Satellite operator must pay US imposes first penalty for space debris
October 3, 2023, 5:50 pm Listen to the article
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About a million fragments of decommissioned satellites and rockets are now orbiting the Earth in space. Despite the danger this scrap poses to human space travel, among other things, those responsible are rarely held accountable. A US official is now changing that.
For the first time, a US official has fined a satellite operator for illegally abandoning space debris. The responsible communications authority, the FCC, fined satellite television provider Dish $150,000 (more than 140,000 euros). The company did not place the EchoStar-7 satellite, in use since 2002, in the agreed orbit at the end of its operational life, the authority explained.
According to the FCC, Dish agreed in 2012 to place the satellite in an orbit 300 kilometers above its current orbit at the end of its mission. As the satellite ran out of fuel, it was only placed into orbit 122 kilometers above its previous orbit.
“As satellite deployment increases and the space economy accelerates, we need to be sure that operators will meet their commitments,” said FCC Representative Loyaan A. egal. The settlement now reached with Dish, which includes the fine, is a “breakthrough” and makes clear that the FCC can enforce important rules for dealing with space debris.
A million pieces of debris in orbit
Dish said the company has a long history of “securely” deploying a large fleet of satellites and takes its obligations seriously. The FCC has not declared that the EchoStar-7 poses a hazard.
According to estimates by the European Space Agency (ESA), there are around a million pieces of space debris measuring more than a centimeter in space around Earth. The debris poses a danger to satellites and human space travel.