SpaceX is understood to be working with aerospace and defense biz Northrop Grumman on a spy satellite program that provides the US military with impro

SpaceX, Northrop Grumman reportedly working on US spy sat program

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2024-04-20 13:00:11

SpaceX is understood to be working with aerospace and defense biz Northrop Grumman on a spy satellite program that provides the US military with improved intelligence imagery.

Reports surfaced last month that the Musk-owned space launch company was building a network of spy satellites as part of a classified contract with an unnamed US intelligence agency.

The National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) is said to have awarded a $1.8 billion contract to SpaceX for the classified project in 2021.

Now, Reuters claims the company is working alongside defense contractor Northrop Grumman as part of a program intended to help US government agencies better track military and intelligence targets from low Earth orbit.

The project is already capturing high resolution imagery of the Earth’s surface, according to the newswire, quoting unidentified people familiar with the program.

It is no secret that SpaceX has been working with the US government on various things. Back in 2022, the space launch operator added a new subsidiary called Starshield to develop an additional orbital fleet designed for government use.