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A hot potato: SpaceX's plan to put another 22,488 satellites into low-Earth orbit is being opposed by a Ukrainian-American nonprofit. The organization has submitted two filings to the FCC objecting to the company's proposal for expansion, citing concerns over Elon Musk's connections to Vladimir Putin and the alleged use of Starlink systems by Russian forces in Ukraine.
The Ukrainian Congress Committee of America (UCCA) filed a petition to deny and motion for stay with the FCC. The UCCA also highlighted the environmental impact of SpaceX launches in Texas, and the possible conflict of interest arising from Musk's role with the upcoming Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), Trump's presidential advisory commission.
In September, Ukrainian website Defense Express wrote that Russian drones are now actively using Starlink hardware for "unlimited" communication over Ukraine's territory.
In February, Musk denied that Russian forces were using Starlink after the Ukrainian Defense Intelligence Agency (GUR) said it had proof that Russia's 83rd Assault Brigade was using the service in two towns in the partially occupied Donetsk region.
"There is a necessity to determine if Starlink has been used to help a foreign adversary," UCCA President Michael Sawkiw, Jr., told CNBC. "If yes, this is not in the national security interest of Ukrainian-Americans, or of the entire country."
The second filing points to the potential environmental damage the increasing number of rocket launches could cause in Texas. "Under applicable federal law the Commission is obligated to require an environmental assessment or impact statement before taking action on the application," the UCCA says.
"The calculus is simple, more satellites and launches lead to more polluting, soot, gases and metals in the Earth's atmosphere," the filing added. "There is also the concern of what will happen to the environment when these satellites, after their time is spent, reenter the atmosphere. At peak deployment, it's estimated that 29 tons of satellites will re-enter our atmosphere daily."
In October, a Wall Street Journal investigation revealed that Musk has had regular secret discussions with Russian President Vladimir Putin since late 2022. Members of Congress have called for an investigation into these contacts.
Starlink says its expansion will improve coverage, as well as the speeds it offers and latency.
The UCCA says it advocates for causes of concern to an estimated 2 million Americans of Ukrainian descent living in the US. The group previously filed comments against SpaceX in April, which related to the company's request to access additional spectrum for its Starlink network.
Republican FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr said at the time that the group's submission was "chock full of sweeping and unmoored allegations about 'illegal meddling in US foreign policy' in Ukraine and complaints about the ways in which Starlink connectivity has been provided within Ukraine." He added that, "The FCC should dismiss this filing with prejudice, lest the agency's silence invite even more attempts just like it."
SpaceX has supplied thousands of terminals to Ukraine and kept the service going since the war began, something the country was initially very grateful for and that angered Russia. But Musk warned that the company's funding couldn't continue indefinitely – though he later backtracked, stating said it would.
The relationship was further strained in 2023 when SpaceX limited Ukraine's ability to use the Starlink satellite service for offensive military purposes. The move followed reports that Ukraine had been using Starlink to control drones. There was also a claim in a book that Musk disabled Starlink during a Ukraine attack on Russian ships over fears of nuclear reprisals.
In October 2022, Musk managed to anger the whole of Ukraine with his proposed Russian peace plan.
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