Elon Musk, the CEO of SpaceX, has an estimated net worth of $ 209 billion. Jeff Bezos, the CEO of Amazon, has an estimated net worth of $ 192 billion. (In comparison, even the lowest figure was higher than the annual gross domestic product of more than half of the world’s countries in 2020, according to the International Monetary Fund.)
At the center of the shuttle is a recent attempt by SpaceX to modify its license to Starlink, a huge constellation of Internet satellites, of which SpaceX has already launched more than 900. SpaceX already has permission from the US federal government to launch thousands of satellites to increase the Starlink constellation and, in recent reports with the Federal Communications Commission, SpaceX said it wants to place a few thousand of these satellites at an altitude lower than previously planned or authorized.
This proposed change could put Starlink satellites on the path to another constellation, called Project Kuiper, which was proposed by Amazon. The company has yet to launch any satellites, but has secured an FCC license for the project.
Amazon’s current plans include placing some of its satellites in orbit about 590 km (or about 366 miles) above the Earth’s surface. The changes to its license that SpaceX advocates would allow the company to orbit about 3,000 of its satellites at an altitude between 540 and 570 km (336 to 354 miles), which Amazon says is too close for its comfort. The company argued in its objection that the Starlink satellites at that altitude could cause more signal interference with Project Kuiper satellites and other nearby satellite networks.
Musk himself added in a tweet on Tuesday, saying “It is not useful for the public to harm Starlink today for an Amazon satellite system that is, at best, several years away from operation.
Amazon responded in a statement, saying, “The facts are simple. We designed the Kuiper System to avoid interference with Starlink, and now SpaceX 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,” says the statement. “Despite what SpaceX posts on Twitter, it is the changes proposed by SpaceX that inhibit competition between satellite systems. It is clearly in SpaceX’s interest to stifle competition in the cradle, if possible, but it is certainly not in the public interest. “
SpaceX has not responded to a request for comment nor has it responded to questions from CNN in more than eight months.
Placing satellites in lower orbits is generally considered a best practice because, if a satellite doesn’t work properly, Earth’s gravity can drag it out of orbit – and away from other satellites – more quickly. Satellites that die at higher altitudes can become uncontrolled projectiles that remain in orbit for years or even decades. For example, an extinct Russian communications satellite and a satellite owned by the American telecommunications company iridium collided about 789 km above Earth in 2009, creating a huge debris field that is still in orbit and poses a constant risk to nearby satellites. .
SpaceX agreed, according to FCC documents, that it would restrict Starlink satellites to “altitudes of 580 km or less.” But, crucially, that restriction would only begin when Amazon started launching its own satellites, and it is not at all clear whether SpaceX would comply before Amazon started building its own constellation. Amazon hasn’t said when the launch will begin, but the company’s FCC license gives it until July 2026 to build at least half of its planned constellation.