[amsat-bb] FCC and Satellite Size

Tue Mar 13 19:54:57 UTC 2018

Yes. The applicable excerpt for amateur satellites from 47 CFR §97.207:

(g) The license grantee of each space station must make the following
written notifications to the International Bureau, FCC, Washington, DC
20554.

(1) A pre-space notification within 30 days after the date of launch
vehicle determination, but no later than 90 days before integration of
the space station into the launch vehicle. The notification must be in
accordance with the provisions of Articles 9 and 11 of the
International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Radio Regulations and must
specify the information required by Appendix 4 and Resolution No. 642
of the ITU Radio Regulations. The notification must also include a
description of the design and operational strategies that the space
station will use to mitigate orbital debris, including the following
information:

(i) A statement that the space station licensee has assessed and
limited the amount of debris released in a planned manner during
normal operations, and has assessed and limited the probability of the
space station becoming a source of debris by collisions with small
debris or meteoroids that could cause loss of control and prevent
post-mission disposal;

(ii) A statement that the space station licensee has assessed and
limited the probability of accidental explosions during and after
completion of mission operations. This statement must include a
demonstration that debris generation will not result from the
conversion of energy sources on board the spacecraft into energy that
fragments the spacecraft. Energy sources include chemical, pressure,
and kinetic energy. This demonstration should address whether stored
energy will be removed at the spacecraft's end of life, by depleting
residual fuel and leaving all fuel line valves open, venting any
pressurized system, leaving all batteries in a permanent discharge
state, and removing any remaining source of stored energy, or through
other equivalent procedures specifically disclosed in the application;

(iii) A statement that the space station licensee has assessed and
limited the probability of the space station becoming a source of
debris by collisions with large debris or other operational space
stations. Where a space station will be launched into a low-Earth
orbit that is identical, or very similar, to an orbit used by other
space stations, the statement must include an analysis of the
potential risk of collision and a description of what measures the
space station operator plans to take to avoid in-orbit collisions. If
the space station licensee is relying on coordination with another
system, the statement must indicate what steps have been taken to
contact, and ascertain the likelihood of successful coordination of
physical operations with, the other system. The statement must
disclose the accuracy—if any—with which orbital parameters of
non-geostationary satellite orbit space stations will be maintained,
including apogee, perigee, inclination, and the right ascension of the
ascending node(s). In the event that a system is not able to maintain
orbital tolerances, i.e., it lacks a propulsion system for orbital
maintenance, that fact should be included in the debris mitigation
disclosure. Such systems must also indicate the anticipated evolution
over time of the orbit of the proposed satellite or satellites. Where
a space station requests the assignment of a geostationary-Earth orbit
location, it must assess whether there are any known satellites
located at, or reasonably expected to be located at, the requested
orbital location, or assigned in the vicinity of that location, such
that the station keeping volumes of the respective satellites might
overlap. If so, the statement must include a statement as to the
identities of those parties and the measures that will be taken to
prevent collisions;

(iv) A statement detailing the post-mission disposal plans for the
space station at end of life, including the quantity of fuel—if
any—that will be reserved for post-mission disposal maneuvers. For
geostationary-Earth orbit space stations, the statement must disclose
the altitude selected for a post-mission disposal orbit and the
calculations that are used in deriving the disposal altitude. The
statement must also include a casualty risk assessment if planned
post-mission disposal involves atmospheric re-entry of the space
station. In general, an assessment should include an estimate as to
whether portions of the spacecraft will survive re-entry and reach the
surface of the Earth, as well as an estimate of the resulting
probability of human casualty.

(v) If any material item described in this notification changes before
launch, a replacement pre-space notification shall be filed with the
International Bureau no later than 90 days before integration of the
space station into the launch vehicle.

(2) An in-space station notification is required no later than 7 days
following initiation of space station transmissions. This notification
must update the information contained in the pre-space notification.

(3) A post-space station notification is required no later than 3
months after termination of the space station transmissions. When
termination of transmissions is ordered by the FCC, the notification
is required no later than 24 hours after termination of transmissions.

73,

Paul, N8HM

On Tue, Mar 13, 2018 at 3:51 PM, radiomb <radiomb at bellsouth.net> wrote:
>  Just saw this article. The FCC is the controlling agency for the size of a satellite? Not NASA or another agency of the government? Guess that is part of the process that AMSAT has to go thru to get a bird approved.
>  Don't launch these tiny satellites, the FCC said. They're apparently in space anyway
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> Don't launch these tiny satellites, the FCC said. They're apparentl...
>  By Samantha Masunaga Menlo Park small-satellite firm Swarm Technologies apparently launched four tiny satellites despite the disappro...  |   |
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> 73 Mike K4MIA
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> |  | Virus-free. www.avast.com  |
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