Small Satellite Operators Urge Proportional Maneuverability Rules
Requiring pico- and nano-satellites have active maneuverability in orbits above 400 kilometers will eliminate about half the launch opportunities and nearly all opportunities for sun-synchronous orbits, several very small satellite operators, the Commercial Picosatellite and Nanosatellite Developers Group, said Wednesday…
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in a docket 18-313 posting. They said the FCC should put maneuverability requirements only on constellations that combined reach some particular mass, such as 100 kilograms. They recommend maneuvering requirements be proportional to the risk, and if a larger satellite and smaller one receive a conjunction notice, the larger one should have to change its orbit more to reduce collision probability. Incentivizing shorter orbits could be a matter of reducing required bonds if the planned orbit is less than 25 years, they said.