As SpaceX’s earliest Starlink satellites reach end-of-life, the hidden operating cost of mega-constellations is becoming visible — and Solar Cycle 25 made the math harder than anyone planned.
Low Earth orbit constellations are displacing legacy GEO-based inflight Wi-Fi at speed, and the competition between Starlink and Amazon Leo for airline contracts is becoming a genuine two-horse race.
SpaceX and Amazon are fighting at the FCC over orbital insertion altitudes—a dispute that looks like a safety argument but is equally about spectrum priority and competitive positioning.