Echo 6 - Inclined Or

LETTER submitted by EchoStar Satellite Operating Corporation

Notice of Inclined Orbit Operations

2011-12-02

This document pretains to SAT-STA-20111004-00194 for Special Temporal Authority on a Satellite Space Stations filing.

IBFS_SATSTA2011100400194_928851

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 December 2, 2011 Marlene H. Dortch Secretary Federal Communications Commission 445 12th Street S.W. Washington, D.C. 20554 Re: EchoStar Satellite Operating Corporation, Notice of the Commencement of Inclined Orbit Operations for EchoStar 6 at 76.95º W.L., File No. SAT-STA-20111004-00194, Call Sign S2232 Dear Ms. Dortch: Pursuant to Section 25.280 of the Commission’s rules,1 EchoStar Satellite Operating Corporation (“EchoStar”) hereby notifies the Commission that the EchoStar 6 satellite will commence inclined orbit operations at the 76.95º W.L. orbital location on December 12, 2011. Operating EchoStar 6 at an inclined orbit will extend the satellite’s operational life, enabling EchoStar to use the satellite to provide quality local-into-local and Spanish-language programming to U.S. customers for an extended period of time. EchoStar 6 currently operates at 76.95º W.L. under special temporary authority,2 pending EchoStar’s application to transfer the satellite to QuetzSat, S. de R.L. de C.V., which will operate the satellite under Mexican authority.3 The satellite will initially operate at an incline of the licensed +/-0.05°, and will be allowed to grow to +/-0.5° after which point inclination will be maintained at that value. EchoStar may decide at any point to allow inclination to continue to grow further increasing the spacecraft’s usable life. The expected end-of-life for the EchoStar 6 satellite will be extended to Feb 2013 with an uncertainty at this time of up to 6 months. This date takes into account both the 1 47 C.F.R. § 25.280. 2 See Stamp Grant, File No. SAT-STA-20111004-00194 (granted Oct. 13, 2011). 3 See Application for the Transfer of EchoStar 6 to Mexican Authority, File No. SAT-T/C- 20110314-00054 (filed Mar. 14, 2011).

Marlene H. Dortch December 2, 2011 Page 2 inclined orbit operations and the Section 25.283 end-of-life disposal maneuvers.4 At the beginning of inclined operations EchoStar will conduct propellant depletion gauging operations monthly to ensure fuel use predictions match actual use. While EchoStar 6 is operating in an inclined orbit, EchoStar will operate the satellite in accordance with the Commission requirements as outlined in Section 25.280(b).5 If you have any questions regarding the above-referenced notice, please contact the undersigned. Respectfully submitted, _______/s/_____________________ Pantelis Michalopoulos Stephanie A. Roy Steptoe & Johnson LLP 1330 Connecticut Avenue, NW Washington, D.C. 20036 (202) 429-3000 Counsel for EchoStar Satellite Operating Corporation 4 47 C.F.R. § 25.283. 5 47 C.F.R. § 25.280(b).


Document Created: 2011-12-02 17:14:25
Document Modified: 2011-12-02 17:14:25
© 2024 FCC.report
This site is not affiliated with or endorsed by the FCC