TLDR
- FCC Chair Brendan Carr openly rebuked Amazon for challenging SpaceX’s ambitious proposal to deploy up to 1 million satellites
- Carr pointed out that Amazon is expected to miss its deployment target by approximately 1,000 satellites
- Amazon submitted a filing urging the FCC to deny SpaceX’s request, describing it as an unrealistic ambition lacking substance
- SpaceX’s Starlink network currently operates approximately 9,000–10,000 satellites and serves between 6–9 million subscribers
- Amazon has deployed more than 200 satellites to date and has requested a two-year extension to achieve its 1,600-satellite milestone
On Wednesday, FCC Chairman Brendan Carr publicly rebuked Amazon, suggesting the tech giant should address its own satellite deployment challenges before taking shots at SpaceX.
Carr’s remarks came in response to a petition filed by Amazon Leo, Amazon’s satellite division, which urged the FCC to deny a SpaceX application seeking authorization to launch a massive constellation of up to 1 million satellites in low Earth orbit.
In its filing, Amazon characterized the SpaceX proposal as a “lofty ambition rather than a real plan,” arguing that SpaceX failed to provide sufficient technical details demonstrating how such a massive deployment would be executed.
Carr responded forcefully. “Amazon should focus on the fact that it will fall roughly 1,000 satellites short of meeting its upcoming deployment milestone, rather than spending their time and resources filing petitions against companies that are putting thousands of satellites in orbit,” he posted on X.
In comments to Reuters, he added: “Given the pace at which Amazon is launching satellites, I can see why they would think it would take other people centuries to launch.”
Amazon has poured over $10 billion into its satellite broadband initiative. The program, currently branded as Amazon Leo but formerly known as Kuiper, has launched more than 200 satellites since April of last year.
This past January, Amazon petitioned the FCC for either a waiver or a 24-month deadline extension, seeking to push its compliance date to July 2028. The company’s original mandate required deploying approximately 1,600 satellites by July 2026. Amazon attributed the delays to launch vehicle availability issues and manufacturing setbacks.
Amazon’s Objections to SpaceX’s Expansion
Amazon’s petition outlined multiple areas of concern. The filing argued that approving SpaceX’s application would compel competing satellite operators to accommodate a constellation that “may never exist.” Additionally, Amazon warned the plan could intensify international regulatory concerns about the monopolization of orbital resources.
The scientific community has also voiced apprehensions about SpaceX’s proposal. Opponents have highlighted issues including light pollution, space debris accumulation, and the potential for “Kessler syndrome” — a catastrophic cascade of collisions that could render low Earth orbit unusable.
SpaceX has stated that its proposed constellation would orbit Earth and utilize solar energy to power artificial intelligence data centers in space.
The FCC has yet to rule on SpaceX’s application. Nevertheless, Carr indicated he doesn’t anticipate Amazon’s petition will “get much traction.”
Starlink’s Current Operations
Starlink presently maintains between 9,000 and 10,000 satellites in orbit. The service provides connectivity to over 6 million subscribers spanning at least 140 nations. In January, the FCC authorized an additional 7,500 second-generation Starlink satellites, incorporating direct-to-cell capabilities for international markets.
Last month, the FCC also granted a separate Amazon petition to launch 4,500 satellites, a move that would more than double the company’s existing constellation size.
