WASHINGTON — The Federal Communications Commission has clarified, but not altered, rules to mitigate orbital debris.
The five FCC commissioners voted unanimously during a Jan. 25 meeting to approve an order on reconsideration of rules it adopted in 2020. The order was a response to three petitions from industry seeking changes to the rules and how they are applied to satellite operators.
The order “will uphold the current regulatory environment for orbital debris mitigation while providing additional clarity and guidance for satellite operators, and reinforces the commission’s commitment to space safety,” said Julie Kearney, chief of the FCC’s Space Bureau, at the meeting.
One petition, by Boeing, EchoStar, Hughes Network Services, Planet, Spire and Telesat, asked the FCC to reconsider disclosure requirements on maneuverability and other technical aspects of licensed spacecraft that could “excessively encumber” the industry. The petition also questioned requirements that “diverge substantially” from other U.S. government guidance, like the Orbital Debris Mitigation Standard Practices (ODMSP).
The FCC concluded that there was nothing in its rules that was “fundamentally inconsistent” from other guidance, and that it had the ability to tailor the guidance of the ODMSP, which is intended only to apply to U.S. government missions. It also dismissed “speculative concerns” about overly burdensome disclosure rules, but did provide guidance on several technical topics.
A second petition, filed by SpaceX, sought to have the FCC’s rules applied to both U.S. companies licensed by the FCC as well as foreign companies that instead seek market access from the commission. The FCC, in the latter case, allows companies to instead demonstrate they are subject to “direct and effective regulatory oversight” by the country that authorizes them.
The FCC concluded that foreign companies seeking market access must provide…
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