Apple's ambitions for the expansion of satellite communications for the iPhone is facing an opponent in Elon Musk, with SpaceX reportedly trying to put a hold on the efforts.

But here’s the kicker: Apple reportedly explored deals with other satellite providers too, like EchoStar and even Boeing, in case Globalstar couldn’t keep up. None of those partnerships have materialized yet, but it shows how serious Apple is about owning this space—literally.

Elon Musk is now fighting Apple over who controls space-based cellphone signals, and it’s already gotten dirty. The battle kicked off over spectrum—the