Lockheed Martin joined the GPS Innovation Alliance, the group said Friday.

With Hughes to maintain and operate the third-generation network of Global Communications Infrastructure nuclear and seismic activity monitoring sites for the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty Organization, Ulitsat asked the FCC International Bureau OK to transfer 11 earth station licenses to Hughes. In an application Tuesday, Ultisat said it obtained the licenses while it operated and maintained the second-generation GCI.

Charging foreign-flagged satellites U.S. regulatory fees would ensure U.S. operators don't subsidize benefits those non-U.S. licensed systems get, EchoStar/Hughes and Intelsat representatives told aides to FCC Chairman Ajit Pai and Commissioner Mike O'Rielly and staffers from the Office of Managing Director and International Bureau. That's according to docket 19-105 postings (see here and here) Tuesday. Rebalancing cost allocations between geostationary and non-geostationary satellite operators ensures GSO operators' fees better reflect the agency's work, they said. The May 13 commissioners' meeting agenda includes a draft order charging foreign-licensed satellite operators (see 2004220048).

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit denied NTCH's rehearing ask of the court's largely siding with the FCC as the unsuccessful bidder sought undoing of Auction 96 (see 2004020050), per a docket 18-1241 order Tuesday. NTCH outside counsel Don Evans of Fletcher Heald emailed they're still thinking about next steps, but the D.C. Circuit ruling remanded part of the case to the FCC so there will be proceedings at the agency on the open issues. Dish participated in bidding and in the case.

SES and Telesat representatives, meeting with FCC Wireless and International Bureau and Office of Economics and Analytics staffers, discussed C-band clearing procedural issues, per a docket 18-122 posting Monday. Issues included how the Wireless Bureau will evaluate challenges to a satellite operator’s certification of accelerated relocation, the possibility those operators start earth station clearing efforts before the deadline for submitting accelerated relocation elections, and whether a satellite operator that didn't meet the relocation deadline would have to repay relocation reimbursements.

All 1,078 small satellites on commercial launches over the past five years had launch delays from a couple of weeks to more than two years, Bryce Space and Technology said Wednesday. The median delay was 128 days. The single-biggest cause was a problem with the satellite or primary payload, followed by an issue with the launch vehicle.

Ligado's planned use of 1526-1536 MHz for downlinks raises concerns even at the lower power levels the company proposes, since base stations clustered together would have the same aggregate effect as higher power levels, Trimble told aides to FCC Commissioners Mike O'Rielly and Geoffrey Starks, according to an FCC docket 12-340 posting Tuesday. Trimble urged using the 1 dB noise floor metric for evaluating harmful interference, which Ligado resisted (see 1911250038). "Every stakeholder, including Trimble, had four years to express their views and offer technical data to the FCC; the unanimous approval of Ligado’s application is evidence that those arguments were not backed by data, science, and engineering evidence," Ligado emailed. "GPS interests cannot simply stake claim to something that is not, and has never been, theirs to take. We sincerely hope that we can move beyond the rhetoric of late and begin working together to see that this spectrum be put to full use." Commissioners unanimously approved Ligado's L-band terrestrial broadband plan, the agency announced Monday (see 2004200039).

SpaceX wants FCC OK for 2,824 planned non-geostationary orbit satellites to operate at altitudes of 540 to 570 kilometers, instead of their approved 1,100 to 1,300 kilometers. In an International Bureau application filed Friday, it said the lower orbit would help provide low-latency broadband, improve service in polar areas, and allow lower power levels in its constellation. Responding to astronomy community concerns about mega constellations (see 2001300051), SpaceX said it put an experimental darkening treatment on one orbiting satellite and is working on other mitigation efforts it plans to test in coming months.

Myriota is amenable to the power flux density limits to protect aeronautical safety operations below 137 MHz that were suggested by Aviation Spectrum Resources for its proposed 26-satellite VHF mobile satellite service constellation (see 2004070014), it said in an FCC International Bureau filing Thursday.

Intelsat's Intelsat 901 satellite is operational again after a successful docking by Northrop Grumman's mission extension vehicle, MEV-1, Northrop said Friday. The two docked in February, with MEV-1 taking over navigation and moving 901 to 332.5 degrees east, it said. Northrop will provide five years of life extension services to 901 and then move it to a decommissioned orbit. Northrop Space Systems Vice President Tom Wilson said plans are to add such services as in-orbit inspection, assembly and repair in coming years.