Carr Not Receptive to Amazon’s Petition to Deny SpaceX Application
He posted on social media the company should focus on its own behind-schedule constellation.
WASHINGTON, March 11, 2026 – Amazon is asking the Federal Communications Commission to deny SpaceX’s request to launch up to 1 million satellites in support of a space-based system of data centers. The head of the agency was not receptive to Amazon’s request.
“Amazon should focus on the fact that it will fall roughly 1,000 satellites short of meeting its upcoming deployment milestone, rather than spending their time and resources filing petitions against companies that are putting thousands of satellites in orbit,” FCC Chairman Brendan Carr posted on X Wednesday.
He was referring to Amazon’s request last month for more time to hit interim milestones on its planned 3,232-satellite constellation. The company has about 212 satellites in orbit currently, and told the agency an unexpected “reengineering” and repeatedly delayed launch dates had put it behind schedule.
Amazon had argued SpaceX’s request to launch up to 1 million satellites was incomplete, missing basic information about spectrum use and orbits that usually accompanies FCC satellite applications.
“The application fails to provide even the minimum amount of information necessary to meaningfully assess the scope of the proposed system, its interaction with other non-geostationary satellite orbit (NGSO) systems, or its implications for space safety and orbital congestion,” Amazon wrote. “The [FCC] should therefore dismiss the applications without prejudice and allow SpaceX to refile when and if it can produce serious and credible plans regarding its million-satellite constellation.”
The million-satellite system would be separate from SpaceX’s Starlink satellites that support its broadband service, which Amazon’s nascent constellation is aiming to compete with. Both companies tentatively won hundreds of millions to serve rural homes and businesses through the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment program.
By New Street Research tallies, SpaceX is set to take home more than $636 million to serve more than 464,000 locations, with Amazon looking at $322 million to serve more than 409,000 locations. SpaceX told state broadband offices running the program in January that without certain conditions, participation in the grant program might be “untenable” for LEO providers.
The European Space Agency estimates more than 16,000 satellites are currently in orbit – and SpaceX operates about 10,000 of those – meaning the company’s plan would amount to a massive increase in the number of spacecraft around the Earth.
Wireless ISPs also said they feared interference from SpaceX’s proposed orbital data center system. WISPA said its members use the 18.8-19.3 GigaHertz (GHz) band
“While 18 GHz links have fixed narrow beams, an NGSO system in low-earth orbit with the potential for one million satellites transmitting space-to-Earth, even if on a secondary basis, presents novel technical issues that should require SpaceX to submit additional information so that the public and Commission staff can make an affirmative assessment of the interference potential,” the group wrote. “The Commission should not simply accept SpaceX’s conclusory statements at face value.”
In its application, SpaceX said its plan would be a first step toward “becoming a Kardashev II-level civilization – one that can harness the sun’s full power – while supporting AI-driven applications for billions of people today and ensuring humanity’s multi-planetary future amongst the stars.”
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