Starlink failures: Musk's SpaceX is said to have recommended a new contract for the US military
Ostdeutsche Allgemeine reported: Starlink failures: Musk's SpaceX is said to have recommended a new contract for the US military.
Austria1 sourcesThe Musk tracker
Elon Musk and governments worldwide
A sourced record of 212 statements and actions by Elon Musk and his companies since 2022: interventions in the politics, governments, courts and regulation of 43 countries and the European Union, threats and legal action against critics, and the use of market power against competitors. Each entry sets out what he said or did, the background, the response and what happened next.
212entries
44countries and the EU
147with an official response
35with a fact-check or court finding
Where government office, contracts or diplomacy met the interests of Musk's companies: his role in government, federal contracts, and states pressed to approve Starlink.
2026 2
Austria1 sourcesSpace Force awards SpaceX $4.16bn Golden Dome tracking-satellite contract
The US Space Force awarded SpaceX $4.16 billion for the Space-Based Airborne Moving Target Indicator programme, a sensing layer of the Golden Dome missile shield, days after a separate $2.29 billion satellite-communications award (Reuters).
Response: The Space Force said the programme was projected to field a constellation of satellites by 2028
(Reuters).
United States3 sources2025 22
Sen. Warren questions Pentagon's $200m xAI award; Pentagon later moves to put Grok on its networks
Sen. Elizabeth Warren wrote to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth questioning a $200 million Pentagon agreement with Musk's xAI, one of four such awards announced in July 2025, and asked whether officials discussed it with Musk while he was a special government e…
Response: A Pentagon spokesperson said the department responds directly to the author
; xAI did not respond (DefenseScoop).
United States3 sourcesFCC ends EchoStar probe after spectrum sale to SpaceX, following Trump intervention reported by Bloomberg
FCC Chairman Brendan Carr closed investigations into EchoStar's spectrum licences on the day EchoStar announced it would sell AWS-4 and satellite spectrum to SpaceX for about $17 billion, half in cash and half in stock (Broadband Breakfast).
Response: An FCC spokesperson said the deals hold the potential to supercharge competition
(Broadband Breakfast). A Wall Street Journal editorial later wrote: "President Trump prodded Chairman Carr to let Er…
United States5 sourcesTrump threatens to end Musk's government contracts; Musk says SpaceX will decommission Dragon, then reverses
During a public feud, Trump posted that The easiest way to save money in our Budget, Billions and Billions of Dollars, is to terminate Elon's Governmental Subsidies and Contracts.
Musk replied that "SpaceX will begin decommissioning its Dragon spacecraft im…
United States2 sourcesMusk announces end of his special government employee role and leaves DOGE
Musk posted: As my scheduled time as a Special Government Employee comes to an end, I would like to thank President @realDonaldTrump,
and said DOGE's mission would continue (ABC News). Trump held an Oval Office farewell on 30 May.
Response: Trump said Elon's really not leaving. He's going to be back and forth, I think
; Musk said This is not the end of DOGE, but really at the beginning
(Al Jazeera).
United States2 sourcesProPublica reports US ambassador raised aid while pressing Gambia to approve Starlink
ProPublica reported that US Ambassador Sharon Cromer raised US aid, including a $25 million electrical project under review
, while meeting Gambia's communications ministry about Starlink's licence, and later wrote to the president urging him to "facilitate…
Response: The State Department said Starlink has been a game changer
and Any patriotic American should want to see an American company's success on the global stage
; White House spokesman Harrison Fields s…
GambiaUnited States2 sourcesCables show State Department pushed countries facing US tariffs to approve Starlink, Washington Post reports
The Washington Post reported that State Department cables showed US embassies pressing countries to clear regulatory hurdles for satellite companies, often mentioning Starlink by name,
and that Secretary of State Marco Rubio increasingly instructed official…
Response: The State Department said Every patriotic American should want to see American companies succeed on the world stage,
referring to weaker Chinese competitors
(Washington Post).
Lesotho
IndiaUnited States2 sourcesSenate subcommittee Democrats estimate Musk firms faced $2.37bn in federal liabilities when DOGE began
Democratic staff of the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, led by Sen. Richard Blumenthal, released a memo estimating that Musk and his companies faced at least $2.37 billion in potential liability from 65 actual or potential federal actions as…
Response: The White House said any assertion otherwise is completely false and defamatory
; communications director Steven Cheung attributed the report to Trump Derangement Syndrome
(CNBC). Blumenthal sent…
United States2 sourcesReuters reports SpaceX is frontrunner for Golden Dome missile shield; Musk denies bidding
Reuters, citing six people, reported that SpaceX with Palantir and Anduril was a frontrunner for key parts of Trump's Golden Dome
missile-defence shield, proposing 400 to more than 1,000 sensing satellites under a subscription service
model.
Response: Musk posted SpaceX has not tried to bid for any contract in this regard
and, of the report, This is not true
(Fortune). SpaceX declined to comment on Musk's involvement (Reuters). Sen. Elizabeth…
United States3 sourcesLesotho grants Starlink a 10-year licence weeks after a 50% US tariff announcement
The Lesotho Communications Authority granted Starlink Lesotho a 10-year licence, calling it a significant step forward in the country's digital transformation
(Business Day). Bloomberg reported the move came as Lesotho sought to improve ties with the US.
Response: Civil society group Section 2 said the regulator disregarded local objections that Starlink Lesotho was 100% foreign-owned
(Business Day).
LesothoUnited States3 sourcesBangladesh approves Starlink after Yunus–Musk call; Yunus cites launch in letter seeking tariff delay
Bangladesh's investment authority said the government approved Starlink on 28 March 2025, after interim leader Muhammad Yunus and Musk spoke in February about bringing the service to the country (AFP). On 7 April Yunus wrote to Trump asking for a tariff delay…
Response: ISP Association president Mohammad Aminul Hakim said With Starlink, none of [the] regular procedures have been followed
; Starlink and the Bangladeshi government did not respond to Rest of World's q…
BangladeshUnited States2 sourcesVietnam approves five-year Starlink pilot without foreign-ownership limits amid US tariff risk
Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Chi Dung signed a decision allowing SpaceX to pilot Starlink in Vietnam until no later than 1 January 2031, capped at 600,000 subscribers and with no foreign-ownership restrictions (VnEconomy).
Response: Deputy telecoms authority head Nguyen Anh Cuong said Starlink, if licensed, can operate like other telcos in the country
(Bangkok Post).
VietnamUnited States3 sourcesReport that Musk would be briefed on China war plans prompts denials; Musk visits Pentagon
The New York Times reported, citing two US officials, that Musk would receive a Pentagon briefing on military plans for a possible war with China. Musk met Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth at the Pentagon the next day (NBC News; Axios).
Response: Trump called it such a fake story
and said China will not even be mentioned or discussed
; he also said Musk would be susceptible, perhaps
because Elon has businesses in China.
Hegseth said "T…
United States
China2 sourcesJudge rules Musk's role in shutting USAID likely violated the Constitution's appointments clause
US District Judge Theodore Chuang in Maryland found that Musk had firm control over DOGE
and that Musk has exerted actual authority at USAID that only a properly appointed Officer can exercise,
barring further DOGE steps to dismantle the agency. He cited…
Response: The White House and DOGE did not immediately respond (PBS).
United States3 sourcesWhite House confirms Starlink used for Wi-Fi on the complex; later report details security concerns
The New York Times reported that Starlink service had been added to the White House complex's internet; press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the White House was working to improve WiFi connectivity
on the complex (NBC News). In June the Washington Post rep…
Response: Secret Service spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said the agency was aware of DOGE's plans and did not consider this matter a security incident or security breach
(Washington Post via Fortune). Democrati…
United States3 sourcesTrump showcases Tesla cars on White House lawn; Commerce Secretary later urges viewers to 'Buy Tesla'
President Trump and Musk presented Tesla vehicles on the White House South Lawn, and Trump said he would buy one. Days later Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick told Fox News viewers: It will never be this cheap. Buy Tesla
(KTVU).
Response: Former prosecutor Hui Chen said This is just not done
; CREW's Jordan Libowitz said Saying 'buy the stock' is something we can't think of ever seeing before
(CNN). The Campaign Legal Center asked…
United States2 sourcesMusk says FAA communications system is failing as FAA tests Starlink terminals
Musk posted that The Verizon communication system to air traffic control is breaking down very rapidly
and that the FAA assessed single digit months to catastrophic failure
; the FAA confirmed it was testing Starlink terminals (CNN). The Washington Post ha…
Response: SpaceX said Recent media reports about SpaceX and the FAA are false
and that there was no effort or intent for Starlink to 'take over' any existing contract,
describing a no-cost lease of Starlin…
United States2 sourcesMusk says federal workers who do not report their weekly accomplishments will be treated as resigning
Musk posted that, Consistent with President @realDonaldTrump's instructions,
all federal employees would receive an email and that failure to respond will be taken as a resignation.
OPM then sent an email titled What did you do last week?
asking for "ap…
Response: FBI Director Kash Patel told staff For now, please pause any responses
; the State Department said it would respond on the department's behalf (CNN). AFGE president Everett Kelley vowed to challenge…
United States3 sourcesDOGE-era job cuts reported to fall heavily on NHTSA, the regulator investigating Tesla
The Washington Post reported that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration would lose 70 to 80 staff, about 10% of its workforce, and that a small office overseeing self-driving vehicle safety lost three of roughly seven people.
Response: NHTSA called the cuts modest
and said it would enforce the law on all manufacturers of motor vehicles and equipment
(AP via Fortune). Tesla and DOGE did not respond to the Washington Post.
United States2 sourcesModi meets Musk in Washington during US visit as Starlink awaits Indian licence
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Musk in Washington before his talks with President Trump; India's foreign ministry said they discussed strengthening collaboration in areas including innovation and space exploration. Musk was then leading DOGE, while S…
Response: Asked whether Musk met Modi as a private citizen or a government official, Trump said I don't know,
adding I assume he wants to do business in India,
and said Musk would not be allowed to do anyt…
IndiaUnited States5 sourcesFederal judge temporarily bars DOGE from Treasury payment system after 19 states sue
US District Judge Paul Engelmayer temporarily restricted DOGE's access to the Treasury Department system that disburses tax refunds, Social Security benefits and federal salaries, and ordered anyone given access since 20 January to destroy downloaded informat…
Response: Musk wrote that DOGE and Treasury had jointly agreed
on payment requirements and that It is ridiculous that these changes didn't exist already!
The White House called the order "judicial overreac…
United States3 sourcesWhite House confirms Musk is serving as a 'special government employee' while running his companies
A White House official said Musk was working for President Trump as a special government employee, a status usually limited to 130 days a year that carries lighter financial-disclosure requirements than regular federal jobs. Musk had a government email addres…
Response: Press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Musk has abided by all applicable federal laws
; Trump said Elon can't do and won't do anything without our approval
(Fortune). The White House did not say wh…
United States2 sourcesItaly's reported €1.5bn talks with SpaceX for secure government communications draw opposition
Bloomberg reported that Italy was in advanced talks with SpaceX on a deal reportedly worth €1.5 billion over five years to provide encrypted telecommunications for the government and military and satellite services for emergencies. The report came days after…
Response: Meloni's office called reports linking the deal to the Trump visit ridiculous
(Brussels Times). Meloni said: "I never talked about this with Musk. It's not my habit to use my public role to do favo…
Italy3 sources2024 1
Musk and SpaceX reported to face three federal reviews over security reporting compliance
The New York Times reported that the Defense Department's Inspector General, the Air Force and the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence and Security had opened reviews into whether Musk and SpaceX complied with federal reporting rules for…
Response: Musk posted on X: Deep state traitors are coming after me, using their paid shills in legacy media
(NYT via Boston Globe). The Pentagon Inspector General's office said it could "neither confirm nor…
United States2 sources