Washington Post
• Meryl Kornfield
Trump officials said Elon Musk’s company donated Starlink satellite internet service. Records show the company also received nearly $1.2 million in Pentagon awards, complicating the characterization of the service as a gift and raising questions about the relationship between the donation and federal payments.
Defense Budgets & Spending
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Trump officials said Elon Musk’s company donated Starlink satellite internet service. Records show the company also received nearly $1.2 million in Pentagon awards, complicating the characterization of the service as a gift and raising questions about the relationship between the donation and federal payments.
NATO has launched a marketplace intended to speed allied access to counter-drone technologies and meet urgent operational requirements. Allies plan to invest more than $40 billion in counter-drone capabilities over the next five years under the initiative, the alliance said.
A former Defense Department official warned that branding the Golden Dome around President Donald Trump could undermine its durability beyond his time in office. The proposed missile shield is expected to cost about $1 trillion and is already the subject of partisan disputes.
A letter to Air Force Secretary Troy Meink says “under-resourcing” the China Aerospace Studies Institute could undermine military leaders’ and civilian policymakers’ understanding of Beijing’s aerospace strategy and military prowess. The House China committee is pressing the service over cuts to the think tank.
The head of the U.S. Space Force warned that delays in approving a budget after the election could slow the service’s expansion plans. The available report summary provides no further detail on the budget, timeline or specific programs at risk.
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Democrats’ midterm gains shifted control of congressional committees responsible for NASA funding and Space Force oversight, raising the prospect of closer scrutiny for SpaceX and defense spending. In Texas, the electoral shift also puts deals Elon Musk struck with the state at risk, while defense stocks fell on spending concerns.
KP examines whether Europe’s expanding space-defense investment—including the IRIS² program and national satellite initiatives—will deliver meaningful security or deepen fragmentation. The analysis questions how effectively billions in planned spending translate into coordinated capabilities, amid competing national programs and a broader effort to strengthen Europe’s role in space.
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