FCC-proposed orbital debris rules on April 23's agenda (see 2004010063) would require amateur satellite operators to personally indemnify the federal government for the satellite's operators, and satellite owners should be the ones indemnifying, Radio Amateur Satellite representatives told International Bureau staff, per a docket 18-313 posting Friday. It said finding an individual amateur radio licensee willing to bear that risk personally "would be difficult to impossible." It urged implementation later than April 2022 of the requirement satellites in orbit above 400 kilometers be designed with collision avoidance maneuvering capabilities, since amateur satellite designs are done often by volunteers and can take years. The firm proposed April 2025.
Omnispace's first two non-geostationary orbit S-band satellites are expected to launch in 2021, it said Thursday. It hired Thales Alenia Space to develop the satellite infrastructure for its hybrid narrow-band IoT/mobile network.
The COVID-19 pandemic will have "limited" effects on FY 2019 revenue to the tune of about $22 million, though the pace of new business will likely slow, Eutelsat said Thursday. It said Q3 launch of its Quantum satellite is likely delayed, and the deployment of gateways for its Konnect satellite also will likely be partially delayed. It said its board is cutting its stock dividend 30% and its share buyback program is suspended.
Big Intelsat investors who sold just before announcement of an FCC-run C-band auction -- an act that sent Intelsat stock tumbling -- are being sued in a complaint by Rosen Lawn seeking class action status. The complaint (docket 20-cv-02341, in Pacer), filed Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Oakland, alleges insider trading by BC Partners and Silver Lake Group. Silver Lake and Intelsat didn't comment. BC Partners emailed that the sales "were executed based solely on available public information at the time and were executed in full compliance with all relevant market rules and regulations."
The C-band transition needs an official list of incumbent earth stations that must be migrated, SES and Telesat representatives told FCC International Bureau, Wireless Bureau and Office of Economics and Analytics staff, recounted a docket 18-122 posting Wednesday. The companies discussed possible outcomes if an overlay licensee defaults on payment obligations to satellite operators and the time frame to begin receiving reimbursement payments for transition expenses.
Myriota's ask for U.S. market access for its 26-satellite non-voice non-geostationary orbit VHF mobile satellite service constellation must come with conditions to protect aeronautical communications below 137 MHz, Aviation Spectrum Resources Inc. told the FCC International Bureau Monday. Myriota wants to use the 137-138 MHz band for downlinks. ASRI said the agency should adopt the same power flux density limits as on Swarm adjacent-band operations.
OneWeb, going through Chapter 11 bankruptcy (see 2003300028), seeks FCC International Bureau OK for pro forma assignment and transfer of control of its satellites and earth stations. The company's operations are subject to the ongoing court supervision, said applications Monday (see here and here).
The White House space resources executive order (see 2004060065) is generally good policy but didn't need to be an EO and could get pushback, Secure World Foundation Director-Program Planning Brian Weeden tweeted Tuesday. He said it isn't a change in U.S. policy, and most space-faring countries agree with the U.S. position that using resources isn't banned under the Outer Space Treaty. An EO "unnecessarily pokes a few of our friends [like Moon Treaty signatory France] publicly in the eye and we might just need them in other space policy/diplomatic situations," he said, saying the EO's rhetoric could provide fodder for China and Russia to politically attack the U.S. The National Space Society cheered the EO. Executive Vice President Alfred Anzaldua said the U.S. "must recognize that other countries look to [it] as the leading space-faring nation and will take their cues from us" and the move "will galvanize action by the U.S.”
Outer space isn't a global commons and Americans should have the right to take part in commercial exploration, recovery and use of resources there, said a White House executive order. It's now federal policy "to encourage international support for the public and private recovery and use of resources in outer space." Monday's EO said the secretary of state will seek to negotiate joint statements and bilateral and multilateral arrangements with other nations on public and private recovery and use of space resources. It said the U.S., not being party to the 1979 moon agreement, would object to being treated as reflecting or expressing customary international law.
The Commerce Department emailed us Friday it "appreciates the productive ongoing collaboration with the [FCC] and other Federal agencies on orbital debris requirements. Work, such as that through the Commerce-led Interagency Working Group ... on Commercial Orbital Debris Requirements, will support responsible U.S. investment, innovation, and operation in space." It said it will review the FCC's orbital debris draft order put out Thursday (see 2004020062). Commerce previously suggested the agency pause the rules update proceeding.