The US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has imposed its first fine on a company that violated its rules to combat space debris, the commission announced on Monday.
Dish Network must pay $150,000 to the commission for failing to deorbit its EchoStar-7 satellite, which has been in space for more than two decades. Instead of properly deorbiting the satellite, Dish sent it into a “disposal orbit” at an altitude low enough to pose a risk for orbital debris.
“As satellite operations become more common and the space economy accelerates, we need to be sure that operators meet their obligations,” law enforcement chief Loyaan A. egal said in the statement announcing the Dish agreement. “This is a groundbreaking agreement that makes it very clear that the FCC has strong enforcement powers and the ability to enforce its vital space debris regulations.”
In 2002, Dish placed the satellite into geostationary orbit – a space field that begins 22,000 miles (36,000 km) above Earth. In 2012, a plan to contain debris in orbit was agreed upon, calling for EchoStar-7 to enter a “graveyard orbit” after completing its mission, 186 miles (300 km) above where it was stationed send other active satellites where they would not pose a threat.
But in 2022, Dish discovered that the satellite was low on fuel and did not have enough fuel to send it to its intended destination. Instead, the satellite landed just 76 miles (122 km) above the active geostationary orbits – 178 km from its mark.
Space debris, broadly defined by the FCC as man-made objects orbiting the Earth that are not operational spacecraft, is of increasing concern to the FCC. They say the more old material remains in orbit, the harder it is for incoming satellites to launch and complete new missions. In 2022, they passed a rule that would require satellite operators to dispose of their satellites within five years of mission completion.
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“There are thousands of tons of orbital junk in the air right now — and it will only increase,” FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel said in a 2022 statement accompanying the announcement of the rule. “We have to deal with it. Because if we don’t, this space debris could limit new opportunities.”