Amazon also told the FCC it would “further mitigate the risk of collision” by “coordinat[ing] during operations, in real-time, with systems through whose orbital altitudes Kuiper Satellites will transit.” The FCC later granted approval for Amazon’s orbital debris mitigation plan, attaching license conditions that mandate coordination and information-sharing with other operators occupying similar orbital regimes, SpaceX said.
SpaceX alleged that, despite repeated assurances and the related license conditions, Amazon conducted eight launches into orbits with insertion altitudes above 450 km without submitting an amended orbital debris mitigation plan or seeking Commission approval for that change. SpaceX added that most recently, even after SpaceX provided input, Amazon’s February 12, 2026 Ariane 6 launch placed satellites at an altitude high enough to create collision risks that could not be mitigated for dozens of operational spacecraft.
SpaceX asserted that Amazon failed to update its orbital debris mitigation plan and did not give sufficiently accurate information to other operators about the February launch. According to SpaceX, this materially increased the danger to all satellite operations near the 480 km insertion altitude and to inhabited spacecraft.
Amazon filed a letter with the FCC today rebutting the claims. “The facts demonstrate that Amazon Leo launches to altitudes permitted under its license, has been transparent about its insertion altitudes with both the Commission and with SpaceX, and operates squarely within established industry safety standards,” Amazon said.
Amazon says there was no safety breach
Amazon said its launch altitudes comply with the license’s “at or near 400 km” requirement, which allows “some flexibility in adjusting parameters.” It explained that it proceeded with the 450 km insertion altitude because “changing near-term Ariane launch parameters would cause multi-month delays,” and said it has addressed SpaceX’s concerns by committing to lower initial altitudes beginning with its fourth Ariane mission. The February 12 flight was the first of 18 scheduled launches.
“Launch vehicle providers generally require several months—and often up to one year—to retarget insertion altitude due to the complexity of final mission analysis, which includes trajectory analysis, coupled loads analysis, and integrated thermal analysis,” Amazon told the FCC. “Arianespace, for example, requires three to six months for final mission analysis when changing target orbit parameters. Amazon Leo began this process immediately upon learning of SpaceX’s concerns and has worked diligently with its launch providers to implement changes as quickly as operationally feasible.”
