US government issues first-ever space debris penalty to Dish Network
www.theguardian.com
Dish to pay $150,000 for failing to properly dispose of satellite and violating the FCC’s anti-space debris rule
  • AutoTL;DRBEnglish
    1•9 months ago

    This is the best summary I could come up with:

    Dish Network has to pay $150,000 to the commission over its failure to deorbit its EchoStar-7 satellite, which has been in space for more than two decades.

    In 2002, Dish launched the satellite into geostationary orbit – a field of space that begins 22,000 miles (36,000km) above Earth.

    But in 2022, Dish realized that the satellite was low on propellant, and would not have enough to move to its intended destination.

    Space debris, broadly defined by the FCC as artificial objects orbiting Earth that are not functional spacecraft, has been a growing concern for the agency.

    It says that the more old material that stays in orbit, the harder it is for incoming satellites to start and complete new missions.

    “Right now there are thousands of metric tons of orbital debris in the air above – and it is going to grow,” FCC chair Jessica Rosenworcel said in a 2022 statement that accompanied the announcement of the rule.

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