{"id":220114,"date":"2026-01-06T19:28:10","date_gmt":"2026-01-06T19:28:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/220114\/"},"modified":"2026-01-06T19:28:10","modified_gmt":"2026-01-06T19:28:10","slug":"spacex-faces-more-pushback-over-plans-to-launch-15k-cellular-starlink-satellites","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/220114\/","title":{"rendered":"SpaceX Faces More Pushback Over Plans to Launch 15K Cellular Starlink Satellites"},"content":{"rendered":"

SpaceX’s plan to launch an additional\u00a015,000<\/a>\u00a0satellites for its Starlink cellular system has sparked opposition and concern from rival companies and environmentalists, who are weighing in after the FCC opened<\/a>\u00a0a public comment period on the proposed constellation.<\/p>\n

Currently, SpaceX has FCC clearance to orbit about 12,000 satellites. Its cellular Starlink service uses approximately 650 satellites, but it faces bandwidth constraints. The new constellation promises to upgrade the service, enabling it to\u00a0beam<\/a>\u00a05G connectivity to phones worldwide for improved video calls and high-speed downloads.\u00a0<\/p>\n

In total, however, SpaceX wants about 49,000 satellites in Earth\u2019s orbit, if you consider all<\/a> of its satellite plans for Starlink, according to rival satellite provider Viasat.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis proposed expansion of SpaceX’s operating authority would give [SpaceX] an even greater ability and incentive to foreclose other operators from accessing and using limited orbital and spectrum resources on a competitive basis,\u201d Viasat wrote<\/a> in a letter to the FCC.<\/p>\n

\"Starlink<\/p>\n

\n (Credit: satellitemap.space)\n<\/p>\n

Another rival provider, Globalstar, which powers the satellite services on Apple iPhones, also chimed in. The company is opposed to the request because SpaceX’s satellites propose using a swath of the 1.6GHz radio spectrum that Globalstar also uses for its own satellites.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Although SpaceX reached<\/a> a $17 billion deal last year to tap EchoStar\u2019s licensed spectrum for its cellular Starlink service, Globalstar is flagging how the same satellites would tap the 1.6GHz band outside the US. This would not violate Globalstar\u2019s operating rights to the spectrum and threaten to create significant radio interference, the company argues.<\/p>\n

\u201cSpaceX\u2019s failure in the September Application to provide a legitimate interference analysis is not surprising. As Globalstar has pointed out repeatedly, new operator entry into the Big LEO [low-Earth orbit] band is technically infeasible,\u201d the company wrote in its letter<\/a> to the FCC.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Another vocal opponent is DarkSky International, an anti-light pollution group, which is urging the FCC to scrutinize the environmental impact of launching 15,000 satellites. The group is particularly concerned about how the satellites will eventually reenter the Earth\u2019s atmosphere and burn up, potentially releasing chemicals that are\u00a0harmful<\/a>\u00a0to the ozone layer, although research on the topic remains limited.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

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“SpaceX\u2019s proposed satellites will dump millions of pounds of pollution into the atmosphere, causing significant environmental impacts both in space and on the ground,” DarkSky International alleges<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"Starlink<\/p>\n

\n (Photo by Jakub Porzycki\/NurPhoto via Getty Images)\n<\/p>\n

Even SpaceX rival Blue Origin submitted<\/a> some comments to the FCC. The company wasn\u2019t explicitly against the 15,000 satellite plan. However, Blue Origin noted that the large constellation will orbit closer to Earth, at around 330 kilometers, raising potential risks that the satellites could move into the path of launched rockets.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThe very dense vLEO [very low-Earth orbit] environment proposed by SpaceX\u2014if not accompanied by institutionalized review and coordination procedures\u2014risks imposing unnecessary launch-availability constraints,\u201d Blue Origin said. <\/p>\n

Recommended by Our Editors<\/p>\n

The company is asking the FCC to take steps to protect the predictable launch windows and consider requiring SpaceX to deploy the satellites in increments, \u201cwith each subsequent increment authorized contingent on evidence that launch operators will not be materially constrained in their ability to conduct missions,\u201d it wrote.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Other companies and lobbying groups that oppose SpaceX\u2019s 15,000 satellites to some extent include Iridium, Ligado, and the Mobile Satellite Services Association. But the pushback isn\u2019t a surprise. SpaceX has faced similar resistance over the years when requesting FCC permission to expand<\/a> Starlink through new satellites and radio frequency access.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The big question is whether the pushback sways the FCC. The Commission’s Republican chairman, Brendan Carr, is a supporter of SpaceX and has made it a priority for the US to dominate in satellite and space activities, countering China\u2019s own ambitions. Under Carr, the FCC is already moving<\/a> to exempt large satellite constellations from environmental review.\u00a0<\/p>\n

SpaceX hasn\u2019t responded to the opposition yet. But the company has argued that its cellular Starlink service is already delivering to users by ending cellular dead zones. In addition, SpaceX has been making an effort<\/a> to ensure its Starlink satellites orbit safely around the planet and burn up in the atmosphere without causing harm.\u00a0<\/p>\n

About Our Expert<\/p>\n

\"Michael<\/p>\n

Michael Kan<\/p>\n

Senior Reporter<\/p>\n

Experience<\/p>\n

I’ve been a journalist for over 15 years. I got my start as a schools and cities reporter in Kansas City and joined PCMag in 2017, where I cover satellite internet services, cybersecurity, PC hardware, and more. I’m currently based in San Francisco, but previously spent over five years in China, covering the country’s technology sector.<\/p>\n

Since 2020, I’ve covered the launch and explosive growth of SpaceX’s Starlink satellite internet service, writing 600+ stories on availability and feature launches, but also the regulatory battles over the expansion of satellite constellations, fights with rival providers like AST SpaceMobile and Amazon, and the effort to expand into satellite-based mobile service. I’ve combed through FCC filings for the latest news and driven to remote corners of California to test Starlink’s cellular service. <\/p>\n

I also cover cyber threats, from ransomware gangs to the emergence of AI-based malware. Earlier this year, the FTC forced Avast<\/a> to pay consumers $16.5 million for secretly harvesting and selling their personal information to third-party clients, as revealed in my joint investigation<\/a> with Motherboard.<\/p>\n

I also cover the PC graphics card market. Pandemic-era shortages led me to camp out<\/a> in front of a Best Buy to get an RTX 3000. I’m now following how President Trump’s tariffs will affect the industry. I’m always eager to learn more, so please jump in the comments with feedback and send me tips.<\/p>\n


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