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.
Globalstar announced a licensing deal with Jeep for its Spot satellite messaging and emergency notification technologies. Spot offers off-road enthusiasts and back-country adventurers connectivity in remote areas of the world, said Globalstar.
Citing logistical issues due to the pandemic, Dish Network asked the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for an extra 30 days to petition for rehearing and rehearing en banc of the appellate court's decision in the company's appeal of a $280 million lower court verdict against it for Telephone Consumer Protection Act violations, in a docket 17-3111 motion (in Pacer) Tuesday. The deadline would be June 10. The 7th Circuit decision by Judges Frank Easterbrook, Michael Kanne and Michael Brennan, penned by Easterbrook, affirmed the lower court's verdict against Dish except for its holding that dish was liable for "substantially assisting" order-entry retailer Star Satellite. That judgment and Star Satellite's measure of damages was vacated and that portion of the case was remanded for further proceedings.
Intelsat hopes to put up its high-throughput Ku/Ka-band Intelsat 40e satellite in Q3 2022, it said in an FCC International Bureau posting Monday seeking OK for launch and operation at 91 degrees west.
Satellite broadband startup AST wants U.S. market access for its planned 243-satellite constellation licensed by Papua New Guinea, with operations expected to begin in 2023, it said in an FCC International Bureau petition Monday. It asked for authorization to use the V band for gateway communications and to use some LTE frequencies. It said its low earth orbit constellation can provide broadband access to any handset and any LTE or 5G enabled device without modifications or use of special chipsets, and that it plans to partner with carriers, allowing them to provide nationwide 5G coverage even in places without terrestrial infrastructure. It said it has partnership agreements with multiple global mobile network operators. AST said it has raised $128 million, enough to fund its next test satellite, a buildout of its Texas satellite manufacturing facility and launch of the first tranche of 18 of its SpaceMobile satellites in 2021. It said investors include American Tower, Rakuten and Vodafone.
Ligado arguments that it reached coexistence agreements with major GPS receiver manufacturers ignore that those agreements didn't resolve to use a 1 dB standard as benchmark for harmful interference to GPS receivers, the GPS Innovation Alliance emailed us Monday. It said a 1 dB standard "is the only reliable mechanism that provides the predictability and certainty." Ligado opposes using a 1 dB limit (for example, see 1911250038).