Elon Musk rejects claims that his satellites reach space.
Written byTimes Magazine
Elon Musk has refuted claims that his Starlink satellite internet project takes up too much space. He told the Financial Times that the "Ten billion" satellite could be near Earth.
His comments came after the European Space Agency (ESA) head said Musk was "setting the rules for the burgeoning commercial space industry."
This week, China complained that its space station was forced to avoid a collision with the Starlink satellite.
"Space is huge, and satellites are tiny," Musk said in an interview.
Musk refuted speculation that his Starlink Internet Services project effectively blocked competitors in the satellite industry, saying there was enough space in Earth orbit for a satellite.
"A few thousand satellites are nothing. So it's like, hey; there are a few thousand cars on Earth, that's nothing," he added. This month, Josef Ashbacher, CEO of ESA, warned that Starlink's thousands of communications satellites would result in less room for competitors.
Other experts say that much greater distances between spacecraft are needed to avoid collisions than Musk suggests. Scientists have previously expressed concern about the risk of a space collision, urging world governments to share information about some 30,000 satellites and other space debris orbiting Earth.
Musk made headlines this week when he faced a social media backlash after China complained about its space station being forced to avoid a collision with a satellite launched by its Starlink project.
Beijing said that the country's space station had two "close encounters" with the Starlink satellite this year. The incidents occurred on July 1 and October 21, according to documents that China submitted to the United Nations Bureau of Outer Space Affairs earlier this month.
"For safety reasons, the Chinese space station ISS has implemented preventative controls to avoid collisions," said the document on the agency's website.
China has also accused the United States of endangering astronauts by ignoring its obligations under the space treaty. State Department spokesman Zhao Lijian said China had asked the US to act responsibly.
Trending News
