SpaceX stunned the satellite industry in late January when it asked the Federal Communications Commission for permission to launch up to one million satellites to create an orbital data center constellation—a proposal that apparently ticked off Amazon. The ensuing spat has grown so heated that the FCC chairman recently stepped in.
On March 6, Amazon petitioned the FCC to deny SpaceX’s application, arguing that it “seems to describe a lofty ambition rather than a real plan.” Jeff Bezos’s company said the proposal lacks key details about satellite design, orbital altitudes, radiofrequency characteristics, and SpaceX’s plans to manage conjunctions or interference at the scale of a million satellites. Amazon added that the timeline is unclear and that launching such a constellation could take centuries.
The petition raises some valid concerns, but FCC Chairman Brendan Carr doesn’t seem persuaded. On Wednesday, he basically told Amazon to mind its own business.
“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,” Carr posted on X.
Stay in your lane, Amazon
Carr makes a valid point too. SpaceX has been launching Starlink satellites since 2019 and has since expanded its constellation to a fleet of more than 9,600. Starlink is by far the world’s largest and fastest-growing satellite constellation, providing broadband internet to millions across the globe.
Amazon Leo, formerly known as Project Kuiper, is in a much earlier stage of development. Amazon unveiled its plans for a Starlink competitor about one month before SpaceX launched its first batch of operational satellites but took much longer to ramp up production and reach the deployment phase.
The first prototype Amazon Leo satellites launched in 2023, and Bezos’s company now has 210 active satellites in orbit. Amazon ultimately plans to grow its fleet to 3,236 satellites. It has until July 30, 2026, to launch half of its constellation, per FCC regulations.
At the end of January, Amazon requested a two-year extension on that deadline, citing a shortage of near-term launch availability. Unlike SpaceX, which launches Starlinks aboard its Falcon 9 rocket, Amazon does not have its own rockets to support satellite deployment. Instead, it partners with commercial launch providers—including SpaceX—to build its constellation.
“Despite a historic reserve of launch capacity and deep investments in launch infrastructure, Amazon Leo has faced a shortage in the near-term availability of launches,” the extension request reads. “This shortage has been driven by manufacturing disruptions, the failure and grounding of new launch vehicles, and limitations in spaceport capacity.”
The FCC has not yet ruled on Amazon’s extension request, but it’s clear the company will not meet the looming July deadline.
Valid concerns about SpaceX’s orbital data center
With all of that said, SpaceX’s application to launch a million satellites is undeniably vague. The filing does not include a deployment schedule or cost estimate—though SpaceX did ask the FCC to waive its requirement for deployment of half the constellation within six years and full deployment within nine years, SpaceNews reports.
Amazon is also right to point out the application’s lack of technical details. SpaceX did not include information about the size or mass of its data center satellites, which is critical for evaluating the risks associated with such an enormous constellation. Even the orbital plan is vague, with the filing stating that the satellites would operate at altitudes between 311 and 1,243 miles (500 and 2,000 kilometers).
Carr’s scathing X post is not a sure indication that the FCC won’t take Amazon’s concerns seriously, but it doesn’t bode well for the company’s petition. For now, SpaceX seems to be getting a free pass, while Amazon must scramble to keep its own orbital ambitions from falling behind.
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