Elon Musk on Tuesday said Amazon is trying to “hamstring” his aerospace company SpaceX’s internet satellite project, Starlink.
Taking to his Twitter account on Tuesday, Tesla CEO Elon Musk accused Amazon of trying to “hamstring” SpaceX. The Hawthorne-based aerospace company and Amazon both have high-speed internet satellite projects – SpaceX’s Starlink, and Amazon’s Project Kuiper.
SpaceX recently requested the FCC (Federal Communications Commission) to allow it to bring its Starlink satellites to lower altitudes than previously planned. Amazon and some other companies have opposed the request, claiming that the move would be a hindrance to their own satellite launches.
CNBC reporter Michael Sheetz shared quotes from SpaceX director David Goldman, who last week presented to FCC officials, that described Amazon’s objection as misleading and “attempts to stifle competition.”
Musk responded Tuesday saying, “It does not serve the public to hamstring Starlink today for an Amazon satellite system that is at best several years away from operation,” Amazon responded by saying SpaceX is trying to quell competition.
It does not serve the public to hamstring Starlink today for an Amazon satellite system that is at best several years away from operation
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 26, 2021
“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,” an Amazon spokesperson told CNBC. “Those changes not only create a more dangerous environment for collisions in space, but they also increase radio interference for customers,” they added.
Despite what SpaceX posts on Twitter, it is SpaceX’s proposed changes that would hamstring competition among satellite systems,” the spokesperson said. “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.”
SpaceX has launched over 1,000 satellites, breaking a world record on Sunday by launching 143 satellites on a single rocket. Starlink, its internet service, has already started to roll out to several parts of the world, including the U.K.
Project Kuiper, on the other hand, hasn’t launched any satellites, however, it has previously said it plans to launch a fleet of 3,236. SpaceX is planning to put a total of 42,000 satellites into orbit.
Musk has a reputation for getting into spats with Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, and has even called Project Kuiper a “copycat.” Stay tuned to AuczarPlus for the latest news.
