Elon Musk Floats Idea of Letting People Donate to Starlink for Areas in Need

pcmag.com:

Elon Musk will add a donation function to Starlink days after sparking controversy over whether SpaceX will continue funding the satellite internet service in Ukraine. 

Musk floated the idea early Monday morning in response to a CEO in Africa saying he’d be glad to donate money to fund Starlink access for schools and hospitals in Uganda. 

“Are there others that want to donate Starlinks to places in need?” Musk asked on Twitter before tweeting(Opens in a new window): “Ok, we will add a donate option to Starlink.”

Days before, news broke that SpaceX had told the Pentagon last month it could no longer afford to fund the Starlink access in Ukraine indefinitely. Instead, the company is asking the US government to pay $120 million to maintain the satellite internet access in Ukraine for the rest of the year, according(Opens in a new window) to CNN.

The same CNN report also says the US, as well as foreign governments and charity groups, already fund a large portion of Starlink access in Ukraine—contrary to some past statements(Opens in a new window) from Musk and SpaceX executives. In addition, a few humanitarian workers in Ukraine even say local Ukrainian residents and soldiers have already been paying for the Starlink service, like they were normal customers. 

The controversy has sparked questions over how much funding SpaceX actually needs to operate Starlink in Ukraine. According to CNN, SpaceX’s own letter to the Pentagon reportedly notes around 85% of the 20,000 Starlink dishes in Ukraine were paid, or partially paid, for by countries like the US, Poland, UK, or other groups, such as NGOs and charity organizations. These same groups are also funding about 30% of the Starlink monthly internet access costs. 

Musk,