Amazon pushes back against Musk’s huge satellite plan

Amazon requested the US FCC to review SpaceX’s Starlink project. (Image credit: Amazon)

• Amazon urges FCC to review SpaceX's Starlink expansion plans
• Amazon warns massive Starlink constellations could crowd orbit
• Both companies aim to build global satellite internet networks

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The battle between Jeff Bezos and Elon Musk is no longer just about rockets. It is now also about how crowded Earth’s orbit might become in the coming decades.

Amazon has asked the US Federal Communications Commission to take a closer look at SpaceX’s long-term plans for its Starlink satellite network. According to regulatory filings reported by Reuters and other outlets, Amazon’s satellite division, Project Kuiper, has warned that the scale of SpaceX’s proposal raises practical and regulatory concerns.

SpaceX has already launched thousands of Starlink satellites since 2019 and continues to send up new batches regularly. The system is designed to provide broadband internet around the world, especially in areas where traditional infrastructure is difficult or expensive to build.

But the company’s ambitions go far beyond its current network. In various filings and proposals, SpaceX has suggested that future versions of Starlink could involve tens of thousands of satellites and possibly far more over time.

That is where Amazon is drawing the line.

In its submission to the FCC, Amazon said that the idea of deploying something close to a million satellites in orbit simply does not match today’s launch capabilities or satellite lifetimes. Even if the industry keeps launching rockets at a rapid pace, Amazon argued, building and maintaining a constellation of that size could take centuries.

Amazon also warned that extremely large constellations could dominate valuable orbital slots and radio frequencies, making it harder for other companies to operate their own satellite networks.

The argument is not purely theoretical. Amazon itself is building a competing broadband satellite network through Project Kuiper. The company has approval to launch more than 3,200 satellites and has lined up dozens of rocket launches to start building the constellation.

This means both companies are chasing the same prize: a global satellite internet system that can connect remote communities, ships, aircraft and rural areas that lack reliable broadband.

As more satellites go up, concerns about congestion in low Earth orbit are growing. Astronomers have already complained that satellite trails are interfering

with observations of the night sky. Space agencies have also warned about collision risks and the possibility of debris if satellites collide.

For regulators in the United States and elsewhere, the challenge is becoming increasingly complicated. They must encourage innovation and competition in the commercial space sector, but they also have to prevent orbit from becoming so crowded that it becomes unsafe.

The debate between Amazon and SpaceX is likely to intensify as both companies move closer to launching their next generation of satellite networks.