(Bloomberg) -- The largest constellation of satellites currently orbiting the planet is run by a mercurial individual who needs no introduction. But yes—it’s Elon Musk, and his satellite company is transforming communications across the globe. 

Starlink, a unit of Musk’s rocket-ship endeavor SpaceX, operates more than 5,000 satellites that provide high-speed internet to close to 2.5 million people in places that, until recently, couldn’t easily access the web. Musk accomplished this in a relatively short period of time, given the time frame that usually governs heaving hardware into orbit. But Starlink’s quick success and the unpredictable nature of its owner have become a recipe for controversy. In this Bloomberg Originals mini-documentary, How Starlink Kickstarted a Consumer Space Race, we explain that deep-pocketed rivals like Musk’s fellow multibillionaire Jeff Bezos are seeing an opportunity—and moving on it.

The use of Starlink across war zones has been of special concern to the US and other nations. In Ukraine, where the service has been critical to Kyiv’s defense against a Russian invasion that’s killed tens of thousands, Musk has threatened to cut it off and at one point denied a request to extend coverage near Ukraine’s occupied Crimean peninsula. In  How Starlink Kickstarted a Consumer Space Race, we explain why Starlink’s success, its geopolitcal importance and the commodification of low-Earth orbit in general may soon be more than Musk bargained for. 

Read More: Musk's Undisclosed Starlink Costs Undercut Profitability Claims

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