The rivalry between SpaceX and AST is heating up. On Tuesday, SpaceX sent a new letter to the FCC, urging the agency to closely scrutinize AST’s proposal to operate 248 satellites in Earth’s orbit to power cellular connectivity for everyday smartphones. AST already has five “BlueBird” satellites in orbit, each measuring 700 square feet. However, the company has plans to launch dozens of second-generation BlueBirds that are about three times larger and offer even stronger cellular connectivity. But SpaceX claims that AST’s plan to safely orbit the proposed BlueBird constellation contains “critical gaps and inconsistencies” that raise questions about whether the satellites can avoid collisions in space while preventing debris from falling toward Earth. AST didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment, but the company has previously accused Elon Musk of using “bullying” tactics to try to derail the competition. #ast #spacex #elonmusk #technews