Republican senator warns U.S. national security relies too heavily on SpaceX

Republican Senator Kevin Cramer of North Dakota expressed concern over U.S. national security's reliance on Elon Musk's SpaceX satellite technology and called for increased government control. He stated the U.S. is "betting too much on one company" regarding space resources. Cramer, a Senate Armed Services Committee member, spoke before a closed briefing on Starshield, urging Congress and the Pentagon to fund competition in satellite production and launch. He cited recent events showing greater concern than cost, and suggested the U.S. and SpaceX misjudged Ukraine's dependence on the technology. Cramer emphasized that systems like Starshield must remain "exclusively under U.S. government control," arguing warfighting is something the government must handle itself. The remarks follow October 14 Starlink speed restrictions that disrupted Ukrainian military missions, which Musk attributed to U.S. government decisions.