The Starlink logo is seen on a mobile device with a graphic illustration of planet Earth in this photo illustration in Warsaw, Poland, September 21, 2022.
STR | Nuphoto | Getty Images
SpaceX's effort to place 22,488 additional satellites in low-Earth orbit faces formal objection from Ukrainian-American nonprofit, which says it is concerned by CEO That of Elon Musk “contacts with Russia and the alleged use of its Starlink system by Russian forces in Ukraine.”
In a motion to deny and a motion to stay filed Wednesday with the Federal Communications Commission, the Ukrainian Congressional Committee of America (UCCA) also cited negative elements. environmental impacts SpaceX launches in Texas and Musk's potential conflicts of interest due to his work with the new Trump administration.
SpaceX's Starlink system has been linked to Ukraine since the terminals have arrived shortly after Russian troops invaded the neighboring country in early 2022. The following year, the Pentagon agreed to buy Starlink satellite internet terminals for use in Ukraine's continued defense against Russia.
However, in September 2023, Ukrainian Americans reprimanded SpaceX CEO after it was revealed he foiled a major attack on the Russian Navy. Musk said at the time that he had instructed his engineers not to activate SpaceX's Starlink satellite network over Crimea in order to prevent a planned attack by Ukraine on the Black Sea Fleet in 2022.
“It is necessary to determine whether Starlink was used to assist a foreign adversary,” UCCA President Michael Sawkiw, Jr. told CNBC regarding the group's decision to file a petition and motion with the FCC this week. “If so, this is not in the national security interests of Ukrainian-Americans, nor the country as a whole.”
UCCA is not the only group concerned about Musk's relationship with the Kremlin.
The Wall Street Journal reported In October, Musk engaged in a series of “secret conversations” with Russian President Vladimir Putin ahead of the 2024 presidential election. Members of Congress and NASA Administrator Bill Nelson called for a investigation in these contacts.
A month before the Journal article, News week and others have reported that Russia has installed Starlink terminals in its Iranian-designed Shahed drones, used as part of its military offensive in Ukraine. Starlink has not commented on the story, but earlier this year, in February, Musk said in a social media post that reports suggesting that Starlink was selling terminals to Russia were “categorically false” and that “to our knowledge, no Starlink has been sold directly or indirectly to Russia.”
Sawkiw said his group advocates for the concerns of the approximately 2 million Ukrainian Americans living in the United States today, many of whom arrived after the war began in February 2022.

The Starlink satellites mentioned in the petition would allow the company to provide internet services to more destinations around the world as part of its Gen2 NGSO satellite system.
Musk did not respond to a request for comment, nor did Tim Hughes, senior vice president of global and government affairs.
Potential conflicts of interest
If Sawkiw's group succeeds legally, the FCC may have to suspend SpaceX's approvals, allowing time for an environmental review and a plan to resolve any conflicts of interest arising from Musk's new role with the next project. Ministry of Government Effectiveness (DOGE).
DOGE is expected to function as a federal advisory committee that will have influence over regulations, government spending, and personnel. The group could potentially recommend major changes to the FCC and influence oversight of SpaceX and other Musk-led companies.
“Musk’s conflicts run the gamut from finances to objectivity,” UCCA writes in the petition. “His companies stand to benefit financially both from securing government contracts and from actions taken by the federal government, including the FCC. Putting Musk in charge of DOGE is like allowing a fox to guard the henhouse.”
The motion asks the FCC to determine how Musk will comply with the Federal Advisory Committee Act, given his role in DOGE, before authorizing any further requests from SpaceX.
Regarding environmental concerns, Arthur Belendiuk, UCCA's principal regulatory advisor, wrote in FCC filings that SpaceX's launch facility in Boca Chica, Texas, is “a biologically diverse and essential habitat area for many species, including wildlife protected under the Endangered Species Act. previous incidentshe added, “rocket launches in this area create a real risk of fire and ejected debris onto adjacent protected land.”
After reporting that vibrations and noise from SpaceX launches led to the destruction of nine nests of an endangered bird species in the region, Musk wrote in an article on in July, “To compensate for this heinous crime, I will abstain from eating omelettes for a week.”
Belendiuk wrote in the petition that instead of repairing the damage caused by SpaceX's launches, Musk is “responding to the legitimate concerns of local environmental groups with sarcasm and mockery.”
UCCA had filed comments in April against SpaceX in a separate FCC proceeding regarding a request by the company to access additional spectrum for its Starlink network.
Republican FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr said at the time that the group's comments were “procedurally inappropriate and fundamentally baseless,” and that he actually wanted “the government to break the law by using it as a a weapon” against Musk.
Now president-elect Donald Trump has named Carr to lead the FCC in its second administration. Carr's office did not respond to a request for comment.
Belendiuk told CNBC that his group “is not just focused on Musk or SpaceX.”
The group sued to remove Radio Sputnik, which broadcast Russian government propaganda, from public airwaves in the United States, Beledniuk said, and is “actively engaged in discussions with chipmakers whose products sanctions were found in Russian weapons systems.

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