SpaceX arguing that conditions put on its second-generation constellation also apply to O3b's pending constellation modification isn't about issues specific to O3b but is a move to convert the SpaceX conditions to rules of general applicability, O3b said Monday in docket 18-313. SpaceX urged the FCC to apply the second-generation constellations to numerous pending applications (see 2301180049). Broad policy changes have to come from a notice-and-comment rulemaking proceeding, O3b said. It said many of the second-gen conditions were in response to specific issues with that constellation "and are not appropriate for broader implementation."
An error prevented some MethaneSAT documentation from being properly attached to its FCC application, the company emailed us Saturday, saying it's reuploading and resubmitting its application. The agency dismissed an earlier application this month (see 2302100042).
Reusable satellite company Outpost Technologies seeks FCC OK for its non-geostationary orbit cubesat Outpost Mission 0, which could launch as soon as June. In an International Bureau application last week, Outpost said the Mission 0 launch won't test reusability features but instead is for testing flight software, avionics and radiofrequency links.
MethaneSAT's 2022 non-geosationary orbit satellite application lacks sufficient information, said an FCC International Bureau dismissal in Friday's Daily Digest. It said the company can refile. The company didn't comment.
As part of private equity firm Advent International's $6.4 billion buy of Maxar Technologies announced in December (see 2212190010), Maxar and Advent asked the FCC International Bureau to approve transfer of Maxar's FCC licenses to Advent. In an application Wednesday, Maxar and Advent said the deal would let Maxar accelerate investments in next-generation satellite technologies and data insights and go after strategic mergers and acquisitions. They said it also would ensure delivery of Maxar’s Legion satellite constellation.
The FCC should make clear that satellite use of the 1.6/2.4 GHz mobile satellite service (MSS) bands for radiocommunication with mobile phones is subject to the MSS rules, or it should start a rulemaking proceeding with the aim of making that clarification, National Radio Astronomy Observatory petitioned Wednesday. Citing direct-to-handset service available now from Globalstar and forthcoming from Iridium in the 1610-1626.5 MHz and 2483.5-2500 MHz bands, NRAO said mobile phones are operating like unlicensed MSS mobile earth stations and the number of mobile devices capable of using the 1.6/2.4 GHz bands "is poised to increase by factors of 100 or more." If those phones don't obey the 1.6/2.4 MSS rules when communicating with satellites, the radio astronomy protections "will be mooted," it said.
Amazon's Kuiper got FCC International Bureau sign-off on its updated orbital debris plan. In an order Wednesday, the bureau said the assent means Kuiper can begin deployment. The constellation's 2020 OK (see 2007310057) was conditioned on approval of the plan. The bureau put a series of conditions on the approval, including semi-annual reporting concerning the number of satellites launched and disposal reliability. SpaceX wanted the agency to use an "object-years" method for measuring post-mission disposal, as was required for SpaceX's second-generation constellation approval. The agency declined, saying since Kuiper hasn't begun deployment, that condition isn't yet necessary. The agency left the door open to imposing the condition later, after Kuiper starts deployment. The bureau imposed the same reporting requirement for collision avoidance system outages that it put on the second-gen Starlinks. Similar to the Starlink second-generation authorization, the bureau also conditioned the Kuiper approval on Amazon continuing to coordinate with NASA and the National Science Foundation to minimize impacts to NASA's science missions and to optical ground-based astronomy.
Of the 2,303 small satellites launched in 2022, communications accounted for 80% of them, with remote sensing making up another 10%, BryceTech said Tuesday. Smallsats were 95% of all the satellites launched, about the same percentage as 2021, it said. The 2022 smallsats totaled 33% of all smallsats launched in the past decade, it said. Of that 2,303, SpaceX's Starlink and OneWeb accounted for more than 1,700, it said. Bryce said governments are increasingly interested in smallsats as a way to augment their existing capabilities, and 2023 will likely have the first deployments of smallsats for U.S. national security.
C-band second-phase accelerated clearing certification procedures aren't considered imminent from the FCC Wireless Bureau, we were told. In a docket 18-122 filing Tuesday, Eutelsat recapped a meeting with an aide to Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel at which the company again asked the agency to release a framework for certifying completion of the C-band accelerated relocation process' second phase (see 2301130020). A person involved in the commission's C-band proceeding said the clearing is labor intensive, involving thousands of filter installations at earth stations, so the agency likely wants to align issuing the accelerated clearing certification framework with the bulk of that process. Otherwise there could be problems of certifications being done too soon, creating administrative problems if earth stations turn up that are the responsibility of the satellite operator that has already filed its certification, he said. The second-phase clearing deadline is Dec. 5. In its ex parte meeting, Eutelsat representatives said delaying the certification procedures creates problems by compressing the certification process and also is contrary to the C-band order's requiring satellite operators to certify relocation completion when the work is done, regardless of the status of other satellite operators. The FCC declined comment.
SpaceX withdrew its mobile satellite service applications to operate in the S and PCS G blocks and the 2 GHz band, per an FCC International Bureau filing Tuesday.