12.09.2023 10:33

U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren is demanding an investigation into SpaceX after Elon Musk acknowledged he had blocked Ukraine from extending the private Starlink satellite network for an attack on Russian warships near the Crimean coast.

That’s according to Bloomberg, Ukrinform reports.

“The Congress needs to investigate what’s happened here and whether we have adequate tools to make sure foreign policy is conducted by the government and not by one billionaire,” she said on Monday, September 11.

Musk, the chief executive officer of SpaceX, is expected to be among the technology industry chiefs to attend a closed-door summit with senators at the Capitol on Wednesday, September 13.

Warren, a member of the Armed Services Committee, said she also wants the Defense Department to look into its contractual relationship with the company.

Armed Services chairman Jack Reed also said he was concerned about the issue, given that governments traditionally have controlled satellites and presidents decided what to do with them.

He said there have been very positive developments with SpaceX reducing the cost of access to space, including for national security launches, “but he [Musk] can’t be the last word when it comes to national security.”

(C)UNIAN 2023