A potential change to orbital debris mitigation rules by the FAA was included in the Trump administration's unified agenda of regulatory and deregulatory actions released last week (see 1712140057). The debris NPRM proposes to more closely align FAA rules with U.S. government orbital debris mitigation standard practices, and would update current launch collision avoidance rules to match U.S. Strategic Command practices. The unified agenda also included an NPRM to clarify and streamline commercial space transportation rules, allowing specified preflight operations before license approval; to remove "obsolete, non-functional, and in some cases duplicative" ground safety regulations; and expand the term of a reusable launch vehicle license and re-entry operator license from two years to five years. It also included an NPRM codifying statutory requirements mandated by the U.S. Commercial Space Launch Competitiveness Act such as updating definitions relating to commercial space launch and re-entry vehicles and occupants. The agency said it would enable commercial space applicants to retain experimental permits despite issuance of licenses. And the agenda included an NPRM on alignment of FAA commercial space requirements for protecting ships during launches or re-entries with Air Force practices.
Updated FCC rules for non-geostationary orbit satellite constellations adopted in September (see 1709260035) take effect Jan. 18, said a notice to be published in Monday's Federal Register. It said certain rules amendments that require data collection have to first be approved by the Office of Management and Budget, with those amendments' effective dates to be published later.
SiriusXM could face materially higher copyright expenses after Thursday's Copyright Royalty Board determination of a 41 percent hike, the company said in an SEC filing Friday. It said it's still evaluating the CRB terms and rates announced, and it anticipates evaluating changes in pricing. It said the determination likely will mean higher aggregate royalty expenses annually starting next year. SiriusXM said it will have to pay a royalty of 15.5 percent of gross revenue, subject to exclusions and adjustments, for the five years ending Dec. 31, 2022, up from its current 11 percent. The company didn't comment further. SoundExchange said CRB didn't adopt the rates it advocated, but the ruling "demonstrates an important step in the right direction toward valuing the contributions of the music creators." It said the decision reinforces the need to amend the Copyright Act Section 801(b) rate standards for satellite radio and some cable radio services. American Federation of Musicians said the rate increase is welcome, but "our broken copyright system still allows this wildly profitable company to underpay for recorded music based on a below-market standard." SiriusXM shares closed down 5.1 percent at $5.37.
ViaSat opened offices in Austin, Seattle and Amsterdam, the latter as it seeks international work and each with technical and engineering specializations that include security engineering, software and cloud functions, it said Thursday.
The U.S. will "lead [a] program of exploration with commercial and international partners" that starts with missions beyond low earth orbit, then exploration and use of the moon, followed by manned missions to Mars, President Donald Trump said in an amendment to the 2010 national space policy in Thursday's Federal Register. It replaced a directive that NASA begin crewed missions beyond the moon by 2025 and a manned orbit of Mars by the mid-2030s.
Leidos received a two-year experimental license to test functionality and evaluate the performance of the ViaSat VR-18 satcom terminal installed on de Havilland 8 aircraft. Leidos said it will test the aircraft-mounted antenna for system reliability and performance in the Ku-band, with that testing supporting the use of such antenna on aircraft supporting DOD intelligence operations. The FCC Office of Engineering and Technology approved the license Wednesday.
FCC staffers "are in the early stages" of reviewing the agency's orbital debris mitigation rules to see what changes might be needed, particularly in light of numerous proposed smallsat constellations, Chairman Ajit Pai wrote Senate Commerce Committee members Cory Booker, D-N.J., and Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska. Pai said the FCC will explore establishing an interagency working group on debris mitigation. Pai's letter released recently and dated Nov. 21 responded to calls from the lawmakers about coordination with NASA and the FAA on a comprehensive mitigation policy (see 1710020036).
The Country Network debuted its first shows this week in Ultra HD, becoming the 11th 4K channel on SES’ platform, SES announced Tuesday. The platform packages satellite distribution, reception gear and content for North American pay-TV operators, SES said. TCN reaches 15 million U.S. homes, and its 2018 strategy includes introducing its new 4K service “to the most influential media companies, large and small,” said CEO Tim Eaton.
Correction: Boeing is asking to transfer its June 2016 V-band constellation application to Greg Wyler's SOM1101, not its March 2017 constellation application (see 1712070055).
Apple TV now supports the SiriusXM app, allowing for listening via Apple TV 4K and the fourth-generation Apple TV, SiriusXM said Thursday.