SpaceX to create network of spy satellites for US intelligence agency

SpaceX's substantial ties to US national security are deeper than previously known.

The astronautics company inked a $1.8 billion deal in 2021 with an American intelligence agency to create a network of spy satellites, Business Insider reports citing Reuters report.

The satellite network is being built in partnership with the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO), the agency that manages spy satellites, and when complete is intended to offer the US military and intelligence agencies enhanced capabilities to identify targets worldwide, Reuters reported.

"The National Reconnaissance Office is developing the most capable, diverse, and resilient space-based intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance system the world has ever seen," a spokesperson for the agency told Reuters.

One source familiar with the programme told Reuters the system's capabilities will make it so "no one can hide."