Elon Musk’s SpaceX came closer to getting permission to fly its satellites in a lower orbit than initially planned. It happened after the head of the Federal Communications Commission backed the proposal.
Jessica Rosenworcel, FCC Acting President, asked her colleagues to vote for the plan.
SpaceX’s rivals, including Jeff Bezos’ Amazon.com Project Kuiper satellite unit, said the change would increase the risk of debris-throwing collisions as space fills.
FCC spokesman said the order would grant SpaceX’s request and require conditions, including those intended to ensure safety.
SpaceX asked to fly 2,824 Starlink satellites in lower orbit, where the company already has permission to operate 1,584 spacecraft. With the change, the 4,408 satellites could orbit at an altitude of about 540 to 570 kilometers. The area is just below that attached to the Project Kuiper fleet.
The friction over the plan reflects the intense race underway as companies compete to offer broadband services from near space. Amazon in 2020 got permission from the FCC for 3,236 of its Kuiper satellites.
Elon Musk: Many people will die on the way to Mars
Elon Musk remarked that “a bunch of people will probably die” during the aerospace manufacturing company’s initial trips to Mars. However, he insisted that it will be a glorious adventure and an incredible experience.
Musk has repeatedly mentioned that he hopes to get humans to Mars by 2026. NASA, meanwhile, expects that to happen in 2033 under the program Artemis.
Likewise, the aerospace entrepreneur indicated that 2026 is not the deadline for carrying out a said project either, since the technical obstacles that may arise must be taken into account.
The Starship must be completely reusable and ready for the long six-month journey to be carried out.
After several successful test flights, it could be sent unmanned to Mars and return sometime in 2024 before having personnel onboard and heading once more to the red planet.
Also, the co-founder of SpaceX specified that another of his most important objectives is to establish a self-sufficient Martian civilization.
For the first time in the four and a half billion years of Earth’s history, it has been possible to extend life beyond Earth and make life multi-planetary, he said.
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