April 3
Starship Flight 8 Achieves Partial Success

SpaceX kicked off the month with a historic Starship test: for the first time, a Super Heavy booster that had flown before was prepped for reuse. On April 3, SpaceX conducted a static fire of the Flight 9 booster at Starbase, briefly igniting all 33 Raptor engines on the pad​. This booster had previously launched on Starship Flight 7 in January and been recovered via the launch tower’s catch arms – a dramatic validation of the “Mechazilla” catch system. With 29 of its engines already flight-proven​, the booster is cleared to fly again, marking the first-ever reuse of a Super Heavy first stage in the Starship program. This achievement demonstrates rapid progress toward Starship’s full reusability, even as the Starship upper stage flight tests continue to push boundaries (Flight 8 in March saw another successful booster catch, though the ship was lost).

April 4
SpaceX Wins $5.9B in Space Force Launch Contracts

SpaceX secured a lion’s share of U.S. military launch business with the April 4 announcement of new Space Force contracts. The Air Force’s Space Systems Command awarded Phase 3 National Security Space Launch agreements totaling $13.5 billion through 2029, and SpaceX emerged as the big winner​. The company will conduct 28 missions for $5.9 billion in contract value, far outpacing United Launch Alliance’s 19 missions ($5.3B) and Blue Origin’s 7 missions ($2.3B)​. These missions – launching the Pentagon’s most sensitive satellites – will be flown on Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy, which beat competitors on cost and reliability. Notably, this award brings Blue Origin into the fold for the first time, though SpaceX and ULA remain the dominant providers. ​

April 15
SpaceX vs. EchoStar Spectrum Showdown

In a public FCC filing, EchoStar asked regulators to revoke SpaceX’s waiver for higher transmit power on its Direct-to-Cell (D2C) Starlink service, citing risk of interference with its 2 GHz S-band holdings. Days later, SpaceX fired back, accusing EchoStar of “spectrum hoarding” and publishing Starlink-collected data showing the band is barely used: less than 5% of expected terrestrial levels. The message was clear: use it, or lose it.

SpaceX is going on offense to unlock idle spectrum for its growing D2C ambitions, using technical data and public pressure to force incumbents off underutilized bands. It's a calculated strategy that could be viewed as spectrum bullying — but it’s working. The FCC has since launched a rulemaking process (April 28) to modernize satellite spectrum-sharing rules, with SpaceX’s filings cited as a key trigger. If successful, SpaceX could rewrite the playbook for D2C rollout — and force legacy operators like EchoStar to either activate dormant assets or step aside.

April 17
SpaceX Seeks Tariff Exemptions for Chinese Starlink Gear

SpaceX’s policy team made news with a request to ease the cost of Starlink hardware. The company confirmed it has petitioned the U.S. Trade Representative for tariff exemptions on two Chinese-made components used in Starlink user terminals. These parts – which SpaceX did not identify publicly but are essential to the satellite dishes – currently face Trump-era import tariffs. SpaceX argued that it is working to bring production of these components to America, but that transition will take time, and in the interim the tariffs place a financial burden on Starlink. Elon Musk, who serves as a government advisor, has been vocal about free trade recently, even clashing with tariff proponents on social media. The exemption request aligns with Musk’s stance that tariffs on key tech parts hinder U.S. companies. It’s reported that SpaceX pays millions in import duties on Starlink equipment annually, costs that either squeeze margins or get passed to consumers.

April 28
Amazon Kuiper’s First Operational Launch

On April 28th, Amazon launched the first 27 operational satellites for its Project Kuiper broadband constellation aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket from Cape Canaveral, Florida. This marks the beginning of Amazon's $10 billion initiative to deploy 3,236 satellites into low-Earth orbit (LEO) to provide high-speed, low-latency internet, aiming to compete with SpaceX's dominant Starlink network.

Amazon has secured 83 rocket launches through partnerships, including with ULA, Arianespace, and Blue Origin. The company must deploy half of its constellation by mid-2026 to meet U.S. FCC requirements. ​While Amazon is among several companies vying for market share in satellite internet, SpaceX remains far ahead with over 7,200 satellites already operational. ​

The successful April 28 launch marks Amazon’s transition from development to deployment, following years of investment and several prototype tests. The satellite broadband market is officially no longer SpaceX’s playground alone. Amazon’s Kuiper launching its first satellites is the dawn of a formidable rival backed by one of the world’s largest companies.

April 28
FCC Launches Satellite Spectrum Reform Process

Regulators are taking note of the new space economy, and in late April the U.S. FCC made a landmark move to update rules that have long governed satellite operations. The FCC Commission voted to open a review of its decades-old spectrum sharing framework for non-geostationary satellite systems.This move – prompted in part by a rulemaking petition from SpaceX – will reconsider power limits and interference protections that date back to the 1990s. Those legacy rules impose strict equivalent power flux density (EPFD) limits designed for an older generation of satellites, which today “hamper satellite broadband by degrading signal quality, reducing coverage, [and] limiting capacity,” according to FCC officials​. The FCC’s goal is to enable “greater and more intensive use” of spectrum for space services, effectively clearing regulatory obstacles for constellations like Starlink (and Kuiper). Commissioner Brendan Carr noted that current limits make it harder for multiple satellite networks to share spectrum efficiently. Amazon’s Kuiper team weighed in during the proceeding, supporting modernized rules but urging the FCC to ensure adequate safeguards for interference across borders and between systems​. Terrestrial wireless providers also interjected, cautioning the FCC not to undermine 5G networks that use neighboring bands. The rulemaking will gather industry input on how satellite technology has advanced and what new spectrum-sharing models could look like.

This FCC initiative is a regulatory win-in-progress for SpaceX. If the rules are relaxed as SpaceX advocates, Starlink could increase its satellite transmit power and achieve better coverage and throughput without needing additional spectrum licenses – an efficiency gain that improves service quality. Easing the spectral constraints also means SpaceX (and others) can more easily deploy next-gen capabilities like direct-to-cell links or operate more satellites without interference issues. In financial terms, a favorable outcome would enhance Starlink’s value proposition (faster speeds, more customers served per satellite) and lower the cost per bit delivered. It’s also a competitive factor: SpaceX led the charge on this reform, and if successful, it will have shaped the regulatory environment to its advantage (especially vis-à-vis older satellite operators who might have benefited from the old limits). Of course, the FCC will balance inputs – we can expect some compromise to protect terrestrial services and ensure new entrants (like Amazon) aren’t unfairly squeezed. But the very fact this review is underway shows SpaceX’s influence in Washington. For investors, it’s a reminder that policy can significantly impact SpaceX’s growth – and right now, policy trends (from spectrum to streamlined licensing) appear to be moving in SpaceX’s favor.