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In an effort to expand global connectivity, on Thursday the Federal Communications Commission approved the requests of Elon Musk’s SpaceX to deploy over 7,000 orbiting satellites into space.
With more orbiting satellites in space, it is expected that more Americans, especially those living in rural areas as well as people in developing countries, will be able to access high-speed internet.
While the FCC previously gave SpaceX the go-ahead to deploy 4,425 satellites in March, they regulated the altitude at which they could be deployed at. This was due to concerns about the increasing amount of orbital debris which FCC Chairman Ajit Pai reiterated on Thursday.
“Even a centimeter-wide object can wreak devastating damage to satellites,” Pai said. Furthermore, orbital debris could also impair space exploration efforts. Given these concerns, the Commission granted SpaceX conditional permission to deploy more satellites at a lower altitude which will be subject to the FCC’s safety regulation.
“These changes are intended to ensure that the United States remains the most desirable country in the world for licensing and operating satellite,” Pai said in a statement Thursday. With the FCC’s approval, Elon Musk’s company will be able to deploy nearly 12,000 satellites into space forming a constellation which the company named Starlink.
Along with SpaceX, the FCC also granted permission to three other companies – Kepler Communications, Telesat Canada, and LeoSat MA to launch more satellites at a lower orbit.
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