Kepler Suggests Conditions for SpaceX Pending License Mod

Any approval of SpaceX's pending license modification should be conditioned on SpaceX being responsible for avoiding collisions with Kepler satellites or those of other previously authorized systems, Kepler said in an FCC International Bureau filing Friday. It said SpaceX should be required to avoid causing harmful interference to previously authorized systems, including by having to optimize its satellite selection to avoid in-line interference events between SpaceX and Kepler spacecraft in the Ku band. Kepler said the FCC should make clear Kepler has home spectrum priority over all other 2016 processing round participants in the Ku band, including SpaceX and OneWeb. Some suggest conditions as SpaceX approval is seen looming (see 2104130001). Viasat said SpaceX's criticisms of Viasat's National Environmental Policy Act petition (see 2103120006) highlight the need to review possible environmental impacts of SpaceX's pending license mod. It said SpaceX has conceded or not challenged such possible effects as light pollution and ozone depletion.