SpaceX will reportedly develop a network of spy satellites for the United States' National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) agency, according to a Reuters report. A $1.8 billion contract was awarded to SpaceX Starshield with hundreds of imaging-capable satellites capable of monitoring Earth's surface when needed.
The contract was awarded in 2021 but it is not yet known when it will be launched and when the satellite will begin operations. Previously it was only rumored that SpaceX won a contract to launch a satellite for spying purposes for an unknown agency.
SpaceX is involved in several secret and military programs run by the United States. The Falcon Heavy rocket was used to launch the Boeing X-37 spacecraft, whose mission is currently kept secret by the United States Air Force. It was also revealed that the United States Army is interested in using the Starship spacecraft to carry cargo at high speed for sensitive missions.