Space Squabble: Elon Musk’s SpaceX Accuses Amazon of Violating Orbital Rules as Satellite Rivalry Escalates

Elon Musk’s SpaceX has filed a formal complaint with the FCC accusing Amazon of breaching its orbital debris mitigation plan by launching satellites at supposedly unauthorized altitudes, raising concerns over collision risks in low-Earth orbit.

Ars Technica reports that SpaceX, the operator of the Starlink broadband satellite constellation, has accused Amazon and its launch partner Arianespace of negligence in deploying satellites at insertion altitudes significantly higher than those outlined in Amazon’s FCC-approved orbital debris mitigation plan. The dispute centers on Amazon’s Project Kuiper, formerly known as Kuiper Systems, which is building a LEO broadband constellation to compete with Starlink’s network of over 10,000 operational satellites.

In a letter submitted to the FCC, SpaceX alleged that Amazon launched satellites into orbits with insertion altitudes above 450 kilometers on eight separate occasions without submitting an amended orbital debris mitigation plan or obtaining Commission approval for the change. Amazon had previously told