from the Please-read:-A-Personal-Appeal-from-Starlink-Founder-Elon-Musk dept.
SpaceX "will add a donate option to Starlink" for places in need:
The Pentagon has reportedly held talks with SpaceX about funding Starlink in Ukraine, though SpaceX CEO Elon Musk wrote in a tweet yesterday that "SpaceX has already withdrawn its request for funding." Musk also said he'll seek Starlink donations for places in need.
[...] Musk wrote in another tweet that "25,300 terminals were sent to Ukraine, but, at present, only 10,630 are paying for service." He also wrote that SpaceX "will add a donate option to Starlink" for those who "want to donate Starlinks to places in need."
That could include Ukraine and other countries. Musk's tweet about adding a donation option came in response to Ham Serunjogi, co-founder and CEO of a company that runs a service for sending and receiving money in Africa. "I'd be glad to commit $$ to donate Starlink to schools & hospitals in Uganda," Serunjogi wrote.
[...] Musk seemed to backtrack on Saturday, albeit grudgingly. "The hell with it... even though Starlink is still losing money & other companies are getting billions of taxpayer $, we'll just keep funding Ukraine govt for free," he wrote.
[...] The Pentagon said last week that it's considering other satellite options, too. "There are certainly other Satcom capabilities that exist out there," Pentagon Deputy Press Secretary Sabrina Singh said, according to the Financial Times. "There's not just SpaceX; there are other entities that we can certainly partner with when it comes to providing Ukraine with what they need on the battlefield."
(Score: 5, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Friday October 28 2022, @06:05AM (1 child)
Ain't that a hoot?
(Score: 2) by corey on Saturday October 29 2022, @09:32PM
He’s gotta protect that wealth somehow. Like Smaug on the gold coins.
If he personally donates a couple of billion, I’ll donate too. How’s about leading by example.
Though his losses will end up minimised through tax write offs.
(Score: 3, Funny) by Opportunist on Friday October 28 2022, @06:07AM
Did the ad not pan out as it was planned and we should now pay for it?
(Score: 5, Insightful) by Immerman on Friday October 28 2022, @06:17AM (6 children)
First rule of joining the military industrial complex - you never try to change the agreement in the middle of an ongoing conflict.
Giving away Starlink in Ukraine was incredible advertising, but I suspect Musk burnt a whole lot of goodwill trying to climb on the gravy train prematurely. We'll see how that effects future military contracts for SpaceX, Tesla, etc.
Backpedaling may blunt the damage - but it seems like Musk's ego and impulsiveness is beginning to get out of hand. Combined with the fact that he's beginning to play in the realms of real power, I fear he may begin doing serious damage to his companies.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday October 28 2022, @12:15PM (2 children)
But he was on the gravy train. The DoD said "bill us" and the EU were looking to pay if the DoD didn't pay enough, but he then wants to paint himself the martyr, the "renegade CEO who plays by his own rules." Maybe looking like a regular DoD contractor wasn't the image he was trying to build for himself or something, or that it would hurt his "help me save the underprivileged and oppressed in other parts of the world" angle he apparently is moving towards now.
(Score: 2) by Immerman on Friday October 28 2022, @02:12PM
Yeah, and your girlfriend says "it's fine" - that doesn't mean it's wise to act as though she means it.
(Score: 2) by Immerman on Friday October 28 2022, @02:39PM
More explicitly:
*Of course* they said "bill us" - they're not about to lose that asset in the middle of a war. But they're also unlikely to forgive or forget being shook down when he's got them over a barrel. And they're unlikely to use him as a supplier ever again. Would you? When he's already proven he's willing to blackmail you in the middle of the fight?
Again you do NOT change the deal in the middle of a fight. You'll get your money, but you're going to be kicked to the curb just as fast as they can (as evidenced by the military already investigating options to build their own network), and it'll be a long time before they even consider trusting you as a supplier again.
(Score: 2) by drussell on Friday October 28 2022, @04:04PM (1 child)
The Pentagon has stated that they've now already started plans to build their own internet delivery system...
Suck it, Musky...
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday October 29 2022, @12:59AM
Citation needed. It sounds like they are sending their existing crappier satcom equipment to Ukraine.
(Score: 2, Flamebait) by legont on Friday October 28 2022, @11:45PM
Let me translate this to a common lang. Musk was assumed to be a liberal hero. Now he is definitely not. Burn motherfucka.
"Wealth is the relentless enemy of understanding" - John Kenneth Galbraith.
(Score: 4, Interesting) by c0lo on Friday October 28 2022, @08:13AM (3 children)
Russia's anti-satellite threat tests laws of war in space [reuters.com]
I wonder how Musk would react if Putin start shooting his satellites? I admit I'd pay a ticket to watch this movie.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0
(Score: 2) by legont on Friday October 28 2022, @11:51PM (2 children)
Putin does not need to shoot anything per se. He might simply do a test in Russia's airspace. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High-altitude_nuclear_explosion [wikipedia.org]
Having said this, it's unlikely. Old fashion hacking is way simpler.
"Wealth is the relentless enemy of understanding" - John Kenneth Galbraith.
(Score: 2) by c0lo on Saturday October 29 2022, @12:21AM (1 child)
If Putin does any of the two, there's the asymmetric cost of the strike vs the cost of replacing those satellites.
I don't think Russia is able to maintain destruction capabilities at the rate Musk (paid by the govt this time) is able to replace them for "cheaps".
Even more, replace with versions improved with blackjack an hoo... sorry, rad hardened and with cameras - the Starlink altitude is low enough not to need special optics, sorta high-end web cams in a constellation above - I don't think Putin will like what he gets from the bargain.
Note: high altitude nukes deny comms in the kHz to MHz range for some days (and may plug that ozone hole over Antarctica), Starlink works in GHz band.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0
(Score: 2) by legont on Saturday October 29 2022, @07:22PM
It looks like you did not read the link. High altitude nuke will fry all unhardened satellites on orbits Starlink operates. I am sure it's satellites are not hardened.
True, Musk will be able to replace them, but during that time Ukraine will have no communication abilities. Currently the success of Ukrainian army is mostly built on data that AWACS collect and move to artillery over Starlink.
Note that just before the attack in the spring Russians destroyed all - also American provided - military communications in Ukraine by simple rogue modem update.
"Wealth is the relentless enemy of understanding" - John Kenneth Galbraith.
(Score: 5, Insightful) by bradley13 on Friday October 28 2022, @09:42AM (3 children)
Seriously. Providing free Internet connectivity for places like Ukraine, for protesters in Iran, etc.. That's great stuff.
He would come across better, though, if he would hire someone to be a filter for his messaging. Your know, instead of publishing his "stream of consciousness": "Gonna do X", "Nah, gonna do Y" At his level, this is basic professionalism, or public relations.
Everyone is somebody else's weirdo.
(Score: 1, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Friday October 28 2022, @09:56AM (1 child)
If he burns Twitter to the ground, the most tempting medium for his stream of consciousness PR fails is gone. And if he doesn't burn it down, he can make more money.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday October 28 2022, @10:09AM
What... from Twitter? LOL.
(Score: 3, Informative) by legont on Saturday October 29 2022, @12:00AM
Perhaps you are missing the point. SpaceX terminals is the only mode of communications available to Ukraine at this point.
Moreover, NATO AWACS flying over Poland provide targeting to Ukrainian forces that are delivered over SpaceX.
The latest rockets being sent to Ukraine are just delivered to the field by Ukrainians. They are targeted, fired, and guided by NATO folks using data from AWACS and telemetry delivered through SpaceX terminals. There is no Ukraine military involved.
"Wealth is the relentless enemy of understanding" - John Kenneth Galbraith.