Orbital Debris Risk Metric Circulates Among FCC Commissioners

The FCC is proposing that it cap the probability that a satellite applicant suffers a debris-generating accidental explosion at less than 1 in 1,000 per satellite. Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel said Wednesday that an orbital debris probability draft order had been circulated among the regular commissioners. "We can no longer afford to launch new satellites into our skies without being thoughtful about space sustainability," she said. The FCC said the 0.001 probability metric lines up with the federal government's orbital debris mitigation standard practices. It said the requirement would be phased in a year after Federal Register publication. The agency also is considering adoption of a 100 object-years metric -- the number of years each failed satellite remains in orbit, added across all the satellites -- for assessing the risk of derelict satellites in orbit from a constellation (see 2405240005).