Story perspectives

Trump Asks Musk to Remove Ukraine Starshield Speed Limits

By Drooid · Oct 24, 2026, 2:07 PM UTC · How we work

Summary

Story summary

President Donald Trump asked SpaceX CEO Elon Musk to lift speed limits on Ukraine’s Starshield service.
Musk said speed limits are set by the U.S. military and ultimately the president.
Ukrainian officials reported speed caps caused drones over 100 mph to lose connection, costing over $1 million.
Rep. Jason Crow and Sen. John Cornyn called for a bipartisan congressional investigation of the slowdown.

History

Historical Context

President Donald Trump asked SpaceX CEO Elon Musk to lift data-rate caps on Ukraine’s Starshield, echoing the Pentagon’s long-standing control of satellite bandwidth. The GPS program began in 1973, launched its first satellite in 1978 and achieved a full 24-satellite constellation in 1993 for about $5 billion. Selective Availability, which limited civilian signals, ended in 2000, expanding access.

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Story summary

President Donald Trump asked SpaceX CEO Elon Musk to lift speed limits on Ukraine’s Starshield service.
Musk said speed limits are set by the U.S. military and ultimately the president.
Ukrainian officials reported speed caps caused drones over 100 mph to lose connection, costing over $1 million.
Rep. Jason Crow and Sen. John Cornyn called for a bipartisan congressional investigation of the slowdown.

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