Attachment STA Request

This document pretains to SAT-STA-20100719-00162 for Special Temporal Authority on a Satellite Space Stations filing.

IBFS_SATSTA2010071900162_830053

 July 19, 2010

 Ms. Marlene H. Dortch
 Secretary
 Federal Communications Commission
 445 12"" Street, S.W.
 Washington, DC 20554

 Re:      Request for Special Temporary Authonty for Galaxy 14, Call Sign
    _     82385

 Dear Ms. Dortch:

 PanAmSat Licensee Corp. ("PanAmSat"), pursuant to Section 25.210 of the
 rules of the Federal Communications Commission (“FCC” or "Commission"),‘
 herein requests Special Temporary Authority ("STA") for 30 days — from July
 23, 2010 through August 21, 2010 — to operate the Galaxy 14 satellite‘s (call
 sign $2385) C—band communications payload (3700—4200 MHz and 5925—6425
— MHZ) outside of the +/— 0.05° East/West station—keeping box pursuant to a
  waiver of Section 25.210(j) of the Commission‘s rules. Galaxy 14 is currently
  authorized to operate from the 125 0° W.L. orbital location.*

 As PanAmSat previously has informed the International Bureau ("Bureau"), on
 April 5, 2010, the Galaxy 15 satellite suffered an anomaly of uriknown origin.
 Galaxy 15 has since been drifting eastward toward the 125.0° W.L. orbital
 location, where Galaxy 14 operates. Galaxy 15 is expected to be within 0.05
 degrees of 125.0° W.L. betweenJuly 29, 2010 and July 30, 2010. As Galaxy
 15 operates on the same C—band frequencies as Galaxy 14, the potential for
 harmful interference into Galaxy 14 operations is significant as Galaxy 15
 approaches. PanAmSat intends to maneuver Galaxy 14 outside of its current
 station—keeping box in order to avoid potential interference from Galaxy 15 as
 well as to ensure that the two satellites remain a safe distance apart from each
 other.



 ‘47 C.F:R. § 25.210.
 * Intelsat has filed this STA request, an FCC Form 159 and an $830.00 filing
 fee electronically via the International Bureau‘s Filing System.

 347 C.F.R. § 25.210G).
 * See Policy Branch Informafion; Actions Taken, Report No. SAT—0030, File
 No. SAT—MOD—20051206—00261 (Jan. 27, 2006) (Public Notice).


 Intelsat Corporation
 3400 International Drive NW, Washmgton DC 20008—3006 USA www.intelsat.com T +1 202—944—6800 F41 202—944—7898


— Ms. Marlene H. Dortch
  July 19, 2010
  Page 2


PanAmSat has developed a plan to move Galaxy 14 to the east by 0.2° outside
of its normal station—keeping volume, i.e. to 124.8° W.L. Subsequently, the
spacecraft would be moved in a westerly direction to 0.2° outside of its normal _
station—keeping volume, i.e. to 125.2° W.L. These maneuvers will ensure that
a minimum angular separation of 0.2° and a minimum distance separation
distance of 140 kilometers will be maintained between Galaxy 14 and Galaxy
15. After Galaxy 15 has drifted sufficiently away from the 125° W.L. orbital
location, Galaxy 14 will be returned to its nominal orbital location.

The closest satellites to Galaxy 14 are Galaxy 13 at 127.0° W.L., AMC—21 at
124.9° W.L. and Galaxy 18 at 123.0° W.L. SES Satellites (Gibraltar) Ltd.
("SES") is the operator of AMC—21. The Galaxy 13 and Galaxy 18 satellites
are operated by PanAmSat. The proposed relocation of Galaxy 14, as
described above, would not overlap the station—keeping volumes of Galaxy 13
and Galaxy 18. However, it would slightly encroach into the station—keeping
volume of AMC—21. Although the risk of collision between Galaxy 14 and .
AMC—21 is small, PanAmSat has coordinated the planned orbital maneuvers
for Galaxy 14 with SES.                                                          |

Grant of this STA request is in the public interest. The Commission may grant
waiver for good cause shown." The Commission typically grants a waiver
where the particular facts make strict compliance inconsistent with the public
interest." In granting a waiver, the Commission may take into account
considerations of hardship, equlty, or more effective implementation of overall
policy on an individual basis.‘ Waiver is therefore appropriate if special
circumstances warrant a deviation from the general rule, and such a deviation
will serve the public interest.

Grant of the requested authority and waiver will serve the public interest by
enabling ParAmSat to take these steps, as necessary, to minimize service
disruptions for customers on the Galaxy 14 satellite resulting from interference
caused by the Galaxy 15 satellite. It will also enable PanAmSat to perform any
maneuvers needed to avoid in—orbit collision with the Galaxy 15 satellite.
Grant of the requested authority will not adversely affect other authorized


°47 C.F.R. § 1.3.
° N.E. Cellular Tel. Co. v. FCC, 897 F.24 1164, 1166 (D.C. Cir. 1990)
(‘Northeast Cellular").

" WAIT Radio v. FCC, 418 F.2d 1153, 1159 (D.C. Cir. 1969); Northeast
Cellular 897 F.2d at 1166.


Ms. Marlene H. Dortch
July 19, 2010
Page 3       _


operations. The closest C—band spacecraft to the west of Galaxy 14 is Galaxy
13 at 127.0° W.L.* and to the east is Galaxy 18 at 123.0° W.L.° PanAmSat
does not expect that its proposed operations outside of its assignedstation—
keeping box will cause harmful interference to adjacent satellites and will
coordinate internally the proposed relocation and operation of Galaxy 14.

For the reasons set forth herein, Intelsat respectfully requests that the
Commission expeditiously grant this request.

Sincerely,




Susan H. Crandall
Assistant General Counsel
Intelsat Corporation



co:      Robert Nelson
         Kathyrn Medley
         Stephen Duall




8 See PanAmSat Licensee Corp. Amendment to Application fof Authority to
Launch and Operate a Replacement Fixed—Satellite Service Space Station, File
No. SAT—LOA—19991207—00118 (filed Feb. 28, 2003; grant Sept. 30, 2003).

° See PanAmSat Licensee Corp. Appliéation for Authority to Launch and
Operate a Replacement Satellite at 123° W.L., File No. SAT—RPL—20070222—
00035 (filed Feb. 22, 2007; grant Oct. 18, 2007).



Document Created: 2019-04-20 12:53:48
Document Modified: 2019-04-20 12:53:48

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