Personnel at SpaceX and various news outlets have recently experienced a high volume of emails from individuals identifying as Armenians globally, requesting the company reconsider a scheduled launch agreement with the Turkish government. The concerns raised are significant, and the coordinated email effort has proven remarkably successful.

The standardized email, received repeatedly by staff at TechCrunch with slight variations, conveys that the senders represent or support Armenians worldwide, a community that has faced hardship under the leadership and regional influence of Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan.

SpaceX is preparing to launch the Turksat-5A satellite within the coming months. This geostationary communications satellite, constructed by Airbus, is designed to provide service across a broad geographical area encompassing Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. This contract has been in place for a considerable period, with SpaceX’s CEO and founder, Elon Musk, having met with Erdogan in Turkey in 2017 to discuss the satellite.

A comprehensive examination of the complex, longstanding conflict involving Armenia, Azerbaijan, Turkey, and other nations and stakeholders falls outside the scope of this report. However, it is widely acknowledged that serious violations of human rights have occurred under Erdogan’s administration and others. The term “genocide” is often employed in discussions of these events.

As the email campaign emphasizes, numerous nations and governing bodies have condemned Turkey’s actions, and some organizations have ceased conducting business with the Turkish government. The question now is whether SpaceX will follow suit.

Given the current timeline – approximately one month before the planned launch, and the likely completion of financial transactions – it appears improbable that SpaceX will forfeit the funds already received from Turkey in an effort to demonstrate ethical considerations by effectively suspending service to the government.

However, this campaign highlights a critical challenge increasingly faced by rapidly expanding technology companies operating within a diverse and often complex global landscape. Where should companies like SpaceX – or Apple, Google, Facebook, and Airbus – establish boundaries? Should SpaceX remain solely focused on profitability, offering services to any paying customer? Or are there certain governments or entities from whom they should refrain from accepting financial support?

To date, SpaceX has largely navigated a straightforward path in this regard; the launch sector is heavily reliant on contracts with military and governmental organizations. However, as the company matures and gains greater selectivity in its clientele, it may evolve into an industry gatekeeper, a role it previously challenged as a disruptor.

Regarding the email campaign itself, TechCrunch staff noted its success in bypassing Google’s spam detection systems. Contact was made with the individual identified in the email as the campaign’s originator, who identified themselves only as a member of the “Artsakh Strong” movement, requesting removal from future email distributions (which was subsequently completed).

The individual explained that the emails were dispatched by numerous individuals, rather than from a centralized source, which may explain why they reached our inboxes despite their identical content. “These are individuals uniting to collectively express their concerns,” she stated. “We are not associated with any specific organizations, but our message reflects the sentiments of every Armenian American. We apologize for any inconvenience caused by the volume of emails, but our people are facing daily threats, and we must raise awareness of our situation.”

She argued that, as an American company, SpaceX should uphold the nation’s stated principles and decline to conduct business with regimes like that of Erdogan. She also pointed out that SpaceX benefits from substantial funding and contracts from the U.S. government, effectively implying governmental approval of its business dealings.

“Calls for sanctions against Turkey are being made by the U.S. and other NATO countries,” she wrote. “SpaceX is strongly encouraged to consider these factors and determine whether it wishes to continue assisting Turkey in light of the overwhelming evidence of unlawful activities. At a minimum, Elon Musk and SpaceX could postpone the launch pending the outcome of ongoing investigations. While this may result in financial losses for SpaceX, it would represent a significant step forward for global progress.”

Artsakh Strong presents valid considerations that many international service providers must address, or have their motivations assessed based on their actions. This will not be the first, nor the last, instance where SpaceX or other emerging space companies will be compelled to make a difficult decision. At the very least, a transparent explanation of their reasoning would be beneficial.

(Update: Artsakh Strong, which represents the Republic of Artsakh, was initially described as an individual in this article rather than a movement. This has been corrected, and the error acknowledged.)