If implemented, Musk's plan could also interfere with programs to monitor space for the threat of potentially catastrophic asteroid strikes on Earth, NASA said in comments officially filed with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), according to the report on Wednesday.
On January 15, Musk announced that SpaceX had already activated 1,469 mini-satellites in its Starling program and said 272 of them were already being directed into operational orbits, the report said.
In 2021, two SpaceX satellites almost collided with China’s space station and in one of the incidents, a Starlink satellite came within 2.5 miles (4 kilometers) of it, the report also said.
The Chinese government complained about the SpaceX project in a December 6 memorandum filed with a UN committee that oversees space programs, the report added.
The plan is to reach the goal of launching 30,000 mini-satellites in low-Earth orbit (LEO) by 2028, according to the report.