SpaceX asks FCC to scrutinize Iridium's conduct in Rocket Lab merger review
SpaceX · Iridium · Rocket Lab
SpaceX urged the FCC to examine Iridium's history of anticompetitive filings as regulators review Rocket Lab's proposed Iridium acquisition.
what happened
SpaceX satellite policy associate Matthew Turk filed a letter with the FCC on Aug. 28, 2026 urging the agency to scrutinize Iridium Communications' conduct as it reviews license transfers tied to Rocket Lab's proposed $8.1 billion acquisition of Iridium, per 24/7 Wall St. and MLex. Turk wrote that "Iridium's well-documented history of anticompetitive attacks against its competitors and American consumers hangs as a cloud over the proposed transaction," citing more than 50 petitions Iridium has filed over eight months seeking to block or restrict rival satellite deployments. SpaceX said it does not oppose the merger itself. The underlying technical dispute concerns SpaceX's next-generation Starlink gateways, which Iridium says could exceed permissible interference levels in the 19.4-19.6 GHz and 29.1-29.3 GHz bands the companies share, per 24/7 Wall St.
why it matters
The filing adds friction to Rocket Lab's pending Iridium acquisition just as the companies have sent the deal to a shareholder vote scheduled for Sept. 24; a contentious FCC review of Iridium's conduct could complicate the merger's timeline for closing. It also puts the spectrum-sharing terms for SpaceX's next-generation Starlink gateways on the regulatory record, a dispute that will matter for any other operator sharing adjacent Ka-band spectrum with Iridium.
signal-to-noise
quick facts
- Companies
- SpaceX, Iridium, Rocket Lab
- Category
- regulatory
- Impact
- notable
- SNR
- 4 / 5
- Event date
- 2026-08-28
- Published
- 2026-08-29 05:26 UTC