Brenda Marie Rivers
SpaceX is seeking authorization from the Federal Communications Commission to operate around 4.4K Starlink satellites at 335.5 to 354.2 miles above Earth, SpaceNews reported Tuesday.
The request comes after the FCC approved the company’s proposal to operate 1,584 of the broadband satellites at 341.8 miles. SpaceX is currently proposing to operate around 2.8K of the remaining satellites below the original 683.5- to 823.3-mile agreement.
The lower altitude will mitigate the proliferation of space debris, with gravity pulling inoperable satellites into the planet’s atmosphere in 25 years, according to the company.
In March, SpaceX launched the sixth wave of Starlink satellites to orbit and the FCC approved its request to deploy ground antennas for the constellation. The Air Force announced plans to deploy Starlink satellites for command-and-control testing activities the same month.
SpaceX first received authorization to deploy 12K Starlink satellites in 2018 and has so far sent 362 of the platforms to 341.8-mile orbits.
