TESMANIAN by Evelyn Arevalo July 27, 2021
Viasat, a broadband satellite operator, has attempted to stop SpaceX from launching more Starlink satellites to low Earth orbit. The aerospace company currently operates around 1,740 satellites out of 12,000 that will be deployed over the course of the next five years. The constellation is designed to provide reliable broadband coverage to rural and remote regions around the globe.
Around a year ago, SpaceX submitted a request with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), seeking to modify the altitude of 2,814 satellites into lower operational orbits than previously planned. Operating Starlink satellites in lower orbits enables the constellation to provide faster broadband service around the globe. This request faced a lot of objections from competitors that operate satellites at higher altitudes, including Viasat, Amazon, and OneWeb. They claim the Starlink constellation could ‘interfere with other satellite networks.’ SpaceX competitors told the FCC that decreasing the orbits of thousands of satellites would also increase the risk of collisions with other orbiting spacecraft or debris, to which the FCC said on April 27: “We conclude that operations at the lower altitude will have beneficial effects with respect to orbital debris mitigation. We also find that SpaceX’s modification will not present significant interference problems, as assessed under Commission precedent.”
The FCC approved SpaceX’s request to deploy more satellites at lower altitudes in April. The Commission allowed SpaceX to decrease the operational altitude of 2,814 satellites it plans to launch from initially planned orbits of 1,100 to 1,300 kilometers to lower orbits of 540 to 570 kilometers. “Our action will allow SpaceX to implement safety-focused changes to the deployment of its satellite constellation to deliver broadband service throughout the United States, including to those who live in areas underserved or unserved by terrestrial systems,” the FCC stated. Under the approved plan, SpaceX will launch a total of 4,408 satellites to operate in lower altitudes, the amount includes the satellites that are in space already. “Based on our review, we agree with SpaceX that the modification will improve the experience for users of the SpaceX service, including in often-underserved polar regions,” the FCC stated.
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