SpaceX objections to the Viasat/Inmarsat deal (see 2206130026) aren't transition-specific and involve licenses that aren't even subject of the applications, Visat and Inmarsat said in replies Tuesday (docket 22-153). Citing objections by Amazon to Viasat and Inmarsat both holding dormant satellite authorizations in the V band, against FCC rules, they said if the applications remain pending at the time the agency acts on the transfer of control applications, they will "take appropriate action and seek relief as needed to ensure compliance."

The FCC could consider licensing a subset of SpaceX's proposed second-generation satellite constellation and deferring consideration on the rest until the agency can address the challenges it presents, Amazon's Kuiper told the International Bureau last week. It said that would be a compromise between SpaceX urgings for approval and the concerns that second-gen constellation could hurt competition and innovation among other emerging non-geostationary orbit fixed satellite service systems. Kuiper said approving the satellites tied to one of the 18 ITU filings that comprise the second-gen system would let the FCC defer consideration on whether SpaceX must demonstrate compliance with equivalent power flux density limits across the entire system and avoid orbital overlap, while still allowing near-term deployment. SpaceX didn't comment Monday.

SES' SES-22 -- the first of six satellites it procured as part of the C-band clearing (see 2111160008) -- is slated to launch June 29 from SpaceX’s Space Launch Complex 40 at Florida's Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, the satellite operator said Friday. The satellite is expected to start operation in early August, it said.

Noting an increased possibility of low earth orbit (LEO) becoming unusable due to increased congestion, Inmarsat in a white paper Wednesday made several regulatory and best-practices recommendations. It said the U.N. should adopt binding rules and a formal mechanism for communication and coordination of collision avoidance maneuvers among major satellite constellation operators, and the agency should create an active debris removal capability under Security Council control, akin to peacekeeper operation models. It said national governments collectively should add a "space track" to G7 meetings as a route for high-level space policy coordination, and create formal threat intelligence sharing mechanisms among governments and commercial satellite operators. It said the ITU's authority should expand beyond spectrum to LEO orbital regulation. It recommended national regulators take such steps as tying LEO licensing to LEO orbital carrying capacity criteria, requiring global navigation satellite systems on LEO satellites, and creating a points-based penalty system as part of the licensing process. It said satellite operators everywhere are dealing with incomplete and inaccurate data due to a lack of international standards in object characterization, cataloguing and broader modeling assumptions. "It is time for a 'coalition of the willing' established at the highest political level among participating countries, and which would commit collectively to shared principles, regulations and coordinating mechanisms for safe space operations and orbital development," it said.

O3b's pending modification of its market access grant, which would add 70 satellites to its 20-satellite medium earth orbit system (see 2005270010), raised some concerns from other satcom operators, in FCC International Bureau filings this week. O3b's expansion plans are relatively modest compared with mega constellations, but the FCC should still "take a hard look at the orbital safety implications" of its proposal, Viasat said. It said the agency should obtain information on aggregate collision risk associated with the expanded system and the increased risk of collisions due to the changes in orbital parameters over time. Viasat also said the agency should ensure the larger system continues to protect geostationary orbit systems. Amazon's Kuiper said the increased number of satellites means the modified market access grant should be treated as newly filed as part of the 2020 processing round, and subject to the same conditions as other 2020 processing round licensees, including having to protect prior-round systems. Iridium urged denial of the part of the Ob3 application on intersatellite links in the 19.4-19.6 GHz band, since it's not clear from O3b's application whether such non-conforming operations would interfere with Iridium's primary operations in the band. O3b asked that the links portion of its application be held in abeyance to allow discussion of Iridium's concerns in light of the 2023 World Radiocommunication Conference's Agenda Item 1.17, dealing with intersatellite links.

Viasat's proposed Inmarsat acquisition (see 2111080038) got approval at a Viasat shareholder special meeting Tuesday. Viasat said it expects the deal to close later this year.

Amazon's planned Kuiper constellation would likely have to perform two collision avoidance maneuvers per year per satellite, it told the FCC International Bureau last week. With a seven-year lifespan, the 3,236 satellites making up its constellation will likely be launched twice over the course of 15 years, it said.

The FCC restricted earth stations in motion (ESIM) in the 12 GHz band, but "omission is not akin to prohibition" because there's no explicit rule barring them, Kepler told the FCC International Bureau Monday. It said the agency has been clear that its list of sub-bands available for ESIMs communicating with non-geostationary orbit (NGSO) satellite systems isn't exhaustive. Kepler said opposition to its blanket license application for communications between its NGSO system and earth stations on vessels is anti-competitive.

The U.K.'s Ofcom is taking comments through Aug. 31 on a proposed extension of the frequencies available to satellite operators under an earth station network license to include the 14.25-14.5 GHz band, it said Tuesday. That part of the Ku band currently is used for fixed wireless links, radio astronomy and fixed satellite services, though fixed links are ceasing or migrating out of the band, it said. The 14-14.5 GHz band is already authorized this way in the U.S., Europe and across the Asia Pacific region, it said.

Globalstar launched its FM1-15 spare satellite from Florida's Kennedy Space Center via a SpaceX rocket, it said Monday. FM-15 is the 25th and last satellite of Globalstar's second-generation constellation, it said. The satellite will remain an in-orbit spare for now, to be raised to an operational orbit if needed, it said. Globalstar earlier this year announced purchase of additional satellites to replenish its constellation, with delivery in 2025 (see 2202240006).