Hiring the CohnReznick team as the C-band clearinghouse would cost about $62 million, over $20 million more than Vertix's proposed price -- which should be a material issue in the FCC's hiring decision, Vertix told an aide to Commissioner Geoffrey Starks, per a docket 18-122 post Wednesday. It isn't clear if the $62 million estimate counts custodial, transaction and other finance fees, Vertix said, repeating alleged deficiencies in CohnReznick's proposal (see 2008310029). CohnReznick didn't comment.
Mangata Networks' ask for U.S. market access for its planned 791-satellite non-geostationary orbit constellation (see 2005270010) got opposition from some NGSO operators. O3b's petition to deny Tuesday with the FCC International Bureau said the plans would create harmful interference with O3b's Ka-band NGSO network, and the company didn't justify its request for waiving processing round rules. It said if it doesn't deny Mangata's application, it should condition approval on its protecting O3b's operations. Iridium's petition to deny Mangata's request for use of NGSO mobile satellite service (MSS) feeder-link bands said a waiver would allow use contrary to the FCC's band plan. It said at minimum, the FCC should limit use of NGSO MSS feeder-link bands to MSS feeder links. It said MSS feeder-link access should be conditioned on coordination with Iridium and on using feeder links solely to support MSS-licensed terminals. Kuiper said Mangata's ask for waiver of band-splitting requirements would create uncertainty for other NGSO operators, and Mangata needs to submit more information. Telesat said since Mangata's petition came after the initial Ka-/Ku-band processing round, it should be considered in the subsequent Ku-/Ka-band processing round, and any approval should be conditioned on protecting systems authorized in the initial processing round. It said parties should get an opportunity to comment on Mangata's proposed V-band usage when a new V-band processing round starts. Boeing said it doesn't object to the petition, but the FCC should start a new processing round for NGSO systems that would operate in parts of the V band. The manufacturer said applications like Mangata's alter the established sharing environment among NGSO systems, which was set up by the 2017 V-band processing round. Mangata didn't comment Wednesday.
Microsatellite services firm Loft Orbital hopes for a June launch of its low earth orbit YAM-3, per its FCC International Bureau application Monday under streamlined small satellite rules. It said the satellite would operate primarily in the S and X bands.
U.S. antitrust agencies won't challenge OneWeb's purchase by the consortium of the U.K. government and Bharti Global as part of its bankruptcy reorganization, per an early termination notice Friday. It was released Tuesday.
The White House issued cybersecurity principles that are to be the foundation for the government's approach to cyber protection of space systems, per a space policy directive. Friday's SPD urges development and operation of space systems and their infrastructure "using risk-based, cybersecurity-informed engineering"; development or use of cybersecurity plans that include capabilities to protect against such threats as unauthorized access and communications jamming and spoofing; use of best practices and norms in cybersecurity rules and regulations; collaboration among space system owners and operators in developing best practices and mitigations; and "appropriate risk trades" when space system operators implement cybersecurity requirements. The SPD tells agencies to work with the commercial space industry and nongovernment space operators on defining best practices, creating norms and promoting improved cybersecurity behaviors.
Kepler's third low earth orbit satellite for its data backhaul service launched Thursday, the company said. The satellite also adds narrowband support for IoT applications, it said. The FCC approved U.S. market access for Kepler in 2018 (see 1811150028).
Swarm's planned expansion of its VHF non-voice non-geostationary mobile satellite service poses no mutual exclusivity issues, and the FCC should approve it while it resolves spectrum sharing issues raised in the NVNG FSS processing round, the company told the International Bureau this week. It urged denial of Orbcomm's petition to deny (see 2008180001) and that Orbcomm be directed to coordinate in good faith. Orbcomm didn't comment Thursday.
Amazon's call for the FCC to update non-geostationary orbit fixed satellite service license modification processing round policies (see 2007100023) has some general backing, but its specific proposals have none. That's per RM-11861 replies posted Wednesday. Viasat said the issues raised point to the need for an omnibus NGSO FSS proceeding that also tackles the need to limit band-splitting events driven by mega constellations and to restrain the size of constellations. It argued against replacing the FCC's more holistic standard for assessing aggregate impact of a proposed modification with one that looks at particular contributors to predicted interference. Amazon's Kuiper said that current standard doesn't tell NGSO FSS operators how to evaluate a proposed modification impact, which is why the FCC should undertake a rulemaking based on its proposals. OneWeb said the record shows lack of support for Amazon's proposals, but there isn't backing for SpaceX's proposals unrelated to reviewing modification applications. It said the FCC should look further at the cumulative effects of modification applications. The petition "is just the latest in Amazon’s continuing efforts to bend ... well-crafted regulations to stifle competitors that filed timely applications in previous NGSO processing rounds," SpaceX said. Even operators that support a new look at the license modification processing round rules don't support Amazon's proposals, it said. A case-by-case evaluation of proposed modifications' interference impact gives satellite operators needed flexibility that Amazon's proposed approach lacks, Telesat said.
In-space transportation company Momentus is asking FCC permission to operate its Vigoride-2 (VR-2) non-geostationary orbit spacecraft for deployment of a variety of customers' small satellites and other cargo. In an International Bureau application Monday, it said VR-2 is to launch in February and would use the S band for uplinks and X band for downlinks.
As part of its Chapter 11 bankruptcy, a reorganized OneWeb will hold the company's U.S. market authorizations, it notified the FCC International Bureau Monday. It asked that its pending V-band application be processed at the same time as modification of its Ku- and Ka-band market access authorizations.