The U.K.'s Competition and Markets Authority referred the proposed Viasat/Inmarsat deal to a phase 2 investigation, after its decision last week that the deal could hurt competition, the agency said Friday. The satellite operators said they will work with CMA "to demonstrate how the planned combination of the companies will benefit customers by improving efficiencies, lowering costs, and increasing the availability of in-flight connectivity around the world." The $7.3 billion deal was announced in November (see 2111080038).

The GAO's report of various policy options for orbital debris and satellite reflectivity (see 2209300064) highlights the need for the FCC to do an environmental review of SpaceX's second-generation constellation plans, Viasat told the International Bureau Thursday. The report underscores that SpaceX's Starlink could be responsible for the possible environmental impacts laid out in the report. "As such, it is both appropriate and necessary for the Commission to closely evaluate the likely environmental impacts of SpaceX’s proposed operations now, in the context of this application proceeding," Viasat said. SpaceX didn't comment.

The White House's National Space Council plans virtual listening sessions Nov. 14 and 21 for input about novel space capabilities and innovative missions and experiences with regulatory agencies, said a notice for Friday's Federal Register. Registration deadlines are Nov. 13 and 20, respectively.

Dish Network petitioned the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit for panel rehearing or rehearing en banc of its August decision upholding FCC approval of a license modification to SpaceX's Starlink system (see 2208260035). In the docket 21-1123 petition Tuesday, Dish said the three-judge panel should have decided the FCC needed to consider Dish’s evidence of likely interference and that the FCC incorrectly waived a rule requiring an ITU favorable finding.

SpaceX anticipates launches at least once a week of its second-generation satellites in 2023, the company told the FCC International Bureau Tuesday. It said the number of satellites could range between 20 and 60 satellites on each Falcon 9 launch and between 50 and 100 satellites on each Starship launch. It said its proposed second-gen constellation would carry enough propellant for 5,000 propulsive maneuvers over the satellite's life, including about 350 collision avoidance maneuvers. It said its first-gen satellites are averaging fewer than three collision avoidance maneuvers every six months over the past year -- most of them to avoid debris from Russia's 2021 anti-satellite weaponry testing. It said as the bureau keeps requesting information that goes beyond the scope of its rules, it "is concerned that this additional information, which no other operator is required to provide, will be used as a basis for conditioning a grant of its application." It said there isn't a legal basis for conditioning grant of its pending application on launch cadence, fuel or other information it has voluntarily provided. Viasat told the bureau SpaceX's second-gen plans rely on a collision risk analysis that doesn't reflect the actual physical characteristics of the second-gen satellites it plans to deploy. It said SpaceX also has indicated its noncompliance with the commission's per-satellite collision probability limit is worse than previously indicated.

Viasat will sell its Link 16 Tactical Data Links business, which is part of its Government Systems segment, to defense contractor L3Harris Technologies for $1.96 billion, Viasat said Monday. Viasat said the TDL deal is expected to close in the first half of 2023, and said it received approval for the sale from Inmarsat's equity sponsors. Viasat CEO Mark Dankberg said the sale "will transform our balance sheet, reduce cash interest obligations, and sharpen strategic focus." He said its ViaSat-3 constellation and planned Inmarsat acquisition "both create greater forward-looking government systems growth opportunities in space-based businesses with more R&D, capital and operational synergies."

The GAO laid out a series of policy options, though not recommendations, for how agencies and lawmakers could deal with orbital debris, satellite reflectivity and upper atmosphere emissions issues. In a report last week, GAO said options include supporting research about those issues' potential effects and development of technologies to address them; facilitating improved sharing of relevant constellation data; establishing appropriate agreements or regulations; and building national and international organizations to facilitate mitigation of constellations' effects. It said the report was done in consultation with agencies including the FCC, NASA, FAA and NOAA.

ViaSat-3 finished integration and now is going through mechanical environmental testing in preparation for the high-throughput satellite's launch later this year, Viasat said Thursday. The integration work involved attaching solar arrays, reflectors and other hardware to bring it to its full flight configuration, it said.

Umbra Lab is seeking 60 extra days for the launch of a synthetic aperture radar satellite, citing launch delays beyond its control. Three of the six satellites authorized under its FCC license have been launched and two are due for launch in December, but the sixth can't be launched before Jan. 13, 2023, which is the date the license expires for unlaunched satellites, Umbra said in an FCC International Bureau application Monday. It said the launch is scheduled for Feb. 15 and it's seeking an extension of the deployment deadline until March 15.

SpaceX is resisting calls by some satellite operators that the FCC allow waivers, in its proposed five-year post-mission disposal requirement (see 2209200041). In docket 18-313 recaps of a meeting with aides to all four commissioners Monday, SpaceX said exemptions or overly-permissive waivers would undermine the five-year rule's incentives. Exempting or liberally giving waivers to non-maneuverable satellites or high-altitude operations "would gut" the incentive operators have to design systems and missions with sustainability as a key trait, it said. The company urged waivers only in exceptional circumstances, and that waiver requests should include a per-satellite passive-decay collision risk analysis. SpaceX on Sunday told the International Bureau that Dish Network's opposition to sharing the 2 GHz band (see 2209220068) features the meritless attacks it has made in other proceedings but doesn't bring up any legal or factual arguments relevant to the application itself. The company said its 2 GHz plans don't go against agency rules governing the band. It said if Dish ever changes direction after more than a decade of letting its 2 GHz mobile satellite service remain unproductive, it can coordinate with SpaceX. Dish didn't comment.