• With the US government, SpaceX has already inked contracts worth millions of dollars.
• A satellite network named Starshield has been launched by SpaceX for usage by nations.
• According to Elon Musk's business, Starshield is intended to 'assist national security initiatives.'

A satellite network called 'Starshield' was developed by Elon Musk's SpaceX expressly for use by the government. At the beginning of the week, SpaceX installed a Starshield tab to the top of its website, but hasn't yet made any official declarations regarding the new network.
According to SpaceX's website, Starshield will employ Starlink technology, which delivers lightning-fast internet from satellites in orbit to ground terminals.

 The Starlink satellite constellation, which now comprises more than 3,200 satellites in low-Earth orbit, will not be the same as Starshield, according to SpaceX. According to SpaceX, Starlink is intended for consumer and commercial use, whilst Starshield is intended for use by the government.

According to SpaceX's website, Starshield is intended to 'assist national security initiatives' by launching satellites for Earth observation, offering international communications to governments, and developing satellite buses for challenging missions. Starshield is anticipated to provide a better level of security in order to satisfy government standards, according to SpaceX, even though Starlink enables end-to-end user data encryption.

Given that it offers 'end-to-end' solutions, from developing rockets to producing user terminals, SpaceX claims it can work at 'record speed' to establish its Starshield network.

The US Department of Defense and other partners' ongoing initiatives, according to SpaceX, demonstrate its 'ability to provide in-space and on-ground capability at scale,' which is stated at the bottom of the page. In order to use SpaceX's rockets to help deliver military supplies and humanitarian relief throughout the world, the US Air Force awarded the company a $102 million contract in January. 

The following summer, SpaceX won a $2 million Air Force contract to deliver Starlink in Europe and Africa. When Insider contacted SpaceX and Starshield for more information regarding the launch, neither company responded right away.