The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit rejected Dish Network and International Dark-Sky Association (IDSA) arguments seeking a reversal of the FCC's OK of SpaceX's second-generation satellite constellation. In a 21-page opinion Friday (consolidated dockets 22-1337 and 23-1001), the three-judge panel said the FCC decision was "lawful and reasonably explained." Oral argument was in December (see [Ref;2312110031]). Pointing to Dish's challenge of the way SpaceX conducted its power flux-density limits testing, the judges said the commission's rules don't specify how an applicant must group its data. Moreover, Dish's evidence that a different grouping of the data shows SpaceX's system would exceed PFD limits "falls well short of a smoking gun that would require the FCC to disregard SpaceX’s self-certification," they said. Pointing to IDSA arguments that the FCC shouldn't have licensed the second-gen system without an environmental review, the court said the SpaceX license falls within the National Environmental Policy Act's categorical exclusion, so an environmental assessment is needed only if the FCC determines the license could have a significant environmental impact. The ruling said that the FCC "reasonably concluded" there wouldn't be any such impact. Deciding were Judges Neomi Rao, Michelle Childs and Douglas Ginsburg, with Rao penning the order. Nowhere does the decision cite or reference the Supreme Court's recent Loper Bright decision (see 2406280043), which ended the Chevron doctrine of courts largely deferring to federal agencies' expert decisions; nor does it cite Chevron.

A set of SpaceX's Starlink satellites that deployed at a too-low altitude don't pose a threat to other satellites or public safety, the company posted Friday on X. It said the Starlinks will burn up upon re-entering the atmosphere. A second-stage engine on one of its Falcon 9 rockets didn't complete its second burn, resulting in the deployment at the lower orbit, SpaceX said. In addition, the satellites' ion thrusters weren't sufficient to raise them to the higher altitude.

The North Atlantic hurricane season and other extreme ocean weather will likely become more problematic for satellite-delivered maritime connectivity as climate change's impacts increase, Valour Consultancy blogged Wednesday. While L-band services should continue working properly, high-throughput applications using higher wavelengths such as Ku and Ka are more prone to weather-related disruption, it said. Adaptive power control and adaptive modulation can help but aren't silver bullets, Valour said. Maritime operators should plan for this, incorporating AI functions onboard so that slower satellite bands can fill in when higher wavelengths suffer from weather-related issues, it added.

Non-geostationary orbit (NGSO) satellites are expected to claim significant maritime connectivity market share during the next decade, Euroconsult said Wednesday. NGSOs' market share as the primary maritime communications method should leap from 20% in 2023 to 90% by 2033, it said. The number of vessels using at least one satellite communication service hit 40,600 last year, and it's projected to reach about 90,000 by 2033. The entry of SpaceX's Starlink service into the market is largely driving the projections, it said. Maritime's reliance on geostationary satellite capacity as the primary means of communication will decline as vessels adopt NGSO service. The NGSO capacity market share is expected to jump from 66% in 2023 to 96% by 2033, Euroconsult said.

Emerging satellite technologies -- from multi-orbit satellite networks and software-defined satellites to in-orbit servicing -- are key to the satellite industry meeting increasing demand for reliable and high-capacity communications, the Global Satellite Operators Association said Monday in a paper. GSOA said the convergence of these technologies positions the satcom industry to play a key role in future global connectivity.

SpaceX and Omnispace clashed on whether the FCC should stick with a deadline for oppositions and replies to a SpaceX petition seeking reconsideration of the aggregate out-of-band power flux density (PFD) limits that the FCC adopted in March's supplemental coverage from space order (see 2405300044). Oppositions were due Friday. Omnispace asked that the FCC extend the deadline for oppositions and replies, due July 15, each for a week. The proceeding “involves complex issues and detailed technical calculations, including the possibility of ‘significant [radio frequency] problems,’” Omnispace said in a filing last week in docket 23-65: “Complex questions of interference deserve careful consideration by all parties, and additional filing time would allow parties to submit more robust and detailed submissions.” SpaceX noted Friday that the commission accepted the petition for filing three weeks ago and established a pleading cycle two weeks back. But Omnispace “waited until just three days before the filing date to belatedly seek a one-week extension based solely on the fact that July 4 is a holiday,” SpaceX said.

The FCC’s Space Bureau and Office of International Affairs (OIA) will hold 8 public previews of the new, cloud-based International Communications Filing System (ICFS) beginning July 17. The ICFS is scheduled for deployment in August, said a Wednesday public notice. Each preview session concerns a different type of filing in ICFS and “will provide a guided tour of the enhanced look and functionality,” the PN said. Participants must register for sessions. The Space Bureau and the Office of International Affairs will release another public notice “in the next few weeks” providing additional details about the transition to the cloud-based ICFS, the PN said.

Consumers may find they're using new satellite messaging on their iPhones more frequently than expected, LightShed’s Walter Piecyk told investors Tuesday, based on his experience. “We believe satellites will play a critical role in finally filling in the suburban coverage holes" that opponents of wireless deployments created, he said: “That will broaden the market opportunity beyond what has largely been perceived as limited to a distressed hiker lost in a national park. It’s possible that satellite connectivity will simply be used as a free service that device manufacturers and/or wireless operators use to differentiate their product and services.” Piecyk sees “a sizable revenue opportunity that could emerge globally.” LightShed estimates that about a quarter of Apple’s 1.5 billion active iPhone users have satellite-capable phones. Piecyk noted that an operating system update this fall will expand satellite connectivity to the iMessage app in the U.S.

Comments are due July 31, replies Aug. 30, on ways of expanding federal use of the bands used by commercial satellite networks that aren't currently allocated for the federal fixed satellite service and mobile satellite service, said a notice for Monday's Federal Register. The FCC Office of Engineering and Technology said it was especially seeking input on ways of providing federal earth stations with interference protection when they are communicating with commercial satellites in bands not allocated for federal FSS and MSS. OET said it also wanted to refresh the record concerning the addition of co-primary federal FSS or MSS allocations to several bands. The filing is in docket 24-121.

Amazon expects that its first launch of commercial Kuiper satellites will come in Q4 on a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket, the company blogged last week. It expects to then ramp up satellite production and deployment in 2025, with it still anticipating to start commercial service that year. At its peak, Amazon's Kirkland, Washington, factory for Kuiper satellites will be able to produce five a day, it said.