Hughes, SES/O3b Seek Recon of SpaceX License Mod

Hughes and SES/O3b petitioned for FCC changes to April's SpaceX license modification (see 2104260044). The FCC should have imposed conditions to stop SpaceX from evading equivalent power flux density (EPFD) limits through multiple ITU filings, Hughes told the International Bureau Thursday in a petition for reconsideration. It said the commission should require any favorable or "qualified favorable" finding SpaceX gets from the ITU should say the effect of multiple ITU filings for the SpaceX constellation was considered when verifying EPFD compliance. SES/O3b urged the application to be treated as part of the non-geostationary orbit satellite processing round that closed in May 2020, or "at least adopt more even-handed and comprehensive conditions to protect O3b’s U.S. operations from disruption," such as requiring SpaceX accept any additional interference from the license mod with O3b's network. It said the FCC should require SpaceX to include in biannual reports the total of satellites in orbit and the agency should reconsider the threshold of three satellite disposal failures in a year as enough to trigger consideration of more license conditions. SpaceX didn't comment Friday. Viasat seeks a stay (see 2105240005).