Astroscale agreed with launch services provider Mitsubishi Heavy Industries to cooperate on active orbital debris removal and other R&D projects. It said Tuesday initial efforts will focus on debris removal methods for upper rocket stages.

Creating regulatory fee categories for non-geostationary orbit (NGSO) systems based on their complexity makes sense because less-complex systems use fewer FCC resources, BlackSky Global said in a docket 21-190 post Tuesday: Not opting for such cost splitting, with less-complex systems paying lower regulatory fees, could be a hurdle for market entry for smaller operators and startups that are more likely to operate less-complex systems. The agency proposes 20/80 allocation, with less-complex NGSO systems charged 20% of NGSO regulatory fees.

SpaceX said Viasat’s request the FCC deny its Rural Digital Opportunity Fund Phase I auction long-form application is “the latest of many anti-competitive attacks” and a “misguided effort to insert itself” in the review process, in a letter posted Tuesday in docket 19-126 (see 2107210053). SpaceX welcomes staff review “rather than the sideshow in which Viasat would prefer to indulge.” Viasat didn’t comment.

The FCC tacitly agreed Dish Network cured every de facto control issue with AWS-3 auction designated entities SNR Wireless and Northstar Wireless when the agency focused on new items to keep denying auction credits, and the commission hasn't provided adequate justification for its focus as compared with large investors in other DEs whose applications for bidding credits were granted. That's per a Dish intervenor brief (in Pacer, docket 18-1209) Monday with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit on behalf of the SNR and Northstar challenge to being denied AWS-3 auction credits. Dish said its disparate treatment puts it at a competitive disadvantage in the wireless market relative to established incumbents that were able to invest in DEs, and the FCC hasn't offered a rationale "for such a departure from its pro-competition policies." The agency didn't comment Tuesday.

Platinum VIP, SiriusXM’s new top-tier package, gives subscribers access to “the full spectrum of SiriusXM content in up to two cars,” with a SXM App login for each, said the company Monday. The $34.99 monthly package's “special perks” include passes to SiriusXM events, plus access to live concert video and audio recordings through nugs.net, it said. A less comprehensive Platinum subscription package already was available for $8.25 monthly for the first year, $21.99 a month thereafter. SiriusXM reports Q2 results Tuesday.

The World Economic Forum Global Future Council on Space developed a space sustainability rating (SSR) for scoring space missions in an aim to help reduce orbital debris and the risk of on-orbit collisions, the WEF said Monday. It said it developed the measure over the past two years along with the European Space Agency, MIT Media Lab, BryceTech and University of Texas-Austin. Missions that voluntarily participate receive one of four scores, graded on such criteria as data sharing, choice of orbit, measures taken to avoid collisions and plans to de-orbit satellites on completion of missions. The EPFL Space Center at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology will lead and operate the SSR and begin issuing sustainability certifications to mission operators in early 2022, it said.

SpaceX accusations of gateway earth station warehousing by Viasat (see 2107210011) ignore that its numerous earth station applications are consistent with its planned 2022 launch of ViaSat-3 and that it said years ago ViaSat-3 would require hundreds of such earth stations, Viasat said Friday in docket 18-314. The FCC cited the likely need for thousands of such sites for fixed satellite service networks in its 2016 upper microwave flexible use band order, Viasat said, noting SpaceX acknowledged in the proceeding that Viasat indicated four years ago that applications for hundreds of gateways for the geostationary orbit system would be coming. SpaceX didn't comment.

Though the license term for Intelsat's Galaxy 16 satellite expires Aug. 14, that's well before the expected December 2028 end of its service life, Intelsat told the FCC International Bureau in an application Wednesday seeking to extend the C- and Ku-band satellite's license term through 2028.

The June 2021 International Telecommunications Satellite Organization meeting during which it would have considered terminating the agreement that gives it Intelsat oversight was canceled due to the pandemic and now is to take place by Q1, Intelsat officials told FCC International Bureau staffers per a docket 20-417 post Thursday. Intelsat asked the FCC to obligate it to still focus on nondiscriminatory access to its system, global connectivity and coverage even after termination of that ITSO agreement (see 2011180061).

Viasat asked the FCC to deny SpaceX's Rural Digital Opportunity Fund Phase I auction long-form application, in a letter posted Wednesday in docket 19-126. SpaceX "has made every effort to duck critical questions" about its ability to satisfy RDOF requirements, Viasat said. SpaceX provisionally won $900 million to serve 23 states (see 2104090039). Viasat questioned SpaceX's financial capabilities and whether it had enough spectrum. SpaceX didn’t comment.