At a Consortium for Execution of Rendezvous and Servicing Operations (CONFERS) conference Wednesday.
Matt Daneman, Senior Editor, covers pay TV, cable broadband, satellite, and video issues and the Federal Communications Commission for Communications Daily. He joined Warren Communications in 2015 after more than 15 years at the Rochester Democrat & Chronicle, where he covered business among other issues. He also was a correspondent for USA Today. You can follow Daneman on Twitter: @mdaneman
At a Consortium for Execution of Rendezvous and Servicing Operations (CONFERS) conference Wednesday.
Commercial space operators increasingly are interested in nuclear power sources in space, and it’s unclear how the FAA launch license process, which includes a payload review, will handle those cases, said space lawyer Franceska Schroeder Friday at University of Nebraska's annual space law conference in Washington. She said the National Space Council has said there will be more government focus on managing such issues from a payload and on-orbit operation perspective. Tackling the emerging threat of rendezvous and proximity operations (RPO) -- something deliberately coming close to commercial or military satellites for a prolonged period of time, often for purposes of espionage or intellectual property theft -- carries a variety of legal and technological hurdles, space national security experts said. Better space situational awareness is a must but won’t fix the problem, said Brian Weeden, Secure World Foundation program planning director. Norms are tough to define, and "keep-out zones" are difficult to protect, he said. Guardian satellites working as blockers are of limited use for many threats, he said. Under the Outer Space Treaty, there is no such thing as national appropriation in space, so claiming a zone falls within a gray area legally, said Lt. Col. Susan Trepczynski of the Air Force Operations and International Law Directorate. As space gets more congested, defining such zones becomes increasingly difficult, she said. Lt. Col. Seth Dilworth, Air Force deputy chief-space law, said the drawback with creating RPO norms is it handcuffs U.S. behavior when other nations that are engaged or likely to engage in RPOs aren't likely to take up those norms. Images taken in space of other things in space are rapidly becoming a commercially available product, Weeden said. He said NOAA's once-heavy restrictions on non-earth imaging are loosening notably more quickly than the agency's restrictions on earth remote viewing have.
Major satellite constellation operators are making best efforts at tackling harmful effects of their satellite systems on astronomy, but that’s not enough and regulation needs to be considered, astronomy experts said Wednesday in Washington at a University of Arizona space law and policy seminar.
The Supreme Court will almost undoubtedly recast or cut back the broad immunity that interactive online platforms enjoy via the Communications Decency Act's Section 230 liability shield, but the dearth of high court precedent on Section 230 makes it unclear how the justices will change that legal status quo, legal experts told us. The court granted cert last week to two related cases on social media platforms' legal protection when they are used in conjunction with terror attacks (see 2210030036).
The growing demand for fiber due to broadband, equity, access and deployment (BEAD) program spending shouldn't mean a shortage of or difficulty for broadband providers in procuring fiber, we were told. Fiber interests say a shortage of labor to do installation work is likely more pressing.
Interest in ISP M&A deals is increasing, driven largely by the flood of broadband, equity, access and deployment (BEAD) program funding set to come to providers in a couple of years, communications lawyers with transaction experience told us. The focus is particularly on fiber operators, with fiber being a big focus of BEAD.
SES said it's reviewing its options with outside counsel for a possible appeal after a U.S. Bankruptcy Court judge last week threw out its $1.8 billion complaint against Intelsat for supposedly reneging on the C-Band Alliance (CBA) agreement between the two. Satellite business experts said the loss means one fewer reason for SES and Intelsat to do a takeover deal quickly, before the ruling. SES reportedly has approached Intelsat about an acquisition. The trial was in February with closing arguments in April (see 2204190037).
The FCC approved a requirement that satellites in low earth orbit deorbit within five years of end of life, and the International Bureau anticipates further orbital debris rule-making action but can't say when, Deputy Chief Patrick Webre said Thursday. The 4-0 approval at the commissioners' September meeting was expected (see 2209230003). It also adopted unanimously orders updating emergency alert system rules, an NPRM removing FCC rules references to analog TV now that no analog TV services remain, and an order expanding access to telecom relay services for deaf or hard of hearing individuals. The agency said it's acting in Florida in response to Hurricane Ian (see 2209290055).
The FCC owns a dozen bulletproof vests, but no firearms or ammunition, the commission said in response to a Freedom of Information Act request we filed in August. It said the vests, all Galls SE Series IIA and IIIA body armor, were purchased in response to a 2016 recommendation by the commission's Inspector General.
The FCC owns a dozen bulletproof vests, but no firearms or ammunition, the commission said in response to a Freedom of Information Act request we filed in August. It said the vests, all Galls SE Series IIA and IIIA body armor, were purchased in response to a 2016 recommendation by the commission's Inspector General.