Walter Isakson's new biography on Elon Musk has been making waves.

The most recent, the disclosure that the SpaceX founder and CEO refused to allow the use of the

Starlink Internet Service by Ukraine in a surprise attack on Russian forces.

The media frenzy was immediate and Senator Elizabeth Warren has called for a probe,

but SpaceX wasn't under a military contract at the time.

SpaceX have been providing terminals to Ukraine for free. a military

contract at the time.

Now the US military is funded and contracted with the company

for Starlink services in Ukraine.

But the revelation has added to debate about whether the world is too reliant on SpaceX and Musk for matters of national security

Since the US Air Force works closely with SpaceX for example example, on launches, I asked the services

secretary, the Honorable Frank Kendall.

SpaceX is an important supplier to the government, launch services, and we do buy some communications capability from them,

and so on.

But we do that through business arrangements that we can enforce.

It was just one piece of her conversation with Secretary

Kendall joining from the floor of the Air Force Association's annual Air Space

and Cyber Conference. On this episode, which is a little different than the

usual space heavy conversations we have here,

the secretary outlines what it will take to prevent a conflict with China,

how the service is using artificial intelligence

and the risks associated with all of the congressional gridlock.

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