WASHINGTON, D.C. — It’s no laughing matter, and it is certainly not a topic wonks and nerds have an interest in. That’s why the FCC is considering a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking that proposes and seeks comment on ways in which to make additional spectrum available for command and control of spacecraft supporting emergent space operations, but which do not use spectrum as part of any radiocommunications services provided to the public.
It’s SB Docket No. 26-54, and focuses on next-generation orbital missions, as well as “cutting-edge, emergent ventures in space,” namely supporting Telemetry, Tracking and Command (TT&C) for on-the-horizon endeavors including orbital laboratories, satellite repairs, and private inhabitable spacecraft.
Should the NPRM be adopted by a vote of the full Commission at its March monthly meeting, the FCC would start a formal proceeding to meet the spectrum needs of these technologies in two ways.
First, the FCC would explore opportunities to clarify its rules so that emergent space operations have reliable access to spectrum for their missions. Second, the FCC intends to identify new spectrum bands that meet the safety and operational needs of emergent space activities.
Spectrum is a critical component of all space operations. Even for spacecraft that do not provide radiocommunications services to the public, reliable spectrum access is mandatory for safety functions like telemetry, tracking, and command to control spacecraft in orbit. “American innovators, however, currently face an acute shortage of usable and readily accessible spectrum for TT&C, and that spectrum crunch threatens to delay—or even prevent—the growth of domestic space technologies and jeopardize U.S. leadership in the booming global space economy,” the Carr Commission said.
The NPRM seeks to clarify and expand the FCC’s traditional regulatory classifications so that emergent operations have more predictable spectrum access. The proceeding would also explore new spectrum bands that could support new use cases on a dedicated basis to provide a clear, reliable, and expeditious path to support the groundbreaking technologies and services that companies are developing in space.
