SpaceX Requests Pentagon to Pay for Starlink Service in Ukraine; Elon Musk Finds Ambassador Andrij Melnyk Rude

SpaceX recently donated its Starlink satellite terminals to Ukraine.

The independent space company decided to do this to support the country during the peak of the Ukraine-Russian conflict.

But, it seems like SpaceX can no longer provide its broadband services in Ukraine for free.

This is not surprising since the aerospace firm still relies on its advanced satellite-based internet service to generate revenue.

However, instead of asking the Ukraine government to pay for its Starlink internet terminals, SpaceX requested Pentagon to shoulder the cost for the remaining months of 2022.

SpaceX Requests Pentagon to Pay for Starlink Service in Ukraine

According to CNN Politics' latest report, Elon Musk sent a letter to Pentagon. Leaked documents revealed that the letter requested Pentagon to shoulder the Starlink costs in Ukraine.

Also Read: SpaceX Starlink August 2022 Launch: Falcon 9 to Have Its 7th Mission, Sending 46 Cubesats to Space

This means that the charitable contributions of SpaceX in the country are coming to an end.

"We are not in a position to further donate terminals to Ukraine, or fund the existing terminals for an indefinite period of time," said the space agency in its letter.

On the other hand, another separate cover letter explained that SpaceX could no longer provide additional terminals in Ukraine.

The aerospace company also confirmed that it is no longer in the right position to accommodate the previous request of Ukrainian General Valerii Zaluzhniy, who recently asked for additional 8,000 Starlink terminals.

Did Ambassador Melnyk's Statement Trigger It?

The Independent U.K. reported that Ukrainian Ambassador Andrij Melnyk said a rude statement to Elon Musk.

Previously, the billionaire suggested that the Ukraine government should allow Russia to annex Crimea.

However, the Ukrainian official was not happy with Elon's suggestion. "F*** off," said Ambassador Melnyk.

Days after the official's rude statement, news about Musk pulling out of Starlink terminals in Ukraine appeared.

In his official account, the billionaire replied to a tweet regarding SpaceX's Starlink pull-out decision, saying that he is just following Andrij's recommendations.

How Much Should Pentagon Shoulder?

SpaceX shared its estimation regarding the costs that Pentagon needs to shoulder.

For the remaining months of 2022, the aerospace agency claimed that the defense organization needs to pay around $120 million.

On the other hand, the cost for the next 12 months after 2022, Pentagon must pay around $400 million if the U.S. government wants SpaceX to retain its Starlink service in Ukraine.

While SpaceX shared its intent to pull out the donated Starlink terminals in Ukraine, efforts are also made for its expansion in Asia.

SpaceNews reported that SpaceX and KDDI, a Japanese telco company, secured a deal on Oct. 12. You can click here to see more details about this partnership.

In other stories, the SpaceX Antarctica expansion finally started.

Previously, SpaceX and T-Mobile announced their new collaboration.

For more news updates about SpaceX's Starlink and other popular internet service providers, keep your tabs open here at TechTimes.

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Written by Griffin Davis