The FCC has a plan to support the space industry sectors that feel more science fiction than fact.
FCC Chair Brendan Carr yesterday announced a proposal to provide spectrum access to “weird space stuff” (his words, not ours.) That includes missions such as orbital labs, in-space repairs, and commercial space stations.
“Whether we’re talking about repairing a satellite in orbit or creating pharmaceutical solutions to our health-care challenges in a space lab, these very real ventures will require very real resources, including secure radio signals for control and basic operations,” Carr said in a statement. “Today’s proposal is the first step toward the spectrum abundance needed to give America’s space activities the predictable spectrum environment they need to thrive.”
The details: The plan would take a two-pronged approach to ensure that novel and innovative space missions can get the spectrum they need, including:
- Updating and clarifying FCC rules to give companies working on “weird” missions more predictability when it comes to spectrum;
- Identifying new spectrum bands for novel space missions.
Context: This is the latest effort by the FCC to make life easier for space companies. The commission is also working to free up as much as 20,000 MHz of spectrum for traditional space operations, including internet constellations in LEO. Carr is also pushing to simplify the process by which space operators get approval from the FCC, including establishing a “licensing assembly line” to speed up the application review process.
What’s next: The plan for “weird space” will be voted on by the commission at its meeting this month.
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