The technology billionaire and American entrepreneur Elon Musk has become one of the most influential figures in satellite communication through the Starlink satellite internet, which has raised some concerns.
The high strategic importance of this power being controlled by just one person is on the agenda of countries. Musk, who has sent over 4,500 satellites into space so far, now owns more than half of the satellites currently operational in space.
Musk's plan is to have 42,000 satellites in orbit in the coming years. Meanwhile, with the increasing importance of satellite internet in times of wars and crises, the value of SpaceX, the company behind Starlink, has exceeded 120 billion dollars.
Starlink is on Ukraine's agenda According to The New York Times, on March 17, General Mark A. Milley, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and General Valeriy Zaluzhnyi, the leader of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, had a phone conversation to discuss Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Over a secure line, the two military leaders shared intelligence on air defense systems, real-time battlefield assessments, and Russia's military losses.
Three people who were aware of the conversation said that General Zaluzhnyi raised the issue of Starlink, the satellite internet technology developed by Musk's SpaceX.
He mentioned that Ukraine's battlefield decisions depended on continuous access to Starlink and wanted to discuss how his country could secure access and cover the costs of the service.
While Musk, who leads SpaceX, Tesla, and Twitter, steadily gains power in the strategically important satellite internet field, he has become the dominant player in space.
However, due to very little regulation and oversight, Elon Musk sometimes uses his authority in an unpredictable manner, causing increasing concern among armies and political leaders worldwide.
Since 2019, Musk has been sending dozens of seat-sized satellites into orbit almost every week with SpaceX rockets. These satellites communicate with Earth terminals, providing high-speed internet to almost every corner of the planet.
Today, more than 4,500 Starlink satellites, which constitute over 50% of all active satellites, are in the sky. Even before considering Musk's plans to have around 42,000 satellites in orbit in the near future, they have already begun to change the color of the night sky.
Starlink is the only way to access the internet in war zones, remote areas, and places hit by natural disasters. The satellites are also used to coordinate drone attacks and intelligence gathering in Ukraine.
While the US Department of Defense is a major customer of Starlink, other militaries like Japan are also testing the technology.
However, Musk's almost complete control over satellite internet raises the size of concerns. For instance, the famous billionaire can decide to shut down Starlink internet access for a customer or a country single-handedly and can benefit from the sensitive information the service collects.
