Right now, there are two types of Starlink satellites: those with interconnects and those without them. These interconnects allow the satellites to bounce communications between satellites, which means one could reach a ground station outside Ukraine, the closest being in Poland with two more in Germany.
SpaceX has donated Starlink terminals to governments in the past to help fight wildfires or as a result of national disasters. This would be a new step for the company to intervene and support a country at war, but with a tool as powerful as worldwide internet access, it was bound to happen eventually.
SpaceX wouldn’t be going against its country if they chose to help. The US Secretary of Defense just authorized another $350 million in assistance to Ukraine to help in its defense. Although this might be a tough ask still for the billionaire to help, we don’t know the technical details to provide coverage to a new area, and it could require SpaceX employees to go into harm’s way.
Elon Musk agrees to help Ukraine with Starlink access
In a reply to Minister Fedorov’s tweet, Musk agreed to help Ukraine by allowing the nation access to Starlink’s service and sending more terminals. How these Starlink terminals will get to nation’s forces under siege is unknown.
Starlink service is now active in Ukraine. More terminals en route.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 26, 2022
With 48 hours of Elon Musk accepting Ukraine’s plea for Starlink terminals a truckload of them arrived.
