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As satellite communication companies led by SpaceX begin to launch a large number of low-Earth orbit satellites,The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has also begun to consider tightening its handling of failed satellites, to keep the track “clean”. The agency had earlier put out a proposal to make existing rules, introduced in the 1990s, that were only voluntary to dispose of failed satellites within 25 years, to make it mandatory for U.S. satellite companies (or foreign satellite companies that want to enter the U.S. market) , the failed satellites must be disposed of as quickly as possible and within a maximum of five years. In the proposal, the FCC said that at the frequency of current satellite launches, they do not believe it is sustainable to keep failed satellites in orbit for decades.
Our space economy is moving fast. For it to continue to grow, we need to do more to clean up after ourselves so space innovation can continue to expand. That is why I am proposing to shorten the 25-year guideline to no more than 5 years. https://t.co/u8uImI25hQ
— Jessica Rosenworcel (@JRosenworcelFCC) September 9, 2022
If passed on Sept. 29, satellites already in orbit would remain exempt from the new rules, while satellites launched within two years and already licensed to launch would be exempt from the requirement. New satellites in the future must detail the disposal plan after failure while obtaining a launch license, but the FCC can also waive the requirements for specific satellites on a case-by-case basis. This rule applies only to low-Earth orbit satellites, not to the much farther geostationary orbit satellites, which are now more commonly sent to farther into space, called “graveyard orbits.”
There should be about 6,000 satellites currently in low Earth orbit, half of which are SpaceX’s Starlink satellites.In addition to SpaceX will continue to expand the number of satellite groups, there are also such as Amazon and OneWeb wait for competitors.How to avoid too much garbage in the sky, affecting the launch of new satellites is an urgent issue, not to mention if the collision of satellites causesKessler phenomenon.