Panasonic 1 65 Orbit

Section 1.65 Notification submitted by Panasonic Avionics Corporation

1.65 Letter re Orbital Debris July 2013

2013-07-12

This document pretains to SES-MFS-20120913-00818 for Modification w/ Foreign Satellite (earth station) on a Satellite Earth Station filing.

IBFS_SESMFS2012091300818_1003816

                                                                                                Squire Sanders (US) LLP
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                                                                                                Carlos M. Nalda
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                                                                                                carlos.nalda@squiresanders.com

July 12, 2013

VIA ELECTRONIC FILING
Marlene H. Dortch
Secretary
Federal Communications Commission
445 12th Street, SW
Washington, DC 20554

Re:        Application of Panasonic Avionics Corporation for License Modification
           File Nos. SES-MFS-20120913-00818, SES-AMD-20130109-00028, SES-AFS-
           20130220-00189 (Call Sign E100089)

Dear Ms. Dortch:

       Pursuant to Section 1.65 of the Commission’s Rules, 47 C.F.R. § 1.65, Panasonic
Avionics Corporation (“Panasonic”) hereby submits additional orbital debris/end of life
information to supplement the information provided by the satellite operators in connection with
Panasonic’s request to add the Eutelsat E10A and Telesat Anik F1 satellites as authorized points
of communication.

       Panasonic provides the following orbital debris mitigation/end-of-life disposal
information and associated waiver requests for the Eutelsat E10A and Anik F1 satellites to
supplement the information discussed in Panasonic’s amendment filed on February 20, 2013,1
responding to the Commission’s request for information.2




1
 In the Matter of Amendment to the Application of Panasonic Avionics Corporation to Modify AMSS License To
Permit Operation of Up to 2000 Technically Identical Aeronautical Mobile-Satellite Service (“AMSS”) Aircraft
Earth Stations (“AESs”) in the 14.0-14.5 GHz and 10.95-12.75 GHz Frequency Bands, Amendment to Modification
Application, IBFS File No. SES-AFS-20130220-00189, Call Sign E100089 (Feb. 20, 2013) [hereinafter
“Amendment”].
2
 Letter from Fern J. Jarmulnek, Acting Chief, Satellite Division, International Bureau, FCC, to Carlos M. Nalda,
Counsel for Panasonic Avionics Corporation, Squire Sanders (US) LLP (Feb. 6, 2013) (DA 13-164, IBFS File Nos.
SES-MFS-20120913-00818, SES-AMD-20130109-00028, Call Sign: E100089).

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             I.    Additional Information for Eutelsat10A

        Eutelsat10A satellite includes two (2) interconnected helium tanks. Before switch-off of
the Eutelsat10A satellite, thrusters will be fired as much as possible to deplete the propellant and
depressurize the tanks. The Orbital Debris Plan for Eutelsat10A satellite3 states that “where
possible” fuel lines and valves will be left open. Regarding the valves for the MMH and MON1
tanks, the thruster propellant flow control valves are left closed after switching off the spacecraft
because power is needed to open them.

        Eutelsat employs a combination of methods, including bookkeeping and PVT
measurements and, where possible, measurements of tanks thermal inertia, to calculate the
predicted end-of-life mass values. The end-of-life values for the propellant tanks and lines can
be considered as the worst-case post-passivation remaining mass for MON and MMH. They
correspond to the static residuals of MON and MMH at the end-of-life. The helium pass in the
pressurant tanks corresponds to the value measured at the end of LEOP.

       The residual pressure statement (less than 1 bar) corresponds to temperatures between
18° C and 30° C. The predicted pressures at end-of-life for the remaining materials are as
follows: 14.7 bars before passivation for MON-1 propellant tank; 13.8 bars before passivation
for MMH propellant tank; and 67 bars for pressurant tank 1 and 2.

         The end-of-life values given for given for masses and pressures and temperatures are
when the satellite is taken out of service. Then, Eutelsat starts the orbit raise activity and finishes
by the passivation exercise by emptying the fuel and oxidizer tanks as far as possible. During the
satellite life, Eutelsat performs gauging activities to monitor the remaining liquid quantities to
determine the remaining masses in the tanks.

       The passivation exercise is not a closed system due to the fact that matter is expelled.
Eutelsat expels the remaining liquid as it evaporates at lower pressures, then expels as much
pressurant as possible to lower the tank pressures down to 1 bar or below.

        All the tanks have been designed, manufactured, and validated according to the MIL-
STD-1522 standard with a break-up security coefficient of 1.5 for the whole mission; i.e.,
including full-load and maximum-pressure conditions. Clearly, the security coefficient is much
higher than this (probably in orders of magnitude) for depleted conditions where the pressure is
around 1 bar, but no analysis exists to provide the actual value.




3
    Amendment at Attachment 1 – Technical Appendix, 4-2, page 6 of 7.




                                                                                                        2


Squire Sanders (US) LLP                                          July 12, 2013




           II.    Additional Information for Anik F1

       Anik F1 includes two helium tanks, each with a volume of 68.8 liters. The two tanks are
interconnected via a manifold to each other, so mass can move freely from one tank to the other.
The manifold is then isolated from the rest of the system immediately upon completion of launch
and orbit raising.

        Panasonic stated that 90 grams of helium will remain after deorbit, and the estimated
remaining pressure is 400 kPa, approximately equal to 58 Psi.4 The 90 grams is the total mass
across both tanks. Therefore, if both tanks are the same temperature, etc., then 45 grams of
helium would remain in each. However, in general, there might be slightly more helium in one
side depending on the temperature in the individual tanks.

        The 500 kPa value was derived from telemetry, using a sensor on the line between the
tanks. The temperature was 18° C. The value really is a worst case, as once the spacecraft is
deorbited and powered off, the temperature and pressure will go down. Note that the tanks are
qualified to 36.2 MPa with a 1.5 safety factor and the tanks are designed to leak before burst.

                                           * * * *

       Please feel free to contact the undersigned with any questions you may have or if
Panasonic can provide any additional information to facilitate expeditious action on its
application.


                                             Respectfully submitted,

                                             Squire Sanders (US) LLP


                                             /s/ Carlos M. Nalda
                                             ______________________________________
                                             Carlos M. Nalda

                                             Counsel to Panasonic Avionics Corporation

cc:       Paul Blais, FCC International Bureau
          Stephen Duall, FCC International Bureau




4
    Amendment at 10.




                                                                                                  3



Document Created: 2013-07-12 17:37:27
Document Modified: 2013-07-12 17:37:27

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