US senator probes SpaceX Starshield outage that hit Ukraine's air defenses

US Senator Richard Blumenthal is demanding the Pentagon and SpaceX explain an October 13 disruption to Ukraine's access to the military-grade Starshield satellite service, which reportedly weakened Kyiv's air defenses. The inquiry seeks to determine who authorized the restrictions and whether the US has alternatives to privately operated networks. Blumenthal wrote to Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth requesting details by November 5, with a separate briefing from SpaceX officials due by November 12. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the speed limits affected air defenses, while the Pentagon, as Starshield's largest customer, faces questions about oversight of commercial technology in military operations. The senator lacks subpoena power since Republicans control the Senate, though Democrats could gain it after the November 3 midterm elections. The incident highlights broader concerns about government reliance on private contractors for critical military communications, with no evidence linking the restrictions to the Trump administration's diplomatic pressure on Kyiv.