SpaceX is building a network of hundreds of spy satellites under a classified contract with a US intelligence agency, Reuters reports.

The contract in question proves the deepening of ties between billionaire businessman Elon Musk’s space company and national security services.

The network is being built by SpaceX’s Starshield business unit under a $1.8 billion contract signed in 2021 with the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO), an intelligence agency that manages spy satellites.

The plans show the extent of SpaceX’s involvement in US intelligence and military services projects and illustrate a deeper Pentagon investment in massive low-Earth orbit satellite systems aimed at supporting ground forces.

If successful, the program will greatly advance the ability of the US government and military to quickly identify potential targets almost anywhere in the world.

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