{"id":17602,"date":"2021-01-26T21:41:47","date_gmt":"2021-01-26T13:41:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp-productionenv-bjg9h2g2bgg5b8aa.southeastasia-01.azurewebsites.net\/news\/spacexs-elon-musk-and-amazons-project-kuiper-stir-up-a-war-of-words-over-satellites\/"},"modified":"2021-01-26T21:41:47","modified_gmt":"2021-01-26T13:41:47","slug":"spacexs-elon-musk-and-amazons-project-kuiper-stir-up-a-war-of-words-over-satellites","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/news\/spacexs-elon-musk-and-amazons-project-kuiper-stir-up-a-war-of-words-over-satellites\/","title":{"rendered":"SpaceX\u2019s Elon Musk and Amazon\u2019s Project Kuiper stir up a war of words over satellites"},"content":{"rendered":"<figure id=\"attachment_491217\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-491217\" style=\"width: 630px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full-width wp-image-491217\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.geekwire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/190410-musk-bezos-630x366.jpg\" alt=\"Musk and Bezos\" width=\"630\" height=\"366\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.geekwire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/190410-musk-bezos-630x366.jpg 630w, https:\/\/cdn.geekwire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/190410-musk-bezos-768x446.jpg 768w, https:\/\/cdn.geekwire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/190410-musk-bezos.jpg 933w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 630px) 100vw, 630px\"><figcaption data-nosnippet=\"\" id=\"caption-attachment-491217\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The rivalry between SpaceX CEO Elon Musk and Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos is back in the news. (Musk Photo: TED via YouTube; Bezos Photo: GeekWire \/ Kevin Lisota)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>SpaceX CEO Elon Musk and Amazon\u2019s Project Kuiper escalated a different kind of Star Wars today, over the orbital parameters for their rival satellite constellations.<\/p>\n<p>Musk complained that Amazon\u2019s protest would \u201chamstring\u201d SpaceX\u2019s Starlink broadband satellites, while Amazon replied that SpaceX was seeking to \u201csmother competition in the cradle if it can.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s just the latest space spat between the world\u2019s two richest individuals, pitting Musk against Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos.<\/p>\n<p>Starlink, which is currently operating on a beta-trial basis, and Amazon\u2019s yet-to-be launched Project Kuiper constellation both seek to make global broadband internet access available to billions of people who are currently underserved \u2014 as well as to specialized markets ranging from military communications to cloud computing.<\/p>\n<p>SpaceX currently has more than 1,000 Starlink satellites in low Earth orbit and aims to boost that number to 11,000 or more in the years ahead. Last year, Amazon won approval from the Federal Communications Commission to put 3,236 satellites in a different set of orbits, with at least half of them to be launched by 2026.<\/p>\n<p>Each constellation is expected to cost $10 billion or so to build.<\/p>\n<h4 class=\"callout clearfix\"><strong>Previously:<\/strong> Elon Musk calls Jeff Bezos a satellite copycat<\/h4>\n<p>One of the stickiest issues has to do with potential interference between fleets of satellites \u2014 involving not only Starlink and Kuiper, but constellations planned by OneWeb, Telesat and other operators as well.<\/p>\n<p>When the FCC approved Amazon\u2019s plans last July, it said Project Kuiper had to avoid undue interference with other people\u2019s satellites. And that\u2019s where things get tricky.<\/p>\n<p>Just a couple of months earlier, SpaceX asked the FCC to approve a change in orbits for future Starlink satellites. In an effort to improve service and facilitate the safe deorbiting of satellites, SpaceX wants to put its first-generation satellites in orbits ranging from 540 to 570 kilometers (336 to 354 miles), rather than the originally approved range of 1,100 to 1,325 kilometers (684 to 823 miles).<\/p>\n<p>Amazon filed an objection to that proposed change, as did other satellite ventures, on the grounds that the orbital change would hurt their own plans. SpaceX\u2019s proposal has been the subject of back-and-forth arguments ever since.<\/p>\n<p>On Monday, CNBC reported that David Goldman, SpaceX\u2019s director of satellite policy, got in touch with FCC officials last week and called out Amazon and other competitors for making what he called \u201cmisleading claims of interference.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>A tweet about that meeting drew a reply from Musk early today:<\/p>\n<p><iframe id=\"twitter-widget-0\" scrolling=\"no\" frameborder=\"0\" allowtransparency=\"true\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" class=\"\" style=\"position: absolute; visibility: hidden; width: 0px; height: 0px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;\" title=\"X Post\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/embed\/Tweet.html?creatorScreenName=b0yle&amp;dnt=true&amp;embedId=twitter-widget-0&amp;features=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%3D%3D&amp;frame=false&amp;hideCard=false&amp;hideThread=false&amp;id=1354018055014260738&amp;lang=en&amp;origin=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.geekwire.com%2F2021%2Fspacexs-elon-musk-amazons-project-kuiper-stir-war-words-satellites%2F&amp;sessionId=419fdd91ae1c69466def83793abd4d10df91a1ef&amp;siteScreenName=geekwire&amp;theme=light&amp;widgetsVersion=6a3ad42b224df%3A1778106238597&amp;width=550px\" data-tweet-id=\"1354018055014260738\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\" data-twitter-extracted-i1782798942778244477=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">It does not serve the public to hamstring Starlink today for an Amazon satellite system that is at best several years away from operation<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 26, 2021<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><script async=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>Musk\u2019s tweet sparked a sharp response from Amazon:<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>\u201cThe facts are simple. We designed the Kuiper System to avoid interference with Starlink, and now SpaceX wants to change the design of its system. Those changes not only create a more dangerous environment for collisions in space, but they also increase radio interference for customers. Despite what SpaceX posts on Twitter, it is SpaceX\u2019s proposed changes that would hamstring competition among satellite systems. It is clearly in SpaceX\u2019s interest to smother competition in the cradle if they can, but it is certainly not in the public\u2019s interest.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Will the FCC give SpaceX the go-ahead to lower its satellite\u2019s orbits? Or will SpaceX be held back? Don\u2019t expect an immediate verdict. Two weeks ago, the FCC approved SpaceX\u2019s plan to put 10 Starlink satellites in 560-kilometer-high polar orbits with its latest launch, overriding objections about interference. But the commission said it would defer its decision on the broader issue.<\/p>\n<p>Tim Farrar, a telecommunications industry consultant who has previously voiced skepticism about Starlink\u2019s business model, said that decision is likely to turn on whether the FCC considers the orbital change to be a major or a minor modification in SpaceX\u2019s license.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cGiven that Kuiper got put into a second processing round where it had to protect all previously licensed systems, getting the FCC to treat SpaceX\u2019s application as a minor modification (despite the likelihood that it will increase interference to other satellite and terrestrial users) is critical for SpaceX because a major modification would potentially need to also be relegated to a second processing round,\u201d Farrar told GeekWire in a Twitter message.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_601145\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-601145\" style=\"width: 630px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full-width wp-image-601145\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.geekwire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/210126-kuiper1-630x431.jpg\" alt=\"Project Kuiper HQ\" width=\"630\" height=\"431\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.geekwire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/210126-kuiper1-630x431.jpg 630w, https:\/\/cdn.geekwire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/210126-kuiper1-1260x861.jpg 1260w, https:\/\/cdn.geekwire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/210126-kuiper1-768x525.jpg 768w, https:\/\/cdn.geekwire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/210126-kuiper1-1536x1050.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/cdn.geekwire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/210126-kuiper1.jpg 1580w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 630px) 100vw, 630px\"><figcaption data-nosnippet=\"\" id=\"caption-attachment-601145\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Amazon\u2019s Project Kuiper has its headquarters in Redmond, Wash. (GeekWire Photo \/ Alan Boyle)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>SpaceX\u2019s Starlink project and Amazon\u2019s Project Kuiper both have deep connections in the Seattle area. Starlink\u2019s satellites are manufactured at SpaceX\u2019s facility in Redmond, Wash., while Kuiper\u2019s headquarters are just a few miles away in a different Redmond neighborhood. For what it\u2019s worth, some of the executives who ran Starlink in the early days now hold key positions at Project Kuiper. And as if that weren\u2019t enough, Redmond-based Microsoft is partnering with Starlink on its Azure Space cloud computing platform.<\/p>\n<p>Over the course of the past decade, Musk has won the upper hand over Bezos on a string of space issues, including the patentability of at-sea rocket landings, the disposition of NASA\u2019s historic Launch Complex 39A and funding for future national security launches. But this time around, it\u2019s not just Musk vs. Bezos. Jim Cashel, the author of a book on the global broadband market titled \u201cThe Great Connecting,\u201d said the mega-constellation space race is about more than two battling billionaires<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe SpaceX-Amazon tiff over orbits is likely to be the least of our problems when other companies, countries, militaries start ramping up,\u201d Cashel told GeekWire in a Twitter message. \u201cThere is finite, shared real estate in LEO, and no global consensus on systems for governance and allocation.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>Update for 11:55 p.m. PT Jan. 26:<\/strong> Larry Press, a professor at California State University at Dominguez Hills who specializes in internet policy, noted in an email that SpaceX has just launched its first batch of laser-equipped Starlink satellites in the lower orbits.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf Amazon prevails, it will derail the plan for the remaining polar-orbit satellites with inter-satellite laser links. \u2026 My uninformed bias favors Musk in this dispute because he is innovating in this case, but I understand that Bezos may have planned based on what had been approved,\u201d Press wrote.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The rivalry between SpaceX CEO Elon Musk and Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos is back in the news. (Musk Photo: TED via YouTube; Bezos Photo: GeekWire \/ Kevin Lisota) SpaceX CEO Elon Musk and Amazon\u2019s Project Kuiper escalated a different kind of Star Wars today, over the orbital parameters for their rival satellite constellations. Musk complained [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[275,252,277,1720,962,20,442,316,440],"class_list":["post-17602","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news","tag-amazon","tag-broadband","tag-fcc","tag-federal-communications-commission","tag-project-kuiper","tag-satellite","tag-satellites","tag-spacex","tag-starlink"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17602"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=17602"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17602\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=17602"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=17602"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=17602"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}