A shipment of SpaceX’s Starlink satellite antennas, also known as terminals, to Ukraine.
Fedorov Mykhailo on Twitter
WASHINGTON — SpaceX has sent “thousands” of Starlink satellite internet kits to Ukraine, company President Gwynne Shotwell told CNBC on Tuesday.
By Elon Musk space company Start sending Ukraine Starlink satellite sets – comes with an antenna, a tripod and a Wi-Fi router – shortly after the Russian invasion. Ukrainians can use Starlink kits to connect directly to SpaceX’s network in orbit, with the company having launched about 2,000 satellites to date.
“I’m proud that we’ve been able to provide terminals to people in Ukraine. I think it’s incredibly helpful to make sure people are still communicating,” Shotwell said during a panel at the conference. Satellite 2022 in Washington, DC.
Musk sent the Starlink terminal to Ukraine After Ukrainian official Mykhailo Fedorov asked the CEO for help while Russian attacks are disrupting internet service in the country.
Shotwell, who spoke to CNBC after the conference, did not have a more specific total on how many dishes the company has shipped to Ukraine. She added that most of the funding for the Starlink kits came from private sources, but added that “France helped” and “I think Poland is helping.”
“I don’t think the US gave us any money to provide terminals to Ukraine,” Shotwell said.
The French and Polish embassies in the US did not immediately respond to CNBC’s request for comment.
