New Regulations on the Licensing of Private Remote Sensing Space Systems
On May 20, 2020, the Department of Commerce (“Commerce”), through the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (“NOAA”), released new regulations to streamline the licensing process for U.S. satellite remote sensing operators. The new regulations came in...
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The FCC and Commercial Space — Partners in Progress or Collision Course?
On April 24, 2020, the Federal Communications Commission released its Report and Order (“R&O”) and Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (“FNPRM”) on the Mitigation of Orbital Debris in the New Space Age, which was approved at the FCC Open Meeting on April...
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From Ligado 5G to Orbital Debris: The FCC’s Role in Space Policy
On April 28, 2020, SpaceNews hosted a webinar on the FCC’s role in space policy as highlighted by two recent decisions: the long-pending Ligado licensing decision and the newly adopted orbital debris mitigation regulations. These two decisions raised fundamental...
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New Committee Established to Review Foreign Participation in Telecommunications Services
On April 4, President Donald Trump released an Executive Order (the “Order”) to create the Committee for the Assessment of Foreign Participation in the United States Telecommunications Services Sector (the “Committee”). The purpose of the Committee will be to...
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Communications Industry Briefing on Federal Initiatives & Actions
On April 6, 2020, USTelecom hosted an online Communications Industry Briefing on Federal Initiatives and Actions. The webinar discussed steps taken by various government entities in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Over 900 people participated. Moderated by...
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FCC Circulates Draft Orbital Debris Mitigation Report and Order
On April 2, 2020, the Federal Communications Commission (“Commission”) circulated a draft of its Orbital Debris Mitigation Report and Order and Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (“Draft Order”) for consideration at the Commission’s April open meeting. The...
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Satellite 2020 Highlights
The Satellite 2020 Conference brought aerospace entrepreneurs, executives, engineers, end-users, and enthusiasts to Washington, DC to discuss how satellites are shaping the future of the world. With session tracks offered for technology and engineering, small...
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FCC Releases Report & Order Freeing up C-Band Spectrum for 5G Services
This week, the Federal Communications Commission released its long-awaited Report & Order creating new rules to auction and clear 280 MHz of spectrum for 5G services. The Order marks the next step in the Commission’s 5G Fast Plan to facilitate U.S. superiority...
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Paris Space Week
Last week, space industry innovators and decision-makers from around the world met at the Air and Space Museum in Le Bourget for Paris Space Week 2020. During two fruitful days, commercial, technical and institutional actors of the space sector gathered to present...
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International Panel on Emerging Issues in Space Governance
On Tuesday, February 25th, George Washington University’s Space Policy Institute (SPI) and the Space Generation Advisory Council (SGAC) hosted an international panel discussion on “Emerging Issues in Space Governance,” held at the Elliott School of International...
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Chairman Pai C-band Speech
Today, the FCC Chairman Ajit Pai took another step in the Commission’s strategy to facilitate U.S. leadership in 5G technology, dubbed the “5G Fast Plan.” Chairman Pai highlighted that the U.S. must continue to set the pace for 5G build-out globally in order to be...
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14th Annual Eilene Galloway Memorial Symposium on Critical Issues in Space Law
The International Institute of Space Law (IISL) held the 14th Annual Eilene Galloway Memorial Symposium on Critical Issues in Space Law on Wednesday, December 11, 2019 at the Cosmos Club in Washington, DC. In addition to promoting discussions of complex space law...
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U.S. Chamber of Commerce 2nd Annual Space Summit
On Tuesday, December 3rd, 2019, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce held its second Annual Space Summit entitled “LAUNCH: The Space Economy” in Washington, DC. The Summit was a full day event centered around the opportunities and challenges associated with a growing...
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IAC 2019
From October 21-25, the global space community came together in Washington, DC for the 70th International Astronautical Congress (IAC). Traditionally, IAC has been a central forum of discussion for stakeholders from all space sectors around the globe, covering...
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NTIA Spectrum Policy Symposium
The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) held its second Spectrum Policy Symposium on September 10th at the National Press Club in Washington, DC. The Symposium provided a high-level forum for government and commercial actors to discuss...
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New FCC Streamlined Procedures for Licensing of Smallsats
This month, the FCC unanimously approved a new, optional set of streamlined procedures for licensing small satellites (“smallsats”) (FCC 19-81, IB Docket No. 18-86). The new set of procedures seeks to accommodate this fast-growing segment of the space sector. This...
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Secure World Foundation Space Sustainability Summit
The Secure World Foundation held the inaugural Summit for Space Sustainability on June 25-26 at the National Press Club in Washington, DC. The Summit was a high-level event centered around challenges and solutions for space sustainability. Panelists addressed the...
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Space Enterprise Summit
The inaugural Space Enterprise Summit convened on Wednesday, June 26, 2019. Co-sponsored by the State Department and the Department of Commerce, the two-day event brought together government, diplomatic, industry, and scientific leaders from the U.S. and around the world to discuss issues and approaches to building the “trillion-dollar economy” in space. Read More
Lachs Moot Court Competition
This weekend, the 27th Manfred Lachs International Space Law Moot Court Competition North American Rounds will be held at the Georgetown University Law Center in Washington, DC. The Manfred Lachs Moot is an international moot court competition held each year by the International Institute of Space Law (IISL) to give law students a chance to engage with current issues in space law and test their legal researching, writing, and oratorical skills. The international competition is divided into four global regions, and the winners of each region ... Read More
13th Annual Eilene Galloway Memorial Symposium on Critical Issues in Space Law
The International Institute of Space Law (IISL) held the 13th Annual Eilene Galloway Memorial Symposium on Critical Issues in Space Law last month at the Cosmos Club in Washington, DC. The Symposium centered around one of the fundamental missions of IISL: the...
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US Commercial Remote Sensing Regulatory Changes
Speaking to the National Space Symposium, Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross recounted a meeting with CEOs in the US space industry, stating, “I heard the same comments over and over—the current licensing processes take too long, are unpredictable, and provide no...
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Swimming with the Sharks: The 3.7-4.2 GHz Proceeding
The FCC recently released the final text of its Order and Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on Expanding Flexible Use of the 3.7 to 4.2 GHz Band. A draft was issued last month and the FCC considered the matter at its Open Meeting on July 12th. At the Open Meeting, all...
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FCC’S 3.7-4.2 GHz Order AND NPRM – Client Alert
The FCC has approved an Order and Notice of Proposed Rulemaking for Expanding Flexible Use of the 3.7 to 4.2 GHz Band. The document proposes expanded terrestrial use of the band and seeks comment on the mechanisms for integrating new and incumbent use. Coming on...
Read MoreSummary of Expanding Flexible Use of the 3.7 to 4.2 GHz Band
Order and Notice of Proposed Rulemaking - GN Docket No. 18-122 Today the FCC approved an Order and Notice of Proposed Rulemaking for Expanding Flexible Use of the 3.7 to 4.2 GHz Band. The document proposes expanded terrestrial use of the band and seeks comment on...
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Europe’s New General Data Protection Regulation
The European Union has adopted massive changes to its data protection policy with the new General Data Protection Regulation (Regulation 2016/679; “Regulation” or “GDPR”) which will be enforced beginning 25 May 2018. The obligations assigned by the new regulation...
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FCC Freeze in C-Band
Late yesterday the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) issued a public notice announcing a freeze, effective as of April 19, 2018, on the filing of new or modification applications for fixed-satellite service (FSS) earth station licenses, receive-only earth station registrations, and fixed microwave licenses in the 3.7-4.2 GHz frequency band, the downlink portion of the C-band. Read More
NPRM on Streamlining Licensing Procedures for Small Satellites
Last week, the FCC released the text of a draft Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) ahead of its April meeting that seeks comments on a streamlined licensing process for small satellites (“smallsats”) (IB Docket 18-86; DOC-349939A1.pdf; citations herein to paragraph numbers). The draft NPRM asks for input on characteristics defining smallsats, details of the new streamlined procedure, and possible frequency allocation changes. The draft NPRM proposes no more than 10 satellites be included in a single smallsat license application and whether a limit should be imposed on the number of applications that can be filed by a single entity. (¶27) No satellite could exceed 180kg mass, and all satellites must be larger than 10cm3 to ensure that they are trackable. Read More