Weather and Astronomy Groups Seek Changes to FCC Satellite Rule

Weather forecasts and radio astronomy observations need better protections under a new Federal Communications Commission rule, scientific societies warn. House Science Committee leaders are meanwhile opposing the rule’s space operations requirements, saying they exceed the commission’s authority. 

The FCC adopted the rule, which aims to speed up satellite licensing, on July 22. “The new rules promise to massively accelerate space and earth station licensing,” the commission said in a news release. There are more than 16,000 active satellites in orbit, according to CelesTrak, a number projected to grow rapidly in the next decade.

The decision marks a win for many commercial space organizations but provides insufficient protection for weather and astronomy data, according to scientific organizations that commented on the proposal.

The American Astronomical Society, the American Meteorological Society, and others are continuing to meet with the FCC as the commission considers further changes. Renee Leduc, a member of the AMS Committee on Radio Frequency Allocations, said AMS has had productive conversations with the FCC, but that it is discouraging that the rule does not include consideration of the impacts on scientific observations. (AAS and AMS are AIP Member Societies.)

Lawmakers on the House Science Committee instead appear interested in reinforcing boundaries on the FCC’s authority. Committee Chair Brian Babin (R-TX) and Ranking Member Zoe Lofgren (D-CA) said they support “efforts to clarify and expedite FCC processes” but opposed requirements related to space safety. (The committee has broad jurisdiction over outer space, but not over the FCC.)

In response to questions about the concerns raised by scientific groups, House Science Democratic staff said the committee has a long history of supporting, on a bipartisan basis, protections for spectrum bands used by science agencies, including for weather forecasting, climate measurements, and radio astronomy observations.

Scientific concerns

AMS and other weather organizations said the new licensing process does not consider the impact of proposed satellites on adjacent spectrum bands, which could disrupt crucial observations for temperature and humidity worldwide, according to a joint comment from multiple weather-related organizations. These observations from the Earth exploration satellite service (EESS) bands are highly vulnerable to interference, even from faint emissions from adjacent bands, the organizations said.

Consideration of potential EESS interference is becoming increasingly important as companies like SpaceX look for adjacent spectrum allocations to deploy broadband satellites, Leduc said. Given the competition within the satellite broadband industry, these companies typically do not want to release much information on their operation in certain bands, but that information is crucial to protecting weather instruments, Leduc added.

To protect vulnerable observations, the weather organizations recommend adding license requirements for proposed satellites that would operate in or adjacent to EESS spectrum bands. These should include a mandatory 30-day technical review period by experts from NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to model the interference, the weather organization comment states. It adds that technical staffing levels at both agencies are now at a historical low. 

“This current administration has certainly noted that SpaceX’s technology is a priority for them. However, I certainly hope that the continued quality of weather forecasts is as well,” Leduc said.

Separately, AAS expressed concern about the shortening of public comment periods on license applications to 15 days, saying smaller organizations may lack sufficient time to provide input. The National Radio Astronomy Observatory flagged that filing an opposition to a proposed satellite within seven days, as the rule requires, is only feasible if the technical description of the system is available at the start of the seven-day window. AAS and NRAO both requested that the FCC prohibit fast-tracking of proposed satellites that request waivers of current regulations, including of the frequency allocation tables that protect scientific and other activities in certain bands.

To protect radio astronomy observations, AAS and NRAO recommend requiring coordination with observatories and other passive spectrum users for Earth station licensing. They note that the rule only discusses the need for industry coordination. AAS also recommends requiring satellite operators and the National Science Foundation coordinate to ensure “federal investments in astronomical facilities are not compromised by light pollution and radio frequency interference from satellites.”

The night sky’s changing appearance in an era of mega-constellations also garnered concern. AAS and NRAO both call on the FCC to require an assessment of the optical brightness and visual impact of proposed satellites, subject to public comment. The commission stated last month that light impacts are outside of its authority as a radio spectrum regulator.

NRAO said that nonetheless, the FCC and other radio spectrum regulators “have become the gatekeepers to space: what they approve can be launched, otherwise not.”