US Court Greenlights SpaceX Plan to Deploy Starlink Satellites

A US appeals court approved SpaceX plan to deploy some Starlink satellites at a lower Earth orbit than planned.

In 2021 SpaceX got an approval from the US Federal Communications Commission's to deploy 2,824 satellites at a lower orbit to provide high-speed broadband internet services to people who currently lack access.

SpaceX rivals Viasat and DISH Network Corp challenged this decision and filed a case. However, on Friday a US appeals court upheld the decision of the FCC.

Viasat said it believes the 'decision is a setback for both space safety and environmental protection'. The company states that in this way SpaceX will create 'harmful impacts that may persist for decades or even centuries to come' and that could have been avoided.