SpaceX, Amazon Clash on Satellite Collision Risks
Altering target altitudes would delay already behind-schedule deployments, Amazon said.
WASHINGTON, April 3, 2026 – SpaceX and Amazon are dueling over satellite collision risks as Amazon tries to deploy more of its low-Earth orbit constellation.
SpaceX told the Federal Communications Commission in a Wednesday letter that Amazon was launching its satellites to altitudes above the 400 kilometers the agency had permitted, creating the risk of a collision with SpaceX’s massive 10,000 satellite constellation.
“Amazon’s unapproved action materially altered the collision risk profile the Commission evaluated when it approved Amazon’s orbital debris mitigation plan, imposing heightened risk on all other operators and the millions of Americans who depend on space-based services,” SpaceX wrote.
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