The U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) issued its first space debris fine to Dish Network for failing to properly deorbit a satellite. The company admitted it was responsible for failing to move its Echo Star-7 to a safer location and will pay a $150,000 fine and implement a compliance program.
Space Debris - Non-functioning man-made materials floating in space can pose a hazard to operational infrastructure, including the International Space Station, which has had encounters with debris in the past. According to the Federal Communications Commission, defunct satellites like Dish can also interfere with "the nation's ground-based and space-based communications systems and increase the risk of damage to satellite communications systems."
Loyaan A. Egal, director of the FCC's Bureau of Enforcement, said in a press release: "This is a groundbreaking settlement that makes very clear that the FCC has strong enforcement authority and ability to enforce its extremely important space debris rules. It is also a groundbreaking settlement that makes very clear that the FCC has strong enforcement authority and ability to enforce its extremely important space debris rules."
Back in 2012, Dish told the FCC it had a plan to handle live broadcast satellites. By May 2022, it will move EchoStar-7 to 186 miles (300 kilometers) above geostationary orbit (22,000 miles above the Earth's surface). However, by February, Dish found that the satellite no longer had enough propellant to complete the maneuver and shut it down at about 76 miles (122 kilometers), where it could still become a hazard.
The glitch meant the company violated the terms of its FCC license, leading to an investigation and fine.
How to deal with junk in space is an ongoing and complex issue, but this is the first time the FCC has fined a company. While $150,000 is a small amount of money for Dish, an influential regulator is more likely to let the company clean up the mess.