The United States imposed sanctions on a company for the first time in history for launching space debris – FayerWayer

A North American company was penalized with Fined $150,000 by the US governmentFor space debris accidents. What did they do differently than hundreds of companies or Space agencies that do the same? Why is this company getting punished while other companies enjoy years of impunity? A statement that explains it all.

Space debris is a real problem, and one that the world’s space agencies and governments want to address. There are tons of debris from probes and satellites in our planet’s orbit.

However, no company has ever been fined for this situation. What the FCC statement says is that they are penalizing Dish Network (a communications services provider) for leaving a satellite in a very low region of the world’s orbit.

Specifically, the FCC says the company would have violated what’s called the Satellite Transmission Act by using the EchoStar-7 device. He added that the company launched the satellite in 2002, and when it stopped working in May 2022, it realized that it did not have the fuel needed to move it to an altitude of about 300 kilometers above the place where the operations were carried out. Excessive text.

They left it at an altitude of 122 kilometers from its previous location, in an area where it could collide with other similar probes. “We must make sure that operators comply with their obligations,” says the head of the FCC’s compliance office, Luyan Igal, referring to the fact that there are more and more satellites and increasing movement of machines in Earth’s orbit.

The company did not object, but accepted and paid the fine. “It makes it very clear that the FCC has strong enforcement authority and the ability to enforce its rules regarding space debris, which is vitally important,” Igal highlights of being a director of this regulatory body.