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SpaceX Wins FCC Approval To Deploy 7,518 Satellites (bloomberg.com)
SpaceX won permission to deploy more than 7,000 satellites, far more than all operating spacecraft currently aloft, from U.S. regulators who also moved to reduce a growing risk from space debris as skies grow more crowded. From a report: Space Exploration Technologies has two test satellites aloft, and it earlier won permission for a separate set of 4,425 satellites -- which like the 7,518 satellites authorized Thursday are designed to provide broadband communications. It has said it plans to begin launches next year. Space companies riding innovations that include smaller and cheaper satellites -- with some just 4 inches long and weighing only 3 pounds -- are planning fleets that will fly fast and low, offering communications now commonly handled by larger, more expensive satellites. Right now there are fewer than 2,000 operating satellites, and the planned additional space traffic demands vigilance, Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai said before the agency voted Thursday on a variety of space-related matters including SpaceX's application, debris rules, and other space matters.
Space belongs to everyone is false on it's face. Nothing belongs to everyone because there is no such thing as an innate right of ownership. There is just what you have and what you do and no guarantees of any constancy or consistency of either. The US can authorize the launch of a bunch of satellites, someone else might launch one without asking, someone else yet might blow them all up. Nobody has a right to do any of these things and nobody has a right to retaliate or stop them. Yet it is probable that some of those things will happen and that others would respond if some of them did happen.
The US has no right to stop me from building and launching a ship from the shore but they do have lots of people with guns who might convince me to pretend they do and follow their rules instead. Why would it be different with other governments? There is nothing magical, special, or altruistic about governments, they just tend to have big sticks and be the biggest bullies in the yard. Among governments the US has the biggest stick. Really, most issues just come down to its own internal conflicts and even bullies don't like getting black eyes from other bullies.