Can there be room for just one powerful tech entrepreneur in space?
Elon Musk, the founder of SpaceX and CEO of Tesla (NASDAQ: TSLA)and Jeff Bezos from Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN) each is developing a network of satellite Internet service providers.
Musk seems to believe that Bezos and Amazon are actively working to sabotage the SpaceX effort, called Starlink. He wrote in a tweet in response to a CNBC reporter on Tuesday: “It is not useful for the public to harm Starlink today because of an Amazon satellite system that is, at best, several years away from operation. . “
Image source: Getty Images.
SpaceX asked the Federal Communications Commission to allow Starlink satellites to be moved to lower altitudes, arguing that this would reduce latency and increase the scope for space debris to deorbitate in our atmosphere. But the lower altitudes are close to where Amazon’s Kuiper satellites would operate, and that company is among the parties that are formally opposed to SpaceX’s request.
In response to Musk, an unidentified Amazon spokesman said in a statement to CNBC: “The facts are simple. We designed the Kuiper System to avoid interference with Starlink, and SpaceX now wants to change the design of its system.”
“These changes not only create a more dangerous environment for collisions in space, but also increase radio interference for customers,” added the spokesman.
Of the two projects, Starlink is in the lead. It has more than 1,000 satellites in orbit, providing service in a pilot program at a price of $ 99 per month, in addition to an initial fee of $ 499 for the kit containing the necessary hardware for the service. Ultimately, Starlink plans to have about 12,000 satellites in orbit.
The Amazon project has not yet been launched. Kuiper’s goal is to place 3,236 satellites in orbit for his service.