Satellite Industry Argues Against Indemnification, Bond Ideas

Absent Congress giving express authority to impose federal financial obligations coming from the Outer Space Treaty onto satellite licensees, the FCC lacks authority to impose an indemnification requirement on satellite operators, industry representatives told Office of General Counsel staffers, per docket 18-313 Tuesday. They said Title III public interest authority "is not limitless" and needs to be tied to the authority to permit the use of RF spectrum. They said an indemnification requirement is unneeded since satellite operators "have a built-in incentive to avoid creating orbital debris and be good actors." Similarly unnecessary is requiring a bond for post-mission disposal, which would penalize operators unable to retire their satellites successfully and those that have taken precautions but can't do so due to risks beyond their control. Participants represented Panasonic, SES, Eutelsat, ABS, Lynk, Telesat, SpaceX, Intelsat, Amazon, Planet, EchoStar, Spire, Boeing, Inmarsat, Astranis, Lockheed Martin and the Satellite Industry Association.