US FCC to Create Space Office to Deal with Growing Satellite Launches, More
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) plans to create a new space office to deal with the growing number of satellite launches and policy issues, said agency chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel. The FCC plans to reorganize its International Bureau into a new Space Bureau and an independent Office of International Affairs.
“The satellite industry is growing at a record pace, but down here our licensing regulatory frameworks haven’t kept up,” Rosenworcel said Thursday, adding that in the past two years the agency has received 64,000 new satellite applications and noted. investment of ten billion dollars (approx. Rs. 82,530) in the area last year by private companies. “A new space age has arrived. Unlike the first space age, this one is not limited to great political power.”
Rosenworcel also noted that by 2021 the FCC has seen an eightfold increase in applications for satellite service gateway Earth stations and is receiving applications for “novel space activities such as lunar colonists, space tugs that can use other satellites, and farms for space probes that may work.” .”
The FCC, he added, “is working to update our rules, increase our FCC standards, and speed up the satellite licensing process. We’re also making more acquisitions to advance our space ambitions.”
In September, the FCC voted to adopt new rules to address the growing risks of orbital debris in space exploration by reducing the time to remove defunct satellites.
The FCC voted to require post-launch disposal of Low-Earth orbit satellites within five years. The agency previously recommended operators of satellites in low-Earth orbit ensure that spacecraft re-enter Earth’s atmosphere within 25 years.
The FCC noted that of the 10,000 satellites deployed since 1957, more than half are no longer operational. “Defunct satellites, discarded rocket cores, and other debris now fill space, creating challenges for current and future missions,” the FCC said.
© Thomson Reuters 2022
