SpaceX abandons Starlink plan that Amazon objected to, but fight isn’t over

SpaceX has abandoned a Starlink plan that Amazon objected to during a high-profile battle at the Federal Communications Commission in 2021, and wants to launch its second-generation broadband satellites starting in March 2022. But the dispute isn't over, as Amazon says that SpaceX's latest filing "raises a number of issues that call for analysis and a potential response" and asked the FCC for a month-long delay before comments are due. In August 2021, Amazon satellite-broadband subsidiary Kuiper Systems objected to Starlink proposing "two different configurations for the nearly 30,000 satellites of its Gen2 System" SpaceX said it pitched two possible configurations in case its preferred setup doesn't work out. SpaceX told the FCC on January 7 that it is abandoning its alternative configuration, and said it still plans to have the second-generation satellites ready for launch "as soon as March 2022, pending regulatory approval." The FCC deemed SpaceX's application for 30,000 satellites to be "acceptable for filing" on December 23. There is a 30-day comment period that expires on January 24. On January 10, Amazon asked the FCC for a 30-day extension to the deadline for filing responses to SpaceX's application to deploy 30,000 satellites. Kuiper has FCC approval to launch 3,236 low Earth-orbit satellites, but its current satellite launch schedule puts the Amazon project nearly four years behind Starlink.