SpaceX Spacing Changes Get FCC OK
SpaceX received FCC International Bureau OK for reconfiguring its planned 4,425-satellite low earth orbit constellation with more orbital planes at the 500 kilometer altitude and fewer satellites in each plane (see 1909030043). Thursday's order said since the modification doesn't involve…
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orbit altitude or number of satellites, there's "no material change to the interference environment." It dismissed a Kepler petition (see 1910160018) to defer or deny, saying there's no reason to delay SpaceX operations while another Kepler petition seeking reconsideration of an earlier SpaceX constellation modification is pending. IB said Kepler didn't provide a sufficient basis to deny the modification due to an alleged increased collision risk involving SpaceX satellites. It dismissed SES/O3b concerns about equivalent power flux density limits. Kepler and SES/O3b didn't comment. The bureau said the pending petitions for reconsideration of the earlier modification order will be handled separately.