FCC issued its first space junk ticket: Dish TV satellite failed to get out of orbit correctly

CTOnews.com, Oct. 4 (Xinhua)-- the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) issued the first fine for space junk to Dish Network for failing to properly get its satellite out of orbit.

Dish Network acknowledges that it is responsible for not moving EchoStar-7 to a safer place and will pay a fine of $150000 (CTOnews.com Note: about RMB 1.097 million currently) and implement a compliance program.

Space junk-useless man-made materials floating in space-could harm working infrastructure, including the space station, which has collided with space junk in the past. According to the US FCC, failed satellites such as Dish may also increase the risk of damage to satellite communications systems, thereby interfering with "national ground and space-based communications systems".

"this is a groundbreaking settlement that clearly demonstrates that FCC has strong enforcement powers and capabilities to enforce its extremely important space debris rules," Loyaan A. Egal, director of FCC Law Enforcement, said in a press release.

▲ 2002 EchoStar-7 TV satellite launch as early as 2012, Dish told FCC that it had a plan to deal with the satellite. By May 2022, it will move EchoStar-7 186miles (300km) above the geosynchronous orbit where it works. In February, however, Dish realized that the satellite did not have enough propellant to complete its maneuver, so it shut down the satellite about 76 miles (122km) away.

This failure meant that Dish violated the terms of the FCC license, resulting in an investigation and subsequent fines.

How to deal with space junk has always been a headache, and this is the first time that FCC has tried to fine a satellite company. Although $150000 is just "pocket money" for Dish, it is also the first step in regulation.

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