The Federal Communications Commission (FCC), which licenses space-based telecommunications services, announced Monday that it is launching an investigation into Dish, and is fining the company.
One of Dish Network's satellite dishes is seen on the roof of a home in Crockett, California. Photo: Getty
“This marks the first time the Commission has taken action on space debris, as part of its plan to increase its satellite policy efforts,” the FCC said in a press release.
Space debris is becoming an increasingly pressing problem for satellite operators. It is estimated that there are nearly 700,000 uncontrolled pieces of debris larger than 0.4 inches (1 cm) in Earth orbit.
The FCC's investigation into Dish focuses on a satellite called EchoStar-7, which was launched into geostationary orbit — a region of space that begins about 22,000 miles above Earth — in 2002.
The FCC approved a decommissioning plan in 2012 that would ensure the satellite would be decommissioned at an altitude of about 300km above its operational range – essentially putting the defunct satellite into a ‘graveyard’ orbit where it would not pose a risk to other active satellites.
However, according to the FCC, Dish did not leave enough fuel on the satellite to make that maneuver. And EchoStar-7 was instead left in an orbit just above its operating area by about 75 miles.
Geostationary orbit lies above low Earth orbit, the region of space where the ISS and the thousands of small satellites that make up SpaceX’s Starlink network are based. It’s also home to large, expensive communications satellites, such as those operated by Dish, Intelsat, SES and Viasat.
Mai Anh (according to CNN)
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