SES Satcom C-3 Lette

LETTER submitted by SES Americom, Inc.

Satcom C3 Letter

2010-09-30

This document pretains to SAT-MOD-20080318-00073 for Modification on a Satellite Space Stations filing.

IBFS_SATMOD2008031800073_842887

Hogan Lovells US LLP Columbia Square 555 Thirteenth Street, NW Washington, DC 20004 T +1 202 637 5600 F +1 202 637 5910 www.hoganlovells.com September 30, 2010 By Electronic Filing Ms. Marlene H. Dortch Secretary Federal Communications Commission 445 12th Street, S.W. Washington, D.C. 20554 Re: Commencement of Deorbit Maneuvers for Satcom C-3 (Call Sign S2447) File No. SAT-MOD-20080318-00073 Dear Ms. Dortch: SES Americom, Inc., (“SES Americom,” doing business as “SES WORLD SKIES”),1 by its attorneys, hereby advises the Commission of its plan to commence end-of-life maneuvers for its Satcom C-3 spacecraft, call sign S2447. In the above-referenced modification application, SES Americom requested and received authority to perform telemetry, tracking and command (“TT&C”) in order to place Satcom C-3 in a disposal orbit at the end of its useful life.2 As explained in the Satcom C-3 Modification, because the spacecraft was launched and operational prior to March 18, 2002, Satcom C-3 is not subject to the minimum perigee requirement contained in Section 25.283(a) of the Commission’s Rules, 47 C.F.R. § 25.283(a). SES Americom advised the Commission that it planned to deorbit Satcom C-3 to a disposal orbit with a minimum perigee of 150 km above the normal operational altitude.3 SES Americom intends to begin orbit-raising maneuvers on October 5 and complete them by October 19. The deorbit plans conform to the terms described in the Satcom C-3 Modification. However, as the Commission is aware, there is no mechanism that allows precise calculations of the amount of fuel left on a spacecraft once it is in orbit, and therefore it is possible that the Satcom C-3 spacecraft will not reach the targeted 150 km minimum de-orbit altitude. Following completion of de- orbit maneuvers, SES Americom will notify the Commission of the final disposal orbit characteristics. 1 SES WORLD SKIES is the commercial brand name for the integrated operations of two indirect subsidiaries of SES S.A.: SES Americom and New Skies Satellites B.V. (effective January 1, 2009). The brand name does not affect the underlying legal entities that hold Commission authorizations or U.S. market access rights. 2 File No. SAT-MOD-20080318-00073 (“Satcom C-3 Modification”), Narrative at 2-3 & Appendix 1 at 3, grant-stamped June 11, 2008. 3 Id., Appendix 1 at 3. Hogan Lovells US LLP is a limited liability partnership registered in the District of Columbia. Hogan Lovells refers to the international legal practice comprising Hogan Lovells US LLP, Hogan Lovells International LLP, Hogan Lovells Worldwide Group (a Swiss Verein), and their affiliated businesses with offices in: Abu Dhabi Alicante Amsterdam Baltimore Beijing Berlin Boulder Brussels Caracas Chicago Colorado Springs Denver Dubai Dusseldorf Frankfurt Hamburg Hanoi Ho Chi Minh City Hong Kong Houston London Los Angeles Madrid Miami Milan Moscow Munich New York Northern Virginia Paris Philadelphia Prague Rome San Francisco Shanghai Silicon Valley Singapore Tokyo Warsaw Washington DC Associated offices: Budapest Jeddah Riyadh Zagreb

Ms. Marlene H. Dortch -2- September 30, 2010 Please address any questions regarding this matter to the undersigned. Respectfully submitted, /s/ Karis A. Hastings Karis A. Hastings Counsel for SES Americom, Inc. karis.hastings@hoganlovells.com D +1.202.637.5767 Cc: Stephen Duall Andrea Kelly


Document Created: 2010-09-30 11:39:33
Document Modified: 2010-09-30 11:39:33
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