American satellite television provider Dish Network will pay an unusual penalty – Federal Communications Commission (FCC). This is the first-ever fine for irregularities in space.
The first-ever penalty for space littering. The satellite has run out of fuel
The FCC found that Dish Network failed in its obligation to properly relocate the decommissioned EchoStar-7 communications satellite. The satellite launched in 2002 was in geostationary orbit, 36,000 km above the planet’s surface and – according to the plan – in 2022 it was to be moved 300 km higher. He should have been placed on the so-called graveyard orbit where it wouldn’t pose a threat to other spacecraft. However, Dish launched the satellite only about 70 km above geostationary orbit and EchoStar-7 was stuck on a temporary so-called parking orbit where it ran out of fuel. The ship became the so-called space debris and the operator has no control over it.
The FCC says the company’s unused satellite now poses a potential threat to active satellites near the highly crowded geostationary orbit and that the operator of EchoStar-7 has failed to meet its obligations. “As satellite operations become more common and the space economy accelerates, we must ensure that operators meet their obligations,” said Loyaan Egal, chief of the FCC’s Office of Enforcement, said.
The Federal Communications Commission has now decided to impose a fine of PLN 150,000 on Dish Networks. dollars. The company admitted its guilt and agreed to bear the consequences. The fine is not very large, considering the scale of the company’s operations (Dish’s revenues amounted to $16.7 billion in 2022), but it is a groundbreaking, first-ever penalty for leaving space debris in an incorrect orbit above the Earth.
However, the FCC’s decision sets a precedent and – as you might expect – it will encourage the regulator to issue further fines in the event of irregularities. As Dr Megan Argo from the University of Central Lancashire told the BBC, the fact that the FCC has used its regulatory powers for the first time should also make other companies pay more attention to the issue. Especially since space debris near frequently used orbits has become a significant problem in recent years.
Source: Gazeta
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