Amazon again objected to a part of SpaceX's plan to offer space-based Internet services around the world. Apparently, it has its own plans for such a service.
Official reports said SpaceX is launching hundreds of small satellites to create a constellation capable of delivering high-speed Internet services anywhere in the world. The service, dubbed Starlink, has over 100,000 subscribers.
As for Amazon, it also wants to offer a space-based internet service called Kuiper, but it doesn't have satellites in orbit yet.
Investors must watch out because the feud between the two is already gaining momentum.
Earlier, SpaceX filed details of its conversations with the FCC about the upcoming generation of Starlink satellites in early August, amending an earlier version of its plan. But Amazon objected to this and complained that the proposal was not detailed enough. SpaceX responded and said Amazon is just trying to delay their project.
Surprisingly, Amazon moved on to personal matters on Thursday. Part of its statements said:
"Try to hold a Musk-led company to flight rules? You're" fundamentally broken. "Try to hold a Musk-led company to health and safety rules? You're" unelected & ignorant. "Try to hold a Musk- led company to US securities laws? You'll be called many names, some too crude to repeat ... "
Amazon was referring to Musk's old battles with the FAA, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), and Tesla's home state of California.
In an eight-page letter, it said SpaceX's approach "includes misinformation, advertising attacks and the belief that it can influence regulators through social media."
Fortunately, this battle did not deal a large blow on the stock market, as the commercial space industry is still too small to grow a trillion dollar market cap. Thus, Amazon shares only fell 0.7% to $ 3,501.84.
SpaceX, on the other hand, is not listed on the open market, but shares of Elon Musk's other company, Tesla (TSLA), rose 0.5% to $ 757.29.
The dispute may be beneficial to other space projects though because if Amazon is fighting so hard, there will probably be more money in the industry. For example, the US Rocket Laboratory (RKLB) has the capability to build satellites and launch space objects, while AST SpaceMobile (ASTS) is building a constellation of mobile infrastructure satellites.
AST shares fell 1.5% to $ 11.69, while Rocket Lab shares rose another 32.2% to $ 19.96.