Pentagon blindsided as Musk's SpaceX disrupts military satellite program: report

SpaceX’s abrupt plan to retire its Falcon 9 rocket is jeopardizing the Pentagon’s ability to launch military satellites, Politico reported, leaving the Space Force in a launch "scramble."The company is phasing out its most popular rocket to make way for Starship, a larger vehicle SpaceX says will be more efficient and profitable. Many military satellites aren’t designed to fit on it, according to the report.The Pentagon’s dependence on Elon Musk’s company makes the problem harder to solve. Politico reported SpaceX accounted for 85% of U.S. launches in 2025, and that few alternatives exist.The Space Force recently tried to book rides for three future satellite missions, "but SpaceX declined" and no other rocket company offered to take them, according to two people familiar with the missions. Two of the three belong to the Space Development Agency, which is building a network of hundreds of military satellites in low-Earth orbit, Politico reported.Competitors...