Amazon also told the FCC that it would “further reduce the risk of collision” by “coordinating.”[ing] During operations, in real time, with the systems whose orbital altitudes the Kuiper satellites will transit through. SpaceX said the FCC later approved Amazon’s orbital debris mitigation plan with license conditions that require coordination and information-sharing with other space operators using similar orbits.
“Despite repeated representations and related license conditions, Amazon launched eight times into orbits at altitudes greater than 450 km without submitting any revised orbital debris mitigation plan or seeking Commission approval for such changes,” SpaceX alleged. “Recently, with input from SpaceX, Amazon’s February 12, 2026 launch on Ariane 6 placed its satellites at such an altitude that it created a collision risk with dozens of operational spacecraft.”
SpaceX alleged that “Amazon did not update its orbital debris mitigation plan” and “did not provide sufficiently accurate information” to other operators about the February launch. “This significantly increases the risk to all satellite operations as well as the occupant spacecraft near the 480 kilometer altitude,” SpaceX said.
Amazon filed a letter with the FCC today to respond to the allegations. “The facts demonstrate that Amazon LEO launches at the altitude permitted under its license, is transparent with both the Commission and SpaceX about its entry altitude, and operates completely within established industry safety standards,” Amazon said.
Amazon says no security breach
Amazon said its launch altitude complied with the license requirement of “400 km or so”, providing “some flexibility in adjusting the parameters”. Amazon said it moved forward with the 450 km entry altitude because “changing near-term Ariane launch parameters would cause delays of several months,” but has responded to SpaceX’s concerns by committing to using a lower initial altitude starting with its fourth Ariane mission. The February 12 mission was the first of 18 booked launches.
“Launch vehicle providers typically require at least months and typically a year due to the complexity of the final mission analysis, which includes trajectory analysis, coupled load analysis, and integrated thermal analysis,” Amazon told the FCC. “For example, Arianespace requires three to six months for final mission analysis when changing target orbit parameters. Amazon LEO began this process immediately after learning of SpaceX’s concerns and has worked diligently with its launch providers to implement the changes as quickly as possible.”
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