97 Redacted - As Fil

SUPPLEMENT submitted by EchoStar Corporation

Supplemental Bond Showing (Redacted)

2011-07-15

This document pretains to SAT-LOA-20030827-00186 for Application to Launch and Operate on a Satellite Space Stations filing.

IBFS_SATLOA2003082700186_906393

                                                          r !



Pantelis Michalopoulos                                                          1330 Connecticut Avenue. NW
202.429.6494                                                                     Washington, DC 20036-1795
pmichalo@sccptoe.com                                                                      Tel 202.429.3000
                                                                                           Fax 202.429.3902
                                                                                                steptoe.com




July 15, 2011

VIA   IBFS AND E-MAIL

Marlene H. Dortch
Secretary
Federal Communications Commission
445 12th Street, S.W.
Washington, D.C. 20554

Re:     EchoStar Corporation, File No. SAT-LOA·20030827.00186; Call Sign S2499

Dear Ms. Dortch:

       EchoStar Corporation ("EchoStar") is submitting the attached redacted additional information
regarding its compliance with the "commence-physical-construction" milestone for the above-
referenced space station authorization, an EchoStar Ka-band Fixed-Satellite Service satellite at 97° W.L.
An unredacted version is being submitted separately with a request for confidential treatment pursuant to
47 C.F.R. §§ 0.457 and 0.459.

                                                    Respectfully submitted,



                                                    Pantelis Michalopoulos
                                                    Christopher Bjornson
                                                    Counsel for EchoStar Corporation

Enclosure

cc: (via email)
Gardner Foster
Bob Nelson
Cassandra Thomas


                                            p                H S
                                                ATTORNE      AT   LAW




Pantelis Michalopoulos                                                          1330 Connecticut Avenue, NW
202.429.6494                                                                     Washington, DC 20036·1795
pmichalo@steptoe.com                                                                       Tel 202.429.3000
                                                                                            Fax 202.429.3902
                                                                                                 steptoe,com




    VIA IBFS AND E-MAIL

    REDACTED FOR PUBLIC INSPECTION

    July 15, 2011

   Marlene H. Dortch
   Secretary
   Federal Communications Commission
   International Bureau
   445 12th Street, S.W.
   Washington, DC 20554

   Re:      EchoStar Corporation, File No. SAT.LOA.20030827-00186; Call Sign S2499

   Dear Ms. Dortch:

           EchoStar Corporation ("EchoStar") hereby provides additional information to
   demonstrate compliance with the "commence-physical-construction" milestone l for the above-
   captioned space station authorization, including a spreadsheet listing over 23,000 components
   and a summary of the project showing incorporationof bus electronics and payload assemblies
   for the construction of an EchoStar Ka-band Fixed-Satellite Service ("FSS") satellite at 97° W.L.
   ("EchoStar 97 satellite program,,).2 These components were all fully paid for by EchoStar,
   purchased by its satellite manufacturer, Space Systems/Loral ("Loral"), manufactured, and
   designated specifically for the EchoStar 97 satellite program. 3 The procurement of these
   components shows conclusively that "metal had been bent" in constructing the satellite.



          That milestone was set at March 8, 2007. See Stamp Grant, File No. SAT-LOA-
            I
   20030827-00186; Call Sign S2499, Condition 2c (granted March 8, 2005).
           2 The spreadsheet is attached as Attachment 1. EchoStar is requesting confidential
   treatment for the information contained in this letter and for the attachments provided. EchoStar
   is simultaneously providing a redacted version of this letter for the public record.
          3 This filing supplements the information submitted by EchoStar on March 8, 2007. See
   Confidential Letter from Pantelis Michalopoulos, Counsel for EchoStar Satellite Operating
                                                                                    (Continued ... )


REDACTED FOR PUBLIC INSPECTION
Marlene H. Dortch
July 15, 2011
Page 2

         To satisfy the commence—physical—construction milestone, licensees must undertake
sufficient activity "to demonstrate to a reasonable person that they have commenced physical
construction of their licensed spacecraft."* The Commission has clarified that this showing
typically involves "milestone payments under the manufacturing contracts that are associated
with the construction and delivery of these components."" The Commission has also indicated
that the showing can be satisfied by submitting an affidavit from the satellite manufacturer
stating that the "company was manufacturing bus electronics and payload assemblies for the
satellite" gmd that "orders had been placed with subcontractors for other components of the
satellite."

         By the milestone deadline, EchoStar and its satellite manufacturer, Loral, had undertaken
substantial effort towards the construction of the satellite. Specifically, EchoStar had paid Loral
$15 million for a large number of satellite components designated specifically for the EchoStar
97 satellite program. These satellite components were ordered, designed, and manufactured
based upon the Critical Design Review ("CDR") for the 97° W.L spacecraft, copies of which
EchoStar had submitted to the Commission on March 8, 2006, and which the Commission found
demonstrated compliance with the second milestone.‘ Specifically, Loral had ordered long lead
items for the various subsystems that included:

         e   Bus Electronics and Assembly. Solar array cells, propulsion hardware (including
             thrusters and tanks) and attitude control equipment (including wheels, earth sensors
             and ring laser gyros) for the satellite worth _ were ordered,
             manufactured, and delivered. EchoStar paid all of the invoices for the specified
             hardware.




Corporation, to Mariene Dortch, FCC, File No. SAT—LOA—20030827—00186; Call Sign $2499
(March 8, 2007).
       * Amendment of the Commission‘s Space Station Licensing Rules and Policies, First
Report and Order, 18 FCC Red. 10760, 10834 [ 193 (2003).
         ° See AtContact Communications LLC, Order, 24 FCC Red. 10929, 10932—33 ([ 9 (2009).
       © TerreStar Networks, Inc. Order, 22 FCC Red. 17698, 17699, 17602 J 3 (2007).
EchoStar had submitted the required affidavit. See Confidential Letter from Pantelis
Michalopoulos, Counsel for EchoStar Satellite Operating Corporation, to Marlene Dortch, FCC,
File No. SAT—LOA—20030827—00186, Call Sign $2499 (March 8, 2007) (incorporated herein by
reference).
         ‘ See Letter from Pantelis Michalopoulos, Counsel for EchoStar Satellite Operating
Corporation, to Marlene Dortch, FCC, File No. SAT—LOA—20030827—00186; Call Sign $2499
(March 8, 2006).


REDACTED FOR PUBLIC INSPECTION
Marlene H. Dortch
July 15, 2011
Page 3

         e   Payload Assembly. Loral had also procured . travelling wave tubes worth -
                     for the EchoStar 97 W.L. satellite program. EchoStar fully paid for all of
             these components. Other payload assembly subsystems included the antenna
             deployment and position mechanism ("ADPM") and parts for the satellite attitude
             positioning system.

        These parts and subassemblies are listed in the attachments Specifically, to document
further that physical construction had commenced, EchoStar submits:

         e   A declaration from Jaime Londono, EchoStar‘s Vice President for Advanced
             Programs and Spectrum Management, describing the actions EchoStar undertook to
             satisfy the milestone;
         e   A spreadsheet listing the over 23,000 components for the construction of the
             EchoStar 97 satellite program and representative invoices from Loral (Attachment
             1).° As stated, these components were all fully paid for by EchoStar, purchased by
             Loral, manufactured, and designated specifically for the EchoStar 97 satellite
             program;
         e   A summary of the EchoStar 97 satellite program that includes a breakdown of parts
             by bus electronics and assembly and payload assembly (Attachment 2); and
         e   A certification (previously filed) from Loral that EchoStar had paid it $15 million for
             parts ordered by Loral, manufactured for the satellite, and delivered to Loral for the
             satellite‘s construction (Attachment 3).

        The Commission has previously held that similar, and indeed lesser, showings to this
supplemental submission were sufficient to demonstrate compliance with the milestone. For
example, TerreStar‘s commence—physical—construction milestone was deemed satisfied by
paying for "parts valued at $2.7 million, and placing orders with subcontractors for other
components for $5.7 million,"" an amount far less than EchoStar‘s $15 million. EchoStar did
more than order and pay for the parts — it had them manufactured. Like TerreStar, EchoStar has
submitted an affidavit from its satellite manufacturer attesting to the progress in construction.‘°
Also, the inclusion of bus electronics and payload assemblies in the list of purchased and

         ° EchoStar is requesting confidential treatment for the information contained in this letter
and for the attachments provided. EchoStar is simultaneously providing a redacted version of
this letter for the public record.
         ° See Letter from Gregory C. Staple, Counsel for TMI, to Marlene Dortch, FCC, File No.
SAT—LOI—19970926—00161 (Apnil 11, 2005); TerreStar Networks, Inc., Order, 22 FCC Red.
17698, 17699, 17602 J( 3, 10 (2007).
       ‘ See Confidential Letter from Pantelis Michalopoulos, Counsel for EchoStar Satellite
Operating Corporation, to Marlene Dortch, FCC, File No. SAT—LOA—20030827—00186; Call
Sign $2499, at Attachment 2 (March 8, 2007) (attached hereto as Attachment 3).


REDACTED FOR PUBLIC INSPECTION
Marlene H. Dortch
July 15, 2011
Page 4

delivered parts (as in TerreStar) further buttresses the conclusion that EchoStar has met the
construction milestone.

          The analysis of the Commission in the AtContact decision, too, confirms that physical
construction has commenced here. In contrast to the situation in that case, where the
Commission found the milestone had not been met, II "milestone payments under the
manufacturing contracts that are associated with the construction and delivery of these
components" were made and critical "parts had been delivered to the manufacturer for
incorporation into the satellite.,,12 Indeed, EchoStar's progress in constructing the EchoStar 97
satellite program was essentially the same as it was for its Ka-band satellite at 113° W.L., for
which the Commission concluded the commence-physical-construction milestone had been
satisfied. 13

        While, several years after the payment, EchoStar ultimately received credit from Loral
for the paid amount, this was only because Loral was able to find a way to reuse and/or
reconfigure many of the components. EchoStar could not, and did not, know with any certainty
that these components could be reused or reconfigured at the time it made the payments. Had
Loral been unable to do so, no credit would have resulted.

         We believe that the Commission's precedent is clear: if metal has been bent, physical
construction has commenced. This is what has happened here, and to a greater extent than in
other cases where the Commission agreed that physical construction had commenced.
Accordingly, EchoStar respectfully requests that the Commission find that EchoStar has met the
commence-physical-construction milestone for its Ka-band authorization at 97° W.L. and permit
it to reduce its bond amount by $750,000. Please feel free to contact us with any questions
regarding this submission.

                                                     Sincerely,



                                                     Pantel is Michalopoulos
                                                     Christopher Bjornson
                                                     Counsel for EchoStar Corporation



       IISee AtContact Communications LLC, File No. SAT-LOA-19971222-00222, Order,
FCC 10- 100 9[ 26 (2010).
       12Id.

       13 Public Notice, Report No. SAT-00523, Policy Branch Information Actions Taken, DA
08-1169 (reI. May 16,2008).


REDACTED FOR PUBLIC INSPECTION
Marlene H. Dortch
July 15, 2011
Page 5


Attachments

cc: (via email)
Gardner Foster
Robert Nelson
Cassandra Thomas


REDACTED FOR PUBLIC INSPECTION


                        DECLARATION OF JAIME LONDONO

        I, Jaime Londono, being over 18 years of age, swear and affirm as follows:

        1.      I am the Vice President for Advanced Programs and Spectrum

Management for EchoStar Corporation. In this role, I am familiar with the construction

and development of EchoStar's satellite fleet and EchoStar's technical plans for building

new satellites. I make this declaration based upon personal knowledge, information

provided to me and belief.

        2.      I make this declaration regarding the efforts undertaken by EchoStar and

its satellite manufacturer, Space Systems/Loral ("Loral") to construct aKa-band Fixed-

Satellite Service ("FSS") satellite at the 97° W.L. orbital location. Although EchoStar

ultimately surrendered its authorization for the satellite, Call Sign S2499, construction

had commenced before March 8, 2007, the deadline set by the Federal Communications

Commission for EchoStar to meet the "commence-physical-construction" milestone.

        3.      EchoStar had paid Loral a total of $15 million for a large number of

satellite components designated specifically to the satellite at 97° W.L. orbital location.

        4.      Loral had ordered solar array cells, propulsion hardware (including

thrusters and tanks) and attitude control equipment (including wheels, earth sensors and

ring laser gyros) for the satellite worth                 EchoStar paid all of the invoices

for the specified hardware.

       5.      Loral had also procured. travelling wave tubes worth                       for

the EchoStar 97 W.L. satellite program. EchoStar fully paid for all of these components.

Other payload assembly subsytems included the antenna deployment and position

mechanism ("AD PM").


REDACTED FOR PUBLIC INSPECTION


        6.    While, several years after the payment, EchoStar ultimately received

credit from Loral for the paid amount, this was only because Loral was able to find a way

to reuse and/or reconfigure many of the components. EchoStar could not, and did not,

know with any certainty that these components could be reused or reconfigured at the

time it made the payments. Had Loral been unable to do so, no credit would have

resulted.




                                             -2-


       1 declare under penalty of perjury that the foregoing is true and correct to the best

of my information, knowledge and belief. Executed on July 15, 2011.


                                                     o   4    $
                                                   24        [Lwé} L7 z.   5j   J

                                              Jaime Londono
                                              %if:’é/Ffresident for Advanced Programs and
                                              £~Spectrum Management
                                              EchoStar Corporation


REDACTED FOR PUBLIC INSPECTION




                        ATTACHMENT 1

                  REDACTED IN ITS ENTIRETY


REDACTED FOR PUBLIC INSPECTION




                        ATTACHMENT 2

                  REDACTED IN ITS ENTIRETY


REDACTED FOR PUBLIC INSPECTION




                       ATTACHMENT 3
                  REDACTED IN ITS ENTIRETY



Document Created: 2011-07-15 17:30:19
Document Modified: 2011-07-15 17:30:19

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