NASA Raises Concerns About SpaceMobile Broadband Constellation
AST's SpaceMobile orbiting cellular broadband constellation plans (see 2004140001) raise significant orbital debris concerns and should have a conjunction assessment and mitigation process that's as sophisticated and risk averse as the one done for the NASA satellites it will closely…
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neighbor, NASA said in an FCC International Bureau filing Friday. AST would essentially be collocated with the Earth Science Morning and Afternoon constellations of NASA, U.S. Geological Survey, France's National Centre for Space Studies and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, which have osculating altitudes between 690 and 740 kilometers, NASA said. The space agency said there also must be "a robust arrangement" for sharing maneuver plans between AST and NASA and its partners during routine operations to prevent collisions and simultaneous maneuvers. It said due to the collision dangers, AST satellites should have the capability of powered descents and higher reliability than specified by the government's 2019 orbital debris mitigation standard practices, and AST should consider an orbit below the earth science constellations. In a statement, AST Chief Scientist-Space Systems Raymond Sedwick said the company reviewed the letter and is "confident that we can work with them to address their concerns, including providing clarification of AST’s constellation design that robustly manages orbital debris, keeping NASA and other orbital assets safe.” Also filed Friday, Sen. Ben Cardin, D-Md., was the latest lawmaker to write in support of AST's plans (see 2010220011).