US Senator Elizabeth Warren called on the upper house of the US Congress to investigate SpaceX, Bloomberg reported. Earlier, the company’s CEO Elon Musk admitted that he blocked Ukraine’s access to the Starlink satellite network during the attack on Russian warships near the coast of Crimea.
“The Congress needs to investigate what’s happened here and whether we have adequate tools to make sure foreign policy is conducted by the government and not by one billionaire,” Warren said.
Additionally, Warren called on the US Department of Defense to analyze its contractual relationship with SpaceX. The politician’s calls were also supported by the Chairman of the Armed Services Committee, Jack Reed. The official said he was concerned about the problem because governments traditionally control satellites, and presidents decide what to do with them.
Reed noted SpaceX’s efforts in the US space industry, but stressed that Musk cannot have “the last word when it comes to national security.”
A closed-door meeting of tech industry leaders with senators is scheduled for September 13 at the Capitol. Elon Musk is expected to join the conversation.
Earlier, it became known that last year Musk secretly ordered to stop the work of Starlink near Crimea. This is how the billionaire tried to thwart Ukraine’s attack on the Russian navy to prevent an alleged escalation on the part of Moscow.
Cover: Chesnot/Getty Images
