By David Shepardson
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The Federal Communications Commission said on Monday it has issued its first space debris enforcement fine, of $150,000 for DISH which failed to properly de-orbit its EchoStar-7 satellite.
The wholly owned unit of DISH Network admitted liability and will adhere to a compliance plan, the commission said, adding that the company’s action “could pose orbital debris concerns.”
The FCC has boosted its satellite policy efforts in recent years. DISH did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The FCC said DISH relocated its direct broadcast service EchoStar-7 satellite at the end-of-mission to a disposal orbit “well below the elevation required by the terms of its license” after launching it in 2002.
FCC Enforcement Bureau Chief Loyaan Egal said Monday’s announcement “is a breakthrough settlement, making very clear the FCC has strong enforcement authority and capability to enforce its vitally important space debris rules.”
Under a plan the FCC approved in 2012, DISH committed to bring the satellite at the end of its mission to an altitude of 300 kilometers (186.41 miles) above its operational geostationary arc. In February 2022, DISH said “the satellite had very little propellant left, which meant it could not follow the original orbital debris mitigation plan in its license.”
DISH ultimately retired the satellite at a disposal orbit well short of that specified in its mitigation, the FCC said.
The FCC in September 2022 voted to adopt new rules to address growing risks of orbital debris to space exploration by shrinking the time to remove defunct satellites.
The FCC action required post-mission disposal of low-Earth orbit satellites within five years. The agency previously recommended operators of satellites in low-Earth orbit ensure spacecraft re-enter Earth’s atmosphere within 25 years.
Of the 10,000 satellites deployed since 1957 more than half are no longer working, the FCC said last year.
(Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by Mark Porter and Richard Chang)
