SpaceX Starshield Limits Hit Ukraine as Endeavour Opens

Ukraine’s armed forces said restrictions on SpaceX’s Starshield hampered battlefield operations, jeopardizing missions and complicating drone use as Russian attacks increased. The episode puts a private satellite service at the center of military communications, while the Trump administration presses Ukraine to limit strikes on Russia.

Military access and political pressure

“Our armed forces didn’t receive a warning about these restrictions, and this led to the failure of a number of missions,” Serhiy Beskrestnov, who advises President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine on weapons technologies, wrote on social media. He said the restrictions applied to Starshield devices traveling over 100 miles per hour and were related to “the current political situation.”

Ukraine’s armed forces have relied for years on Starlink, SpaceX’s satellite internet service, and more recently on Starshield, its military-grade sister service. SpaceX calls the devices that broadcast satellite internet to users “terminals.” They can sit on vehicles or drones, guiding them at high speeds.

Ukraine’s defense ministry blamed SpaceX, saying the company unilaterally restricted Starshield terminals. The ministry said the restrictions complicate drone missions and reduce capacity for frontline logistics, reconnaissance and relaying signals. The Ukrainian account describes an operational consequence; the article doesn’t report a response from SpaceX.

The Trump administration has pressed Ukraine to limit strikes on Russia and stop attacking Russian oil refineries so more diesel can reach global markets. High fuel prices have fueled inflation and weakened prospects for Mr. Trump’s Republican Party ahead of midterm elections next month. The account links the administration’s pressure to fuel supply and domestic political prospects, while Beskrestnov linked the Starshield limits to the “current political situation.”

Endeavour’s permanent home

In Los Angeles, the Space Shuttle Endeavour is set to open for public viewing at its permanent home. Reservations for the Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center can be made starting Oct. 21 at 9:30 a.m., ahead of the center’s opening on Nov. 13. California Science Center members get early access beginning Monday at the same time.

The California Science Center’s 200,000-square-foot expansion will display Endeavour in a launch-ready position within a complete shuttle stack. The center describes it as the world’s only display with an orbiter, solid rocket boosters and a rare surviving external tank. The expansion will double the museum’s exhibit space and include three multilevel galleries: the Samuel Oschin Shuttle Gallery, the Korean Air Aviation Gallery and the Kent Kresa Space Gallery.

Visitors can see more than 100 artifacts and 100 hands-on exhibits focused on science, technology and engineering. General admission to the California Science Center is free, but reservations for the Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center, including the shuttle, are encouraged. Visitors can book on the center’s website or by calling (213) 744-2019.

Endeavour completed 25 successful space missions from 1992 to 2011. In 2012, it landed at LAX atop a modified Boeing 747 and made its final journey across Los Angeles to the California Science Center at Exposition Park. “Fourteen years after Space Shuttle Endeavour arrived at the California Science Center, following its incredible overland journey across Los Angeles and Inglewood, reservations will soon become available to see it in its permanent home this November,” said Jeffrey Rudolph, president and chief executive of the California Science Center.

The opening completes the third and final phase of a 33-year-long master plan, also described as a three-decade, $750-million plan to develop the museum. The expansion goal was $450 million. The EndeavourLA fundraising campaign helped acquire and temporarily display the shuttle and support exhibits, programs and operations. Donors included the Samuel Oschin Family Foundation, Korean Air, the Kresa Family Foundation, the state of California, corporate supporters and other foundations. ZGF Architects designed the shuttle’s 20-story permanent home, which the center completed in April.