SpaceX Slams Amazon for Reckless Satellite Launches That Endanger Orbit
SpaceX has fired off a sharp letter to the FCC, calling out Amazon’s Project Kuiper for repeatedly breaking its approved orbital debris mitigation plan.
Amazon is dumping its satellites 50 to 90 kilometers higher than authorized, without proper coordination or sharing key details with other operators. This sloppy approach from Amazon and its launch partner Arianespace is needlessly hiking collision risks for working satellites and even crewed spacecraft in low Earth orbit.
The fix is simple: Amazon could cut the danger dramatically by sticking to its own authorized launch plan. Instead, it’s forcing others—including Starlink—to burn fuel on last-minute avoidance maneuvers.
SpaceX made it clear—Amazon and Arianespace can easily comply, but they’re choosing not to. In the crowded frontier of space, rules exist for a reason: to keep orbits safe instead of turning them into a junkyard free-for-all.