SpaceX secures FCC approval to lower orbits for 2,814 Starlink satellites, positioning them near Amazon's planned constellation amid industry pushback.
The U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has authorized SpaceX to operate 2,814 Starlink satellites in lower-than-planned orbits. This decision follows criticism from competitors like Amazon and OneWeb, who are building their own satellite broadband networks.
Rivals argued that the orbital changes could cause harmful interference and heighten collision risks. They also contended that modifying SpaceX's 2018 license would require treating the updated constellation as a new system needing stricter review.
The FCC rejected these concerns, greenlighting SpaceX to deploy the satellites at approximately 550 km altitude instead of the original 1,150 km. This adjustment enhances constellation safety by enabling faster deorbiting of faulty satellites into Earth's atmosphere for burnout.
Lower orbits also benefit astronomers, as satellites reflect less sunlight, minimizing interference with stargazing.
At 550 km, Starlink satellites will share airspace with Amazon's proposed constellation. SpaceX must now coordinate frequencies to prevent signal interference from its satellites affecting Amazon's.
In essence, SpaceX adapts to Amazon. Jeff Bezos' company, despite initial opposition, welcomed the FCC ruling.
SpaceX will submit semi-annual FCC reports on outages, conjunctions, and evasion maneuvers.
Amazon plans 3,236 Kuiper satellites, with the first launching via United Launch Alliance's Atlas V rocket by 2026.
