Elon Musk’s Plan to Girdle Earth With Satellites Hits Turbulence
Elon Musk’s Plan to Girdle Earth With Satellites Hits
Turbulence
FCC to defer on constellations of thousands of satellites
International role seen possibly limiting power for
SpaceX
By Alistair Barr
and Todd Shields September 26, 2017, 1:00 AM PDT September 26, 2017,
8:29 AM PDT
Elon Musk’s ambitious plan to surround the Earth with
thousands of internet-beaming satellites is encountering turbulence from
regulators concerned about interference with competing systems.
SpaceX, the rocket startup Musk runs, filed for
permission for its constellation of refrigerator-sized satellites late last
year. Selling broadband from orbit is a key part of how SpaceX plans to make
money beyond its original rocket-launching service.
But the U.S. Federal Communications Commission dealt the
project a setback Tuesday with a decision that could force power reductions on
SpaceX satellites, and potentially limit the spectrum they can use, making them
less effective.
The regulator on a 5-0 vote decided to defer in part to
the International Telecommunication Union, an agency of the United Nations, on
how these new satellite systems need to coordinate and share spectrum.
The decision was one part of a broad suite of rules
intended to help clear the way for satellite constellations. The fleets “could
be a gateway to more broadband competition, which benefits all consumers,” FCC
Chairman Ajit Pai said as the agency voted at a meeting in Washington.
The FCC said it’s establishing rules in response to
proposals for a new generation of communications satellites, which will be
arrayed in constellations of hundreds or thousands of orbiting devices.
Proposals have come from companies including closely held SpaceX and Boeing
Co., which envisions a fleet of 2,956 satellites. OneWeb, a company that counts
Qualcomm Corp. and Virgin Group Ltd. among its investors, requested permission
to access the U.S. market with thousands of satellites authorized by the U.K.
The ITU works on a first-come, first-served basis, so
operators that already secured spectrum for their constellations have priority
when satellites inevitably line up with each other in space and their beams
cross, threatening to cause interference. This means SpaceX will have to
coordinate with rivals such as OneWeb and Telesat, which are closely held.
When the FCC proposed the ITU role in early September, it
was described as a "major defeat" for SpaceX by satellite industry
consultant Tim Farrar, who has advised several rivals of the startup.
OneWeb, also backed by SoftBank Group Corp., has priority
in one band of spectrum outside the U.S., while Telesat has priority in another
band in some parts of the world. This means SpaceX will have to restrict the
power of its satellites’ signals in some cases, and possibly limit the
frequencies it uses, making "it very difficult for SpaceX to provide an
economically viable service outside the U.S.," Farrar said.
SpaceX spokeswoman Eva Behrend declined to comment prior
to the vote.
Still, under ITU rules, satellite systems with spectrum
priority can’t just block or ignore the other networks and must work out
technical and operationally feasible solutions, according to a person familiar
with the organization. Priority doesn’t mean exclusivity and it’s not a
permanent designation, the person added. The person asked not to be identified
interpreting how the rules apply to specific companies.
The FCC on Tuesday also eased requirements for how
quickly satellite constellations must get their services up and running, giving
companies six years to deploy half their satellites and another three years to
complete their constellation. Previously the agency required all the satellites
to be deployed within six years.
SpaceX had asked for a waiver so it could deploy 1,600 of
its satellites initially, and later launch 2,825 satellites after the six-year
deadline, according to FCC filings. SpaceX argued that it could start its
broadband internet service without all of its constellation launched. Launching
hundreds of satellites should be enough to show its not hoarding spectrum, the
company said.
"Completing the full constellation over a six-year
period would require a launch cadence of more than 60 satellites per month,
beginning on the day the Commission grants a license," SpaceX wrote in one
filing. “This is an aggressive pace even for a company like SpaceX, which has
demonstrated considerable launch capabilities."
The FCC developed the rules so owners of valuable
spectrum don’t hoard it and never use it for services.
SpaceX and the FCC have clashed over the risk of the
company’s planned constellation. Using a NASA software program, SpaceX
estimated in 2016 that its system had at most a 1-in-18,200 chance of injuring
humans on Earth if satellites re-enter the atmosphere without burning up. That
was better than NASA’s 1-in-10,000 requirement.
In March, Jose Albuquerque, chief of the FCC’s satellite
division, wrote back to SpaceX saying that, in aggregate, the casualty risk was
actually 1-in-5 for the whole constellation of 4,425 satellites.
SpaceX in a filing said buildings will provide some
protection, reducing the casualty risk. The company also said it’s working to
make its satellites more likely to burn up when they re-enter the atmosphere.
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