Capella Space, with seven other Earth Exploration Satellite Service non-geostationary orbit satellites in space, hopes to launch another in Q2, it said in an FCC International Bureau application filed Wednesday. Capella-9, like the other Capella satellites, would be "about the size of a household washing machine," it said, saying its downlinks would be in the X band and it has a coordination agreement with NASA, the Air Force and other federal agencies.

SpaceX's proposed second-generation non-geostationary orbit (NGSO) system still raises big interference concerns, numerous satellite operators told the FCC International Bureau in comments filed Tuesday, rejecting SpaceX objections to their petitions or criticisms (see 2202250002). SpaceX data files produced in February on the power levels generated into DBS TV dishes in the 12 GHz band show the second-gen system would exceed applicable equivalent power flux density (EPFD) limits even using ITU-approved methodology, Dish Network said. It said SpaceX is trying to obfuscate that by splitting its system into 18 mini-systems. It said not only should the 12 GHz of the application be denied, the FCC also should reopen its approval of SpaceX's first-gen system to see if it "has taken similar liberties." SES/O3b said there should be independent verification of the second-gen EPFD limits, and the data and analysis SpaceX provided don't establish it would operate within relevant limits. Nor has SpaceX shown the 30,000 second-gen satellites operating together would be within EPFD levels, or said anything about the combined EPFD levels of the first- and second-gen systems, it said. OneWeb said any second-gen system approval should be conditioned on SpaceX acting to avoid in-line interference with co-frequency NGSO systems, meeting a higher disposal reliability standard, continuing periodic reporting on the health of its constellation, and clarifying how it will distribute aggregate EPFD among multiple NGSO systems. It said the FCC shouldn't approve the system until the notice and comment stage of the 2020 Ku/Ka-band processing round is done. Lacking either facts or legal backing, "SpaceX simply pounds the table, hoping to bludgeon yet another regulator into submission," Viasat said. It criticized SpaceX for "refus[ing] to provide basic information about the physical and other characteristics of its satellites." Even with 2,000 satellites in orbit, SpaceX's Starlink falls short of providing service "consistent with the ambitious public interest claims it has repeatedly made before the Commission," Viasat said. Kepler said, contrary to SpaceX claims it was seeking a benefit for its own constellation, its comments highlight a concern about end of life of NGSO satellites broadly. RS Access said SpaceX hasn't justified its proposed 5-degree minimum elevation angle, which appears to be about stymying terrestrial wireless use of the 12 GHz band. SpaceX didn't comment Wednesday.

OneWeb plans to decommission its first-phase satellites on a rolling basis as it deploys its second-phase system, with the two operating alongside one another for a time, it told the FCC International Bureau in a filing Monday. It said at no time will more than 6,372 satellites be operational and each first-phase satellite will likely have an operational lifetime of six to eight years. With its first-phase launches having started in 2019, launches of second-phase satellites should start in 2025 or 2026, it said. OneWeb said its first- and second-phase plans have it launching 7,263 satellites in total: 716 phase-one satellites and 18 spares, plus 6,372 phase-two satellites and 157 spares. Of the 428 satellites launched since early 2019, one -- satellite SL0041 -- experienced a software issue at the end of the orbit raising phase that resulted in lost maneuverability, it said. The software issue has been patched on all in-orbit satellites, it said. The company said on a given day it receives 53,000 conjunction data messages indicating some possibility of satellite close call with another object, and averages eight actionable conjunctions. It said most satellites average fewer than four evasive maneuvers in the six months between launch and going into active service. OneWeb said it plans to use optical inter-satellite links for its second phase satellites to route user traffic, and is considering using optical links for its inclined orbit first-phase satellites.

Spire and Sierra Nevada will partner on radio frequency collection and analysis, using Spire's satellite constellation to augment Sierra's RF collecting capabilities, Spire said Monday. Sierra said it will market the extended geospatial intelligence capabilities to national security and defense customers.

Pending applications from Lynk and AST seek "an unprecedented revision to spectrum allocations" in the form of approval to transmit with protection on terrestrial frequencies from space, Hughes representatives told an aide to FCC Commissioner Nathan Simington, per an International Bureau ex parte post last week. Such a policy question raises technical matters like the possibility of interference with terrestrial wireless, it said, repeating its call for a full proceeding (see 2111010011). AST and Lynk didn't comment Monday.

Drawing any conclusions about the feasibility of sharing and coexistence between narrowband mobile-satellite service and incumbent primary service is premature while ITU studies are underway, Kepler said in a docket 16-185 filing Friday. It urged the International Bureau to reconsider adopting the World Radiocommunication Conference Advisory Committee draft recommendation on agenda item 1.18.

The Satellite and Telecommunications Streamlining Act, rolled out by House Commerce leadership last month (see 2202110064), deserves congressional support, though it would necessitate more agency funding, FCC Commissioner Nathan Simington told the Texas Public Policy Foundation Friday, per prepared remarks. He said the goal of streamlined and faster non-geostationary orbit satellite application processing is laudable, but the "dedicated and expert" International Bureau staff are already working as fast as they can and the bill's objective can't be reached without staffing up. He said he wasn't convinced by arguments the FCC has limited, constrained authority over orbital debris regulations, as it has been active in the field for decades and Congress never told it to stop. He said the bill's guidance in updating agency orbital debris rules is valuable.

Intelsat consummated the transfer of control of authorizations for its Chapter 11 bankruptcy emergence, it told the FCC International Bureau Monday. The agency OK'd the transfers last month (see 2202170043).

SpaceX's Starlink satellite broadband "is now active in Ukraine," with more terminals en route, CEO Elon Musk tweeted Saturday. His tweet was in response to a tweet from Ukraine Digital Transformation Minister Mykhailo Fedorov saying that while Musk tries "to colonize Mars -- Russia try to occupy Ukraine! While your rockets successfully land from space -- Russian rockets attack Ukrainian civil people! We ask you to provide Ukraine with Starlink stations and to address sane Russians to stand." Fedorov on Monday tweeted a photo of a truck filled with what appeared to be Starlink receivers and thanked Musk.

Hughes' claim SpaceX's planned constellation raises a big threat of harmful interference to Ka-band geostationary orbit (GSO) systems (see 2201190007) is flawed and doesn't support Hughes' predetermined claim, SpaceX told the FCC International Bureau last week. It again urged the agency to deny Hughes' request that a SpaceX petition and Kuiper application be consolidated (see 2111230008). It said the ITU confirmed that SpaceX's plans would comply with application equivalent power flux density (EPFD) limits, but Hughes' analyses modified SpaceX's data and also dumped the ITU methodology for its own. Hughes, recapping a meeting with an aide to Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel, said one analysis used ITU-approved software and SpaceX input data files that were modified to reflect operations of the entire SpaceX system. It said the analyses' findings undercut SpaceX and Kuiper arguments that an ITU finding of EPFD compliance without regard to the effects of multiple ITU filings is enough to protect primary GSO operations.