SpaceX Seeks Leeway in Meeting V-Band Deployment Milestone

Facing the prospect that it won't meet its 50%-launched milestone for its 7,500 V-band payloads by the Nov. 19 milestone date, SpaceX is asking the FCC Space Bureau for a modification of its V-band system authorization. In an application posted Wednesday, SpaceX requested that the V-band payloads launched by Nov. 19 on its second-generation satellites be considered its first V-band processing round system. It also asked that it still be allowed to deploy additional V-band payloads on second-gen satellites, up to the 7,500 authorized, after Nov. 19, but for those satellites to be considered part of the second V-band non-geostationary orbit satellite processing round. Those post-Nov. 19 V-band payload deployments would be subject to new milestone requirements, SpaceX said. The company has deployed its second-gen satellites "at a blistering pace" since getting the V-band payload deployment authorization (see 2310160053), it said. SpaceX expects to have more than 1,530 V-band capable satellites in orbit by Nov. 19.