FAA Says It Is Testing Starlink in Alaska in Bid to Improve Weather Data

Agency's trial of the satellite terminals raises questions about potential conflict of interest.

Jack Daleo

Wednesday, February 26, 2025 at 04:00 PM ET

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Edited By: tccjeremy

SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket launches 22 Starlink satellites to orbit on February 22. [Courtesy: SpaceX]

Key Takeaways:

The FAA announced it will test Starlink satellite terminals to improve its communications system, particularly for relaying weather data in Alaska, with reports indicating a potential larger deployment of 4,000 terminals over 12-18 months.
This move raises questions about Verizon's existing $2 billion, 15-year contract to modernize FAA communications, with Starlink owner Elon Musk publicly criticizing Verizon's system without evidence.
Significant conflict of interest concerns are highlighted due to Elon Musk's reported role as a senior adviser to President Trump and the involvement of SpaceX personnel who have received ethics waivers from the Trump administration.

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The FAA this week announced it will test Starlink satellite terminals to improve its communications system, a move that raises concerns about a conflict of interest given Starlink owner Elon Musk’s role in the federal government.

In a statement, the FAA said it has long had issues relaying reliable weather data to pilots in Alaska. It said it had been considering the use of Starlink “since the prior administration” and will install terminals at two “non-safety critical sites” in Alaska, as well as one in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Bloomberg News, which first reported the FAA’s use of Starlink, said the agency will deploy a network of 4,000 terminals over the next 12 to 18 months.