Bloomberg
• Alisha Sachdev
Elon Musk accused unnamed Indian oligarchs of blocking Starlink’s launch to protect their market position, while India’s Communications Ministry said its satellite communications approval framework is fair and non-discriminatory. Musk also rejected claims that Starlink was used by insurgent groups, saying its beams were turned off over India.
Project Kuiper
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Amazon says it has built its 1,000th satellite and is weeks from beginning its space-based internet rollout. The milestone puts the focus on the manufacturing scale and deployment cadence behind Project Kuiper as the company moves from satellite production toward service launch.
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Elon Musk accused unnamed Indian oligarchs of blocking Starlink’s launch to protect their market position, while India’s Communications Ministry said its satellite communications approval framework is fair and non-discriminatory. Musk also rejected claims that Starlink was used by insurgent groups, saying its beams were turned off over India.
Delta Air Lines has chosen Amazon’s Leo satellite network to power its next-generation in-flight Wi-Fi, opting for the service over SpaceX’s Starlink. The decision positions Amazon’s emerging connectivity network as a competitor in airline broadband and gives Delta a different technology path from United.
Ukraine is asking Washington to sanction several Russian entities it says are helping develop Rassvet, a domestic satellite network intended as an alternative to SpaceX’s Starlink. The appeal underscores the network’s strategic significance and Kyiv’s effort to constrain Russia’s access to space-based communications capabilities.
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Beyond Gravity is doubling production capacity for satellite dispensers as Amazon Leo accelerates deployment of its low-Earth-orbit constellation. The expansion highlights the manufacturing scale-up required to support Amazon’s planned satellite network and the suppliers positioned to serve it.
Amazon Leo will enter Uzbekistan through an agreement with UZ-SAT to provide internet connectivity to underserved areas. The partnership marks the satellite internet provider’s expansion into the Uzbek market and could extend broadband availability beyond the reach of existing terrestrial infrastructure.
Valour Consultancy forecasts that Amazon Leo, Amazon’s satellite connectivity network, will serve more than 5,000 commercial and business aviation aircraft by 2035. The projection points to a potentially significant aviation market for satellite-enabled onboard connectivity over the next decade.
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SpaceX has moved Starship Flight 14 to no earlier than Sept. 28, pending regulatory approval, after initially targeting Sept. 22. The roughly 10-hour mission would be Starship’s first orbital flight and attempt to deploy 26 V3 Starlink satellites, marking a major test of the vehicle’s launch and in-space operations.
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