Ali Hasan
What’s a better rivalry than The Avengers vs Thanos? Well, its Elon Musk vs Jeff Bezos. This is no ordinary battle. These aren’t 2 stupid men fighting and arguing against each other on silly topics or are gossiping about others. These 2 men who have been the richest person alive are fighting for taking humanity one step further. They have done it before and they’re doing it again.
This time it’s about Project Kuiper by Amazon. Starlink, which is currently operating on a beta-trial basis, and Amazon’s yet-to-be launched Project Kuiper constellation both seek to make global broadband internet access available to billions of people who are currently underserved as well as to specialized markets ranging from military communications to cloud computing.
SpaceX currently has more than 1,000 Starlink satellites in low Earth orbit and aims to boost that number to 11,000 or more in the years ahead. Last year, Amazon won approval from the Federal Communications Commission to put 3,236 satellites in a different set of orbits, with at least half of them to be launched by 2026.
Just a couple of months earlier, SpaceX asked the FCC to approve a change in orbits for future Starlink satellites. In an effort to improve service and facilitate the safe de-orbiting of satellites, SpaceX wants to put its first-generation satellites in orbits ranging from 540 to 570 kilometers (336 to 354 miles), rather than the originally approved range of 1,100 to 1,325 kilometers (684 to 823 miles).
Amazon filed an objection to that proposed change, as did other satellite ventures, on the grounds that the orbital change would hurt their own plans. SpaceX’s proposal has been the subject of back-and-forth arguments ever since.
“The facts are simple. We designed the Kuiper System to avoid interference with Starlink, and now SpaceX wants to change the design of its system. Those changes not only create a more dangerous environment for collisions in space, but they also increase radio interference for customers. Despite what SpaceX posts on Twitter, it is SpaceX’s proposed changes that would hamstring competition among satellite systems. It is clearly in SpaceX’s interest to smother competition in the cradle if they can, but it is certainly not in the public’s interest.”
This response came from Amazon after Elon Musk tweeted “It does not serve the public to hamstring Starlink today for an Amazon satellite system that is at best several years away from operation”.
Starlink is SpaceX’s plan to build an interconnected internet network with about 12,000 satellites, designed to deliver high-speed internet to anywhere on the planet. With more than 1,000 satellites so far in orbit, SpaceX began a public beta program in October. Initial service is priced at $99 a month, in addition to a $499 upfront cost to order the Starlink Kit, which includes a user terminal and Wi-Fi router to connect to the satellites.
Meanwhile, Amazon has been working on its own satellite internet called Project Kuiper. It plans to launch 3,236 internet satellites into low Earth orbit — a system that would compete with Starlink. While Amazon in December passed a critical early hardware milestone for the antennas it needs to connect to the network, it has yet to begin producing or launching its satellites.
Looks like this fight will go on until and unless the matter gets resolved by the FCC. Both of these billionaires want to take humanity one step further with their glorious vision and technologies but who will prevail in the long run is the big question.
We will cover up on this news as it develops. Make sure to stay tuned and keep yourself updated.
