Attachment Space Exploration Ho

Space Exploration Ho

DECISION submitted by IB, FCC

Grant

2019-09-25

This document pretains to SAT-STA-20190917-00095 for Special Temporal Authority on a Satellite Space Stations filing.

IBFS_SATSTA2019091700095_1926797

                                                             ____________________                       z~   “
S2983!S30   SAT-STA-2O19O917~Oo95         1B2019003302                                    File ?S~T~~T~ ~2~!~3Q~ i?~~00SS
Space Exploration Holdings, LLC                                       CO~ML~         •,             s
SpaceX                                                                              :~                  .23       GraritOate ~     2

                                                                \9 ~ ~iJ                  (or other ~dentificr)
                                                                                                                  Tcrni D~tc~ I~           Approved by 0MB

                                                                GRANTED~                  FmmQ3/ZSl5~~ To~0d~jL_                                 30600678
                                                              I ntcrn:il cn~iI I I~ciu    i\pprovcd:              — —~     —

     Date & Time Filed: Sep 17 2019 5:52:42:496PM
     FileNumber: SAT STA 20190917 00095                     ~          ~Q’~d1+IC415                               c~€~su;~I;~alnc1
                                                   FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION
                                        APPLICATION FOR SPACE STATION SPECIAL TEMPORARY AUTHORITY

                                                               FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY

       APPLICANT INFORMATION
     Enter a description of this application to identify it on the main menu:
     Space Station Further STA Extension Request
      I. Applicant

                 Name:            Space Exploration Holdings, LLC   Phone Number:                                  202 649 2700


                 DBA Name:                                          Fax Number:                                    202—649—2701
                 Street:          1155 F Street, N.W.                E—Mail:                                       patricia.cooper@spacex.com
                                  Suite 475
                 City:            Washington                         State:                                        DC
                 Country:         USA                               Zipcode:                                       20004
                 Attention:       Ms Patricia Cooper


                                        ATTACHMENT TO GRANT
                                        Space Exploration Holdings, LLC
                                    IBFS File No. SAT—STA—20190917—00095

 IBFS File No(s):       SAT—STA—20190917—00095                                               GRANTED           —


 Licensee/Grantee:      Space Exploration Holdings, LLC                                      With Conditions
 Call Sign:             S2983/S30 18
 Satellite Name:        SpaceX Ku/Ka-band Constellation
 Orbital Location:      Non-geostationary orbit (NOSO)
 (required station-
 keeping tolerance)
 Administration:        United States of America
 Nature of Service:     Telemetry, Tracking, and Command (Tr&C); Testing               International Bureau
                                                                                          Satellite Division
 Scope of Grant:        Special temporary authority (STA) for an additional period of 30 days for Launch and
                        Early Orbit-Phase (LEOP) operations necessary to (1) perform TT&C necessary for orbit-
                        raising; and (2) communicate with seven Ku-band earth stations to test the communications
                        payload on each of 60 satellites that were deployed on May 23, 2019.
 Service Area(s):       Not Applicable

 Frequencies:           TT&C Frequencies
                        12.221 GHz (space-to-Earth) and 13.925 GHz (Earth-to-space)

                        Payload Testing Frequencies
                        10.7-12.7 GHz (space-to-Earth)
                        14.0-14.5 GHz (Earth-to-space).

 Operations under this grant must comport with the legal and technical specifications set forth by the
 applicant or petitioner and with Federal Communication Commission’s rules not waived herein. This
 grant is also subject to the following conditions:

          1.      All operations under this grant of special temporary authority must be on an unprotected and non-
 harmful interference basis, i.e., SpaceX must not cause harmful interference to, and must not claim protection from
 interference caused to it by, any other lawfully operating station.
          2.    In the event of any harmful interference under this grant of special temporary authority, SpaceX
 must cease operations immediately upon notification of such interference and must inform the Commission, in
 writing, immediately of such an event.
         3.      SpaceX’s payload-frequency operations must be limited to testing and must not include the
 provision of commercial services.
         4.       During LEOP operations SpaceX must operate only the TT&C frequencies and test frequencies
 specified above.
         5.       Operations authorized here must comport with the conditions imposed in DA 19~342.1
 Licensee/grantee is afforded thirty (30) days from the date of release of this action to decline the grant as
 conditioned. Failure to respond within this period will constitute formal acceptance of the grant as conditioned.

 This action is taken pursuant to Section 0.261 of the Commission’s rules on delegated authority, 47 CFR § 0.26 1,
 and is effective upon release.



‘Space Exploration Holdings, LLC, Order and Authorization, DA 19-342 (lB rel. Apr. 26, 2019) (SpaceX Modification
Order).

                                                    Page 1 of 2


                                      ATTACHMENT TO GRANT
                                     Space Exploration Holdings, LLC
                                 IBFS File No. SAT—STA—20190917—00095

Station licenses are subject to the conditions specified in Section 309(h) of the Communications Act of 1934, as
amended, 47 U.S.C. § 309(h).

Action         September 25, 2019
Date:
Term Dates     From: September 25, 2019           To: period of 30 days

Approved:



               Steph n Duall
                        .


               Chief, atellite Policy Branch




                                                 Page 2 of 2


2. Contact

             Name:         William M. Wiltshire                 Phone Number:                        202−730−1350


             Company:      Harris, Wiltshire & Grannis LLP      Fax Number:                          202−730−1301


             Street:       1919 M St. NW                        E—Mail:                              wwiltshire@hwglaw.com
                           8th Floor
             City:         Washington                           State:                                DC
             Country:      USA                                  Zipcode:                             20036
             Attention:                                         Relationship:                        Legal Counsel


  (If your application is related to an application filed with the Commission, enter either the file number or the lB Submission ID of the related
application. Please enter only one.)
  3. Reference File Number SATSTA2OI9O8 1500075 or Submission ID
  4a. Is a fee submitted with this application?
• If Yes, complete and attach FCC Form 159.         If No, indicate reason for fee exemption (see 47 C.F.R.Section 1.1114).
0   Governmental Entity     ~ Noncommercial educational licensee
o Other(please explain):
4b. Fee Classification    CXW   —   Space Station (Non—Geostationary)
5. Type Request


o Change Station Location                          • Extend Expiration Date                             Other


6. Temporary Orbit Location                                                7. Requested Extended Expiration Date
                                                                                20 19—10—23 00:00:00.0


8. Description   (If the complete description does not appear in this box, please go to the end of the form to view it in its entirety.)
     SpaceX requests extension of special temporary authority for the first tranche of its NGSO
     satellites to communicate with Ku−band gateway and TT&C earth stations for an
     additional 30 days.




9. By checking Yes, the undersigned certifies that neither applicant nor any other party to the application is subject     • Yes           No
to a denial of Federal benefits that includes FCC benefits pursuant to Section 5301 of the Anti—Drug Act of 1988,
21 U.S.C. Section 862, because of a conviction for possession or distribution of a controlled substance. See 47 CFR
1.2002(b) for the meaning of "party to the application" for these purposes.


10. Name of Person Signing                                                  II. Title of Person Signing
Patricia Cooper                                                             Vice President, Satellite Government Affairs
12. Please supply any need attachments.
 Attachment 1: Extension Request                    Attachment 2:                                      Attachment 3:


          WILLFUL FALSE STATEMENTS MADE ON THIS FORM ARE PUNISHABLE BY FINE AND / OR IMPRISONMENT
                 (U.S. Code, Title 18, Section 1001), AND/OR REVOCATION OF ANY STATION AUTHORIZATION
                  (U.S. Code, Title 47, Section 312(a)(1)), AND/OR FORFEITURE (U.S. Code, Title 47, Section 503).


FCC NOTICE REQUIRED BY THE PAPERWORK REDUCTION ACT

The public reporting for this collection of information is estimated to average 2 hours per response, including the time for reviewing instructions,
searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the required data, and completing and reviewing the collection of information. If you
have any comments on this burden estimate, or how we can improve the collection and reduce the burden it causes you, please write to the
Federal Communications Commission, AMD—PERM, Paperwork Reduction Project (3060—0678), Washington, DC 20554. We will also accept
your comments regarding the Paperwork Reduction Act aspects of this collection via the Internet if you send them to PRA~fcc.gov. PLEASE
DO NOT SEND COMPLETED FORMS TO THIS ADDRESS.

Remember You are not required to respond to a collection of information sponsored by the Federal government, and the government may not
           —


conduct or sponsor this collection, unless it displays a currently valid 0MB control number or if we fail to provide you with this notice. This
collection has been assigned an 0MB control number of 3060—0678.

THE FOREGOING NOTICE IS REQUIRED BY THE PAPERWORK REDUCTION ACT OF 1995, PUBLIC LAW 104-13, OCTOBER
1, 1995, 44 U.S.C. SECTION 3507.


                 REQUEST FOR EXTENSION OF SPECIAL TEMPORARY AUTHORITY

       On May 9,2019, the Commission granted Space Exploration Holdings, LLC (“SpaceX”)
Special Temporary Authority (“STA”) for the first tranche of its non-geostationary orbit
(“NGSO”) satellites launched on May 24,2019 to communicate with seven earth stations operated
by its sister company, SpaceX Services, Inc. (“SpaceX Services”).1             The Commission
subsequently extended that STA through September 24, 2019.2 SpaceX respectfully requests that
the Commission further extend that STA for an additional 30 days for the reasons discussed below.
         SpaceX has been authorized to launch and operate a constellation of 4,409 NGSO satellites
(call sign S2983/S30 18) using Ku- and Ka-band spectrum. Pursuant to the STA, SpaceX has been
communicating with an earth station to conduct telemetry, tracking, and control (“TT&C”)
functions during orbit raising and initial on-station operations,3 and has also been communicating
with six Ku-band gateway earth stations to test the communications payload on each of its
satellites.4 SpaceX has operated with these earth station pursuant to the STA for nearly four
months, and has received no complaints from any other authorized spectrum user.

         Allowing continued communications between the SpaceX space stations and SpaceX
Services earth stations while applications for the latter are being processed would serve the public
interest. The STA covers TT&C functions that are essential to commanding the spacecraft and
ensuring the health and safety of SpaceX’s nascent constellation. The STA also allows SpaceX to
confirm the operational status of its satellites on an ongoing basis. While much of the orbit-raising
phase is now complete, there are still some satellites that have yet to reach their authorized altitude.
In addition, there are two spacecraft that are being intentionally de-orbited in order to assess
performance during this phase of the mission. Extending the STA would allow SpaceX to continue
to provide TT&C functions that are essential to commanding all of these spacecraft and ensuring
continuing monitoring of and control over SpaceX’s nascent constellation, as well as maintaining
communications with these craft to assess their functionality. Accordingly, extension of the STA
will continue serve the public interest by enhancing space safety and promoting the health and
safety of SpaceX’s NGSO constellation.

        SpaceX will continue to operate on a non-interference basis, and in conformance with the
applicable equivalent power flux-density (“EPFD”) limits set forth in Article 22 and Resolution
76 of the ITU Radio Regulations and the applicable power flux-density (“PFD”) limits set forth in
the Commission’s rules and Article 21 of the ITU Radio Regulations, which the Commission has


    See Public Notice, Rep. No. SAT-01388 (rel. May 10, 2019). As required under the STA, SpaceX confirmed the
    launch and commencement of operations date for its satellites, which began the term of the STA.
2   See Public Notice, Rep. No. SAT-0 1411 (rel. Sep. 6, 2019).

    Although the Commission by rule authorizes TT&C operations for GSO satellites during the orbit-raising phase,
    it has not yet adopted a similar rule for NGSO systems (though one is currently under consideration). See 47
    C.F.R. § 25.282; Mitigation of Orbital Debris in the New Space Age, 33 FCC Rcd. 11352, ¶ 70 (2018).
~   SpaceX Services currently has applications pending for six Ku-band gateway earth stations (located in North
    Bend, WA; Conrad, MT; Merrillan, WI; Greenville, PA; Redmond, WA; and Hawthorne, CA) and one TT&C
    earth station (located in Brewster, WA). SpaceX Services received complementary STAs for these earth stations
    to communicate with the SpaceX NGSO satellites.


found sufficient to protect GSO systems and terrestrial systems, respectively, against harmful
interference. In the extremely unlikely event that harmful interference should occur due to
transmissions to or from its earth station, SpaceX will take all reasonable steps to eliminate the
interference. Should an issue arise, SpaceX can be reached at satellite-operators
pager(~spacex.com, which links to the pagers of appropriate technical personnel 24/7.

        Accordingly, SpaceX requests that the Commission extend the STA for these space stations
for up to an additional 30 days.



Document Created: 2019-09-26 14:59:50
Document Modified: 2019-09-26 14:59:50

© 2024 FCC.report
This site is not affiliated with or endorsed by the FCC