Civil Penalty for Space Debris
Governments around the world recognize that the sustainability of space operations are at risk, because of the ever increasing volume of space debris on orbit. In a historic first, the FCC (Federal Communication Commission) in the United States of America, issued a space debris enforcement action against a US company on the 2nd of October. The failure to properly deorbit the EchoStar-7 satellite, an admission of liability from the company and an agreement to adhere to a compliance plan has resulted in the requirement to pay a penalty of $150,000.
If you are a company doing business in space in the USA or Australia, compliance with government regulatory requirements outlined in space debris mitigation plans (and other regulatory instruments is critical. Read more about the ruling on the blog inside my brand new community (The US/Australian Launchpad).
US FCC Website News Release
https://www.fcc.gov/document/fcc-takes-first-space-debris-enforcement-action
CONSENT DECREE
https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DA-23-888A2.pdf
FCC MEDIA RELEASE
