise missiles attacked energy and communication infrastructure,” Mykhailo Fedorov, Ukraine’s Deputy Prime Minister and Ukraine’s Minister of Digital Transformation, said last October.
“But with Starlink we quickly restore the connection in critical areas. Starlink continues to be an essential part of critical infrastructure.”
A month earlier, in September, Musk also tweeted that Starlink was intended for peaceful use only, and that the terms of use specify that Internet connections are not to be used for military activities.
Last September, Musk also tweeted that Starlink was intended for peaceful uses only.
Last month, Musk explained that he was restricting the use of Starlink on Ukrainian drones.
In fact, Starlink’s terms of service document clearly states: “Starlink is not designed or intended for use with or in offensive or defensive weaponry or other comparable end uses.”
Musk has now put a limit on the use of Starlink antennas by the Ukrainian armed forces with SpaceX taking steps to ensure that Starlink antennas are not used to operate Ukrainian drones.
‘One year of resistance and companies have to decide: either they are on the side of the right to freedom and they are not looking for ways to do harm.
‘Or they are on the side of RF and their ‘right’ to kill and seize territories. #SpaceX (Starlink) and Ms. #Shotwell should choose a specific option,’ Mykhailo Podolyak, a senior adviser to Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky, tweeted at Shotwell on February 9.
But Musk’s position seems clear and firm for now, with SpaceX maintaining restrictions to prevent the Ukrainian military from using Starlink to control drones used in the conflict nearing its one-year anniversary.
Mykhailo Podolyak, a senior adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, has asked SpaceX to choose sides in the war.