From PC Mag: SpaceX has finally received permission from the Federal Communications Commission to launch a second-generation Starlink network, but it’ll have to do so at a much smaller scale.
The second-gen Starlink network was supposed to span a massive 29,988 satellites, which would be about five times larger than the current number of active satellites around Earth. But on Thursday, the FCC granted SpaceX the authority to only operate up to 7,500 satellites at over 500 kilometers above the Earth.
The decision was made to both help Starlink supply high-speed internet to consumers while also addressing concerns from rival companies, environment groups and astronomers about the second-generation network’s massive size.
“This limited grant and associated conditions will protect other satellite and terrestrial operators from harmful interference and maintain a safe space environment, promoting competition and protecting spectrum and orbital resources for future use,” the Commission wrote in the decision.
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