Space X and Amazon, companies run by the two richest men in the world (Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos), are making efforts for their competing satellite-based businesses.
SpaceX accuses Amazon of "suffocating competition" and Amazon accuses SpaceX of claiming that "it is looking for very easy competition".
Elon Musk, CEO of SpaceX, has a net worth of $ 209 billion. Jeff Bezos, CEO of Amazon, has a net worth of $ 192 billion.
By comparison, $ 192 billion is higher than the annual gross domestic product of more than half the world in 2020, according to the International Monetary Fund.
The conflict consists of an attempt by SpaceX to modify its license for Starlink, a massive satellite device aimed at implementing a new Internet communication system in space, of which SpaceX has released over 900.
The company has permission from the US federal government to launch thousands of such satellites and in a recent communication, SpaceX said it wants to place some of the satellites at a lower altitude than previously planned or authorized.
This proposed change could put Musk, or Starlink, satellites on a "path" called Project Kuiper, proposed by Amazon.
The company has not yet launched any satellites, but it has secured a license for the project.
Amazon's current plans include placing some of its satellites in orbit approximately 590 km above the Earth's surface. The company argued in its objection that Starlink satellites at that altitude could cause more signal interference with Project Kuiper satellites and other nearby satellite networks.
However, SpaceX has removed these concerns. SpaceX satellite policy director David Goldman said his competitor reached those conclusions only by "gathering data from nothing" and "ignoring most of the modification" that SpaceX has proposed.
Elon Musk commented on Twitter:
"It does not serve to get people to hit Starlink today for an Amazon satellite system, which is at best several years out of date."
Amazon, i ktheu përgjigje këtij postimi, duke shkruar:
“Faktet janë të thjeshta. Ne krijuam Sistemin Kuiper për të shmangur ndërhyrjet në Starlink, dhe tani SpaceX dëshiron të ndryshojë modelin e sistemit të saj. "Këto ndryshime jo vetëm që krijojnë një mjedis më të rrezikshëm për përplasjet në hapësirë, por ato gjithashtu rrisin ndërhyrjet (interferencat) në radio për klientët. Pavarësisht nga ajo që SpaceX poston në Tëitter, janë ndryshimet e propozuara të SpaceX që do të pengojnë konkurrencën midis sistemeve satelitore.”
According to official documents, SpaceX has agreed to limit Starlink satellites to an altitude of 580 km or less, but this restriction will only start after Amazon releases its satellites uk it is by no means clear whether SpaceX will adhere to the restriction before Amazon started. The latter has not yet said when it will start, but the FCC (Federal Communications Commission) license entitles it until July 2026 to build.
Source: CNN
