The European Space Agency’s (ESA’s) head is cautioning European leaders on SpaceX head Elon Musk’s domination of the new and growing space economy, accusing the latter of being permitted to “make the rules” of space on his own.
ESA Chief Josef Aschbacher said that Europe’s collective will to allow SpaceX’s Starlink low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellite internet service to expand across the continent will prevent the region’s own companies from being able to see commercial space come to fruition, according to the Financial Times.
In an interview, Aschbacher said, “Space will be much more restrictive [regarding] frequencies and orbital slots.” Aschbacher “The governments of Europe collectively should have an interest to . . . give European providers equal opportunities to play on a fair market.”
It may be moreso SpaceX’s leading technology and reusable rockets such as the Falcon 9, are far more advanced than what competitors are able to achieve, today.
SpaceX Launches 53 Starlink Satellites into Orbit [VIDEO] https://t.co/xqI9yMWuX7
— TeslaNorth.com (@RealTeslaNorth) November 13, 2021
Germany has already applied to grant Starlink the International Telecommunications Union, the regulatory body that coordinates wireless data frequencies in the country, which allows Starlink to have up to 40,000 satellites in an orbital constellation.
SpaceX has also been granted the ability to orbit around 30,000 satellites by U.S. regulators.
The news also comes amidst companies like Amazon and Viasat attempting to take down SpaceX and Musk’s endeavors through U.S. courts.
