The FCC imposed a $150,000 fine on Dish Network for its failure to properly dispose of a defunct satellite after its mission ended. This is the first penalty the agency has enforced in its efforts to address the issue of space junk in low Earth orbit (LEO). Decommissioned satellites and other objects pose a collision risk to other instruments operating in these lower altitudes. In LEO, debris travels at high speeds, making even small scraps a serious threat.
Dish and the FCC had a deorbit plan in place for the EchoStar-7 satellite, which was launched in 2002 and was scheduled to be retired in May 2022. However, the satellite ran out of fuel earlier than expected. Dish was supposed to maneuver the satellite into the designated graveyard orbit approximately 186 miles above its operational altitude. However, EchoStar-7 only reached a height of about 76 miles. In February 2022, the company realized that it did not have enough propellant to carry out the…
2023-10-03 10:35:16
Link from www.engadget.com rnrn