US Democratic senator probes Ukraine's loss of Starshield service
SPCX•Senator Richard Blumenthal opened an inquiry into Ukraine's loss of critical access to Starshield, seeking to learn whether the restriction was directed by the White House, the Defense Department or SpaceX.
1. Inquiry into service restriction
Blumenthal said Ukrainian forces lost critical access to Starshield late on October 13 after connection speeds were capped. In a letter to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, he asked who has the authority to change the service and whether the Pentagon has sufficient alternatives if SpaceX-provided services become unavailable.
2. Senator seeks information
Blumenthal, the senior Democrat on the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, set November 5 as the deadline for responses to questions in his letter and November 12 for a briefing by SpaceX officials familiar with the restriction. With Republicans controlling the Senate, he can request information and briefings but lacks subpoena power.
3. Ukraine defense concerns
Blumenthal said the move put Ukrainian forces and civilians at risk and raised questions about control of capabilities the US government has spent billions of dollars to procure. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on October 14 that SpaceX had restricted Starlink services, weakening Ukraine's air defenses. The Pentagon said it would respond directly to the congressional letter.
