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Musk activates Starlink in the Ukraine, will send terminals there

In response to a plea from the Ukraine’s deputy prime minister, Elon Musk announced today that SpaceX has activated its Starlink internet constellation in the Ukraine and is sending more terminals there immediately.

How the terminals will be delivered, or who would receive them, was not made clear by Musk.

Genesis cover

On Christmas Eve 1968 three Americans became the first humans to visit another world. What they did to celebrate was unexpected and profound, and will be remembered throughout all human history. Genesis: the Story of Apollo 8, Robert Zimmerman's classic history of humanity's first journey to another world, tells that story, and it is now available as both an ebook and an audiobook, both with a foreword by Valerie Anders and a new introduction by Robert Zimmerman.

 
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"Not simply about one mission, [Genesis] is also the history of America's quest for the moon... Zimmerman has done a masterful job of tying disparate events together into a solid account of one of America's greatest human triumphs."--San Antonio Express-News

35 comments

  • Steve Richter

    In recent months Elon has taken on Elizabeth Warren over tax policy. Then Biden for shunning Tesla, the American success story. Now he is acting against Russia. Very brave man. I am terribly disappointed with the republican party for sitting on the sidelines as the Biden admin does everything it can to torment Elon. Treating him like they do to working class republicans. WSJ editorial page has written nothing about the FAA grounding of SpaceX in Boca Chica. Ted Cruz – what a bozo he is.

  • wayne

    Steve–
    The WSJ Editorial Page is populated by RINO’s & America haters.

  • Questioner

    Tactical move by Musk. Now he will surely get clearance for Starship from the US government faster!

  • Jon

    Elon also supported the truckers in Canada, so he is standing up for freedom. And still, I wonder if he will react similarly if China makes a move on Taiwan.

  • Gary H

    Steve:

    Biden’s response was mild at best. The EU dragged him into banning some banks from SWIFT and freezing Putin’s assets …after he said he would see how things were going in a month.

    Everyone is ignoring the fact that we are still purchasing Russian oil .. as a consumer it is pretty hard to tell where your gas came from and probably not 100% easy on the wholesale market..but right now we and everyone else are funding the Russian economy.

    Of course, a weak response will encourage China to build more troop transports and ramp up their invasion preparations.

    Regarding Republicans…like the Democrats..many are self serving and couldn’t care less about this country, but I do think that this is now a minority of Republicans and includes a handful of Democrats.

  • David M. Cook

    I agree that Ted Cruz needs to step up here, Big Time! Remember “Scoop” Jackson? Forever known as “the Senator from Boeing”, he knew what his state had & he promoted it to the fullest extent possible. Ted Cruz seems to be “missing in action” when it comes to Musk vs. the FAA!

  • James Street

    Elon Musk has chosen doing what’s right over doing what’s politically expedient to get to Mars, including 10% to the big guy.

    Starship may never fly.

    My only interest in what’s going on in Ukraine is what the swamp is doing here while distracting us with the shiny object over there.

    “Biden officials fear Elon Musk would embarrass president at WH: report
    Biden and his close advisers are said to be irritated with Musk’s public criticism and have no immediate plans to invite him to the White House for future events, CNBC reported, citing sources familiar with the matter.”
    https://nypost.com/2022/02/23/officials-fear-elon-musk-would-embarrass-biden-at-wh-report/

  • Shallow Minded Reader

    I remember Scoop well. Although I didn’t agree with him on economic issues, the was America First on defense. Ted can deliver a hot speech, but doesn’t always follow up with actions. Sadly we don’t know what is going on behind the scenes. He “could” be walking softly and carrying a big stick in helping Spacex, or not…

  • sippin_bourbon

    “Our approach as the United States is not to see these [conflicts] as some Cold War chessboard, in which we’re at competition with Russia. Our goal is to make sure that the people of Ukraine are able to make decisions for themselves about their future, that the people of Syria are able to make decisions without having bombs going off and killing women and children, or chemical weapons, or towns being starved because a despot wants to cling to power,” he said.

    “Those express our values and our national interests, and we will continue to express those national interests. There are times, I hope, where Russia will recognize that over the long term they should be onboard with those values and interests as well.

    “Right now there are times where we have strong disagreements, and when I speak to Mr. Putin I’m very candid about those disagreements – even as we will continue to pursue cooperation with Russia on areas where we have shared concerns,” Obama said.”

    Barack Obama, 2/19/2014.

    This should go down in history next to Chamberlain’s “Peace in our time” speech.

    Putin had less control then. Less options. Every time Obama opened the door to “shared concerns”, Putin saw it as an opportunity to to gain an advantage.

    The absolute naivete and short sightedness of Obama on the international stage is laid bare here, in this speech. Obama was not in a position of strength to be sure. We were still deep in Afghanistan and Iraq. He would go on to mismanage Iraq, the war he promised to end “responsibly”, and then failed to understand what would happen in the vacuum he created.

    Some may accuse me of being partisan. But I will extend some blame to Bush (G.W.) for his lack of action during the take over of South Ossetia and Abhkazia. He was reluctant to start something new before his term ended, and had tied his own hands with his own mismanagement and over reach.

    This crisis is not over, but the question leaders must have in the back of their minds as they navigate this is, what will Putin want to take next. What ground, given now, will open the door to his next conquest.

  • Lee S

    It would be funny if people weren’t dying… You can blame whichever president you want…. The US, Europe, the rest of the world underestimated Putin’s madness…
    For the first time since I was a teenager, there is talk of nuclear war…

    This stuff is real… I know it’s thousands of miles away from the US boarders, but it’s just down the road from me…. War… A real war… With Russia…

    And Sweden is proudly non NATO…

    Will you come and help if Putin comes for us?

  • Bobby Hill

    I’d like to second what Lee said about this being real. People in the US have had it so good and so easy for so long they have lost touch with real life. Maybe this could open Robert’s eyes and the eyes of some of the other folks on this site squealing about masks, vaccines, and government action to protect its citizens, calling it “tyrrany”. Hopefully watching what’s happening in Ukraine makes they feel a little embarrassed for their complaining and hyperbole.

  • Cotour

    LeeS:

    Just show Putin your Swedish healthcare card when he comes for you, you have Rights.

  • Col Beausabre

    Lee, Don’t look for the US Cavalry to ride to the rescue. Stand on your own two feet. Fer cripes sakes, man, yer ancestors were Vikings, act like it! (The Slavs were conquered by the Rus from Sweden!! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rus%27_people). You’ve got Bofors and SAAB – both makers of world class arms (the US Army uses the 84mm Carl Gustaf https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carl_Gustaf_8.4cm_recoilless_rifle ) and you can stop the Russians cold as they try to figure out how to assemble all the free Ikea stuff you can give them. How many military age young men do you have? Sounds like it’s time to reinstitute National Service. Talk to the Danes about buying some axes, while you’re at it – that’ll scare the bejeezus out of the Ivans (“I know not what effect they will have on the enemy, but by God, they terrify me” – Arthur Wellesley ,the Duke of Wellington) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dane_axe

  • sippin_bourbon

    “Will you come and help if Putin comes for us?”

    The exact problem of Europe.

    The assumption that can out source their own National Security.

  • Questioner

    Col Beausabre:.

    Did you know that the Vikings “helped” found Russia and the Russian people?

  • James Street

    “Sunday Talks, Psaki Gives Away the Ukraine Game – Russia Is Needed As Fall Guy for Biden Energy Policy and Economic Damage”
    “The Russia-Ukraine crisis transfers the cost of the Build Back Better climate change agenda (domestically known as the Green New Deal) from COVID-19 to Russia/Ukraine.”
    https://theconservativetreehouse.com/blog/2022/02/27/sunday-talks-psaki-gives-away-the-ukraine-game-russia-is-needed-as-fall-guy-for-biden-energy-policy-and-economic-damage/

  • Col Beausabre

    Why don’t you read my entire post? Or didn’t you see “The Slavs were conquered by the Rus from Sweden!!” And “helped” my fanny, they conquered the place (“Slav” is supposed to come from “slave” – the Rus did a brisk trade in that commodity with the Byzantines and Arabs – See the beginning of the film “The Thirteenth Warrior” for a fictional depiction of the Rus which is based on history https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vXIEC_RADTo) They founded the Kievan Rus Federation. Since Putin is so fond of quoting history to justify his actions, someone should point out that by his logic, the legitimate government of Russia is in Kiev not Moscow and he is not Russia’s president,

  • pzatchok

    I bet Musk was asked by the state department to do this.

    Best way to tick off Putin is to keep the internet running in Ukraine and a portable satellite com set is the best.

    Remember that no one can export without permission. Or import for that matter.
    My families company had to fill out tons of paperwork and that was just for wood, not electronics, and 20 years ago. There is a cart load of paperwork involved and you need permissions first. The state department could make that a one day operation.

  • Mike Borgelt

    The Fog of War is very think on this. Add in the propaganda barrage whose originators’ skills have been honed by two years of spreading fear and lies about Covid.
    Believe nothing until this is all over and cooler heads can write the story. Even then, be skeptical. It is baddies vs baddies here.

  • Mike Borgelt

    Sorry, “thick”

  • Maybe this could open Robert’s eyes and the eyes of some of the other folks on this site squealing about masks, vaccines, and government action to protect its citizens, calling it “tyrrany”. Hopefully watching what’s happening in Ukraine makes they feel a little embarrassed for their complaining and hyperbole.

    Tyranny starts with small steps of compelled submission, Good intentions do not excuse compelling submission on the basis of falsehood and hubris. In a free society, compelled compliance is justified ONLY when the exercise of one’s unalienable rights poses a clear, present, and significant danger to others – and even then, that compliance is to be kept to the absolute minimum.

    For the vast majority of us, COVID does not (and never did) rise to that level. The vulnerable demographics are well known, and others can live their lives (even without an experimental “vaccine”) while protecting those demographics. And before you cite the body count … even if it is accurate, the two-year death toll of COVID is about the same as the ANNUAL death toll from heart disease. Would you have us chain our refrigerators shut “if it saves one life”?

    Your attempts to shame Robert are ineffective here; they only leave you looking like Flounder in your passive trust.

    BTW, I’m still waiting for studies that show that masks are significantly effective in protecting against viral transmission in a non-clinical environment.

    OTOH, compelled submission to the Climate Change Cult is a significant contributing factor to enhancing Putin’s ability to perpetrate this aggression. You would see that, were you not so submissively trusting in your “leaders”,

    Respect for life and individual liberty is the ONLY way to sustained peace.

  • Bobby Hill

    Jester, fool, joker. Fool, from the Latin follis, meaning bag of wind. Seems fitting. The information for which you ask is out there and easy to find. You and the others in the court of Robert choose to ignore it.

  • wayne

    Col Beausabre:
    Q:
    -off Topic but….. what is our (USA) military doctrine as far as pre-emptive attacks?

    Reference:
    Internet access to eastern Europe-
    Multiple links to network maps of fiber-optic providers.
    https://www.telecomramblings.com/network-maps/europe/

  • Andi

    Small edit: they prefer that their country be referred to as “Ukraine” rather than “the Ukraine”.

  • Icepilot

    Jester Naybor – Concur.
    The “World” is not happy.
    Putin’s war provides a clear, convenient & well deserved target for all sorts to unload their displeasure.
    Too bad for Vlad. His poorly trained conscripts will serve as whipping boys for the World.

  • Andi: I don’t routinely submit to these kinds of language demands, not in this day and age at least. In English we have been referring to the Ukraine as the Ukraine for decades, if not centuries. Just because a government demands we change our ways is not enough for me anymore. And do you want me to name the hundreds of other recent examples of governments demanding we change how normal English is spoken? I am sure you and my readers can instantly think of a few.

  • That the best you can do, Bobby? Fact-free shaming?

    The burden of proof is on you, if you want us to comply.

    Now, we are already aware of what information is out there – but unlike those who can’t think without an “expert” telling them what to think from On High, we here evaluate that information in the light of history, actual science (many here, including myself, make a living through the application of actual science, with our evaluations tested against objective reality on a daily basis), our own experiences and those of others that we trust (in my case, several medical professionals in my own family), and common sense.

    In that light, your position has been weighed and found wanting,

    Your obsession with Robert, from what I see, is nothing more than you refusing to accept that free people don’t have to submit to the “authorities” as though they are gods, Because they are not,

    Keep digging, Flounder.

  • Andi

    Bob, ok, fair enough.

  • Col Beausabre

    wayne, That’s literally above my pay grade (O-6), but in general, the US maintains a policy of “strategic ambiguity”. Keep possible opponents wrong footed by guessing about what we might do. Therefore, there may be OPLANS for such things (there’s operation plans for everything to give the National Command Authority options) I would state that we don’t intend to execute them. The one exception I can think of is the Second Gulf War, which was partially justified as a strike against Saddam’s supposed nuclear and chemical capability. But I don’t see us taking out Iran’s nuclear capability, for example, for anything except a nuclear strike on another country.

    “In the U.S. military, an Operation Plan (OPLAN) is a complete and detailed plan for conducting joint military operations. An OPLAN is developed by the Combatant Commander (CCDR) of a Unified Combatant Command in response to actual or potential situations for which military operations may be required. An OPLAN is executed when the commander issues an operations order (OPORD), or when the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (CJCS) issues an execute order (EXORD) at the direction of the United States Secretary of Defense (Secdef) to implement a decision by the President to initiate military operations.”

    OPLANS are designated “OPLAN Number” which become (OPERATION Code Name) once the execute order is given.

  • wayne

    Col Beausabre-
    Thanks for that explanation.

  • Max

    I kind of enjoy Bobby Hill’s trolling… He skips any relevant facts and goes right to the name calling and feels victorious in the argument.
    Calling someone a windbag when he himself it’s like the vacuum of space, “without substance” is hilarious. I enjoy irony.

    Andy;
    The English language is constantly changing with every generation.
    Ukraine is currently the proper way to refer to western Ukraine that speaks Ukrainian, but not eastern and southern Ukraine which speaks Russian. “The Ukraine” is a handy quick reference to everything within its physical borders regardless of the half a dozen languages that are spoken.
    We refer to “the” United States like part of a title which indicates plurality, while the “the” is not used for individual states.
    Just as “America” and “The Americas” refer loosely to different places when it can also mean the entire western hemisphere.
    We find it difficult to call “the” European Union just “EU” Without the “The” as we do the individual countries in “the” EU.
    Of course, the language may change by the time this war is over. The United States is currently at Defcon 2, military readiness to act immediately with nuclear weapons on standby… (The “Col Beausabre” can correct me on the proper military language and situation… his knowledge is truly impressive. Military speak is like another language)

    James Street, I believe, is on the right track.

    Just an observation, but if the plans for “build back better”, climate change, sustainable development, Green new deal, New World order, the Fourth Reich is to succeed… Russia, like America, will need to be destroyed or dissolved, which can only happen from within. (everything Trump supported in his “make America great again” presidency, has been turned upside down in the hate America, “destroy everything we believe in” Biden presidency)

    The Russian/Putin national mandates has installed the infrastructure that supports, and supplies 1/2 of the energy for the European Union and is controlled through pipelines passing through Ukraine. (I’m sure the relevance escapes no one.) Now that the oligarchs have their billions… The Russian empire must “die” before they can be reborn and accepted into the European Union as a subordinate (at first) country unifying nearly all of the European continent once and for all.
    (YEA! Peace in our time!)
    This will nullify NATO as its purpose is no longer relevant, and it will be absorbed into the united nations as a world police force.
    “Resistance is futile”

    I’m not a military genius, but 200,000 Russian troops to attack and conquer a nation as large as Texas? When they have over 1 million full-time soldiers available to overwhelm any nation they choose?
    They could have marched from one end to the other in a week and returned to the place of origin protecting the rest of Russia, before any nations, who could provide resistance, could react.
    Instead we are treated to months of military buildup with daily proclamations of eminent war!

    I smell a wag the dog situation that allows Russia to be shamed into compliance without any true damage to the nations infrastructure or pride.
    Putin has been acting as the architect of change so Russia can transform from the perceived beast and bear, into the energy savior of the European Union under a new regime controlled by the EU.
    Then he and his cronies will be exiled to Cuba or Venezuela where they have considerable influence and can be pulled out of retirement when an enemy is needed. Just as Gorbachev was exiled to San Francisco, and used his influence for “hope and change” in America.

    (Another thought just occurred, does China’s silk Road to Europe pass through there? There’s more to this than the lack of truth we don’t see on TV.)

    Jester Naybor said;
    “And before you cite the body count … even if it is accurate, the two-year death toll of COVID is about the same as the ANNUAL death toll from heart disease. Would you have us chain our refrigerators shut “if it saves one life”?”

    https://rupreparing.com/news/2022/2/1/the-die-off-is-here-life-insurance-payouts-skyrocket-258-as-post-vaccine-deaths-rapidly-accelerate

    The true nature of the forced mandate that “everyone” receive a shot, that doesn’t and has never worked, is being made manifest.
    The insurance companies are scrambling and are now refusing to play pay insurance claims on people who have been vaccinated.
    Even though the “emergency mandate” that we are under is fully funded and will not lift until 2024 as declared in the document itself, mask mandates across the country have been lifted proving Zimmerman correct from the beginning that the mask’s don’t work and were just a propaganda tool to spread fear and compliance.
    (Similar to the way Saudi Arabia subjugates and controls their women/ slaves/ property with face coverings)

    We had yet another incident at work where a young man fainted and could not be aroused, was not responsive. Emergency measures saved his life and he’s currently recuperating with no diagnosis.
    I lost count at six coworkers dead before Christmas.
    1/3 of our workforce is brand new which has never happened in the 120 year history of the company. “Strange times indeed”

  • David K

    To get back to the original topic, I think the idea of supporting communication in troubled times is important, whether the trouble is natural or man made.

    Starlink has the advantage (aside from being very low latency) that it is thousands of satellites rather than one. I don’t know how many asats Russia has but I bet they can’t or are not willing to shoot down all the starlink satellites..

    As far as whether the US government asked him to do this or not, one can only speculate. But either way, he is probably winning brownie points in some political circles.

  • Max

    I forgot the relevant post.

    “A shipment of SpaceX’s Starlink satellite-internet dishes arrived in Ukraine on Monday, less than 48 hours after CEO Elon Musk announced the company would send support, according to a top official in the nation’s government”.
    “edorov thanked Musk in his tweet; Musk responded: “you are most welcome.”

    https://www.cnbc.com/2022/02/28/ukraine-updates-starlink-satellite-dishes.html

    I believe this qualifies as providing military assistance and service for a foreign government. This will change his standing with our government considerably. I wonder how many international laws governing such things he just violated? He’ll win in public opinion, but regulators will double down to control him now.
    Did musk just declare war?

    “As for government regulators who want to block Starlink from using that capability, Musk had a simple answer.”

    “They can shake their fist at the sky,” Musk said

  • Max,

    I just posted this story on the main page.

  • pzatchok

    Musk did not send military support.

    He sent civilian communications equipment.

    The Russian troops are using civilian phones for military communications. Except they have now been turned off outside of Russia and now they are reduced to steeling Ukrainian phones and trying to use those.

    By the way those phones can then be monitored by the western nations to listen into those military communications.

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