In May, Viasat sued SpaceX for its launch of Starlink internet satellites. Viasat filed a stay on the limited issue of a Federal Communications Commission license provided to SpaceX. The license gives SpaceX the ability to continue building and launching the sites providing global internet access.
Viasat stated that it “operates at least one satellite at the same altitude as Starlink” and that “debris from a collision involving a SpaceX satellite can damage, disable, or destroy Viasat’s satellites.”
On July 20, 2021, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit ruled Viasat “has not satisfied the stringent requirements for a stay pending court review.”
The ruling comes during Cuban protests where authorities in that country largely shut down internet access. President Biden has requested that the federal government review plans to offer internet access – likely through satellites – to the Cuban people to further promote a democratic Cuban regime.