Elon Musk Joins the Battle: Free Internet for Ukrainians

The richest person in the world, Elon Musk, tweeted that his private company Starlink's service is operational in Ukraine, responding to a request from the Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister for satellite communications to aid in resisting the Russian invasion. Musk wrote, "More Starlink satellites are on the way," in response to Deputy Prime Minister Mykhailo Fedorov's request, without clarifying how the equipment would reach there. Musk's SpaceX plans to launch thousands of Starlink satellites into orbit to create an internet service constellation that would serve as a low-cost alternative to remote terrestrial systems vulnerable to outages. The billionaire had previously donated 50 satellites to restore internet in Tonga, which faced severe communication disruption due to a tsunami this year. A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched from California on Friday, carrying another 50 satellites.