Northrop Grumman Teams Up With SpaceX On Spy Satellite Project

Spacex satellite launch illustration (photo: x @spacex)

JAKARTA - The Northrop Grumman aviation and defense company is working with SpaceX, a space company owned by billionaire Elon Musk. They work on a classified spy satellite project that has begun taking high-resolution images from Earth. This was revealed from several sources familiar with the program.

The program, intended to enhance the US government's ability to track military and intelligence targets from low Earth orbit. In addition, it provides high-resolution images that were previously taken more by unmanned aircraft and reconnaissance aircraft.

Northrop Grumman's inclusion, which was previously unreported, reflects the government officials' desire to avoid giving too much control over a highly sensitive intelligence program to a single contractor. "This is in the interest of the government not to fully invest in one company run by one person," said one source.

It is not clear whether other contractors are currently involved or can join the project over time. Spokesmans at Northrop Grumman and SpaceX did not respond to requests for comment.

The project, called Northrop Grumman, provided sensors for several SpaceX satellites. Northrop Grumman, will test the satellites at its own facility before launch. At least 50 SpaceX satellites are expected to be in Northrop Grumman facilities for the procedure, including testing and installing sensors in the coming years, said one of the men.

In March, Reuters reported that the National Reconnaissance Office, or NRO, in 2021 awarded SpaceX a $1.8 billion contract for the classified project, a planned network plan from hundreds of satellites. So far, said people familiar with the project, SpaceX has launched about a dozen prototypes and has provided test images to NRO, an intelligence agent that oversees the development of US spy satellites.

The imageset has never previously been reported. In a statement, a NRO spokesperson said the agency "has always worked with a diverse group of partners to provide the most capable, diverse and resilient satellite-based space intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities." The spokesman declined to comment on details of the satellite network or identify any company that might be involved.

The network's mapping capabilities are designed to have superior resolutions compared to most of the current US government spy systems.

It is also designed to address other concerns: Currently, US defense and intelligence agencies are collecting large numbers of images from unmanned aircraft and reconnaissance aircraft in the airspace of the sovereignty of other countries, which is a risk, especially in the conflict zone. Placing the image collection in Earth orbit reduces the risk, US officials said.

For SpaceX, which is known for its fast launch of reusable rockets and commercial internet satellites, the project is its first venture in intelligence reconnaissance services, which was previously the domain of established government and space contractors.

Since SpaceX started its operations more than two decades ago, Musk and other company officials have refused to work with established space and defense contractors, many of whom have come under criticism as bureaucratic and slow.

But even though the space and intelligence agency is working more closely with SpaceX, people familiar with the contract said officials wanted to ensure that other partners took part. Northrop Grumman has a long history of defense and intelligence contractors, who already provide products and services to the US government including military satellites, maneuverable spacecraft, and space-based communications.

When the new spy satellite network is fully deployed, it will be equipped with a number of different sensors, including optical and radar technology. The system will also be equipped with relay satellites that can transmit images and other data across the network, the two added.