SES Americom requested modification of its authorization for its Ku-band satellite AMC-21 to change its orbital location from 125 degrees West Longitude (WL) to 124.9 degrees WL.
Satellite CD Radio, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Sirius Satellite Radio Inc., requested modification of its existing non-geostationary satellite orbit (NGSO) satellite digital audio radio service authorization to allow the launch and operation of the FM-6 satellite. FM-6 will eventually replace the FM-1 and FM-2 satellites currently in orbit, reducing the total number of satellites in Sirius’s authorized NGSO constellation from three to two. The FM satellite will operate in the 2320-2332.5 MHz band (downlink) with feeder links in the 7050.5 to 7072.5 MHz band.
XM Radio, Inc. requested special temporary authority (STA) to operate a terrestrial repeater with an average EIRP not to exceed 0.5 watts at its office buildings in Vienna, Va., for a period of 180 days. XM said the repeater was necessary to provide XM’s signal to its Listener Care center in the building. XM also requested STA to operate a terrestrial repeater with an average EIRP of 2,000 W in Torrance, Calif.
GlobalStar Licensee LLC requested modification of its authorization for Ancillary Terrestrial Component facilities in the 1.6/2.4 GHz mobile satellite service (MSS) bands to permit use of additional air interface protocols. It requested a waiver of FCC rules to allow it to operate in a non-forward-band mode in the S-band and a temporary waiver of the geographic coverage requirement in the FCC rules as it pertains to GlobalStar MSS operation in the 2.4 GHz downlink band. Other waivers were also requested. From Report No. SAT-00525.
FCC Report SAT-00524 listed four pages of FCC actions. These included the granting of SES Americom’s request to operate AMC-21 using two beams rather than a single beam as previously authorized from the 125 degree WL orbital location using conventional Ku-band frequencies.
ViaSat’s authorization for ViaSat-KA-1 at 77.3 degrees WL was modified to operate in the 18.3-18.8 GHz (space-to-Earth), 19.7-20.2 GHz (space-to-Earth), 28.1-28.6 GHz (Earth-to-space), and 29.5-30.0 GHz (Earth-to-space) frequency bands. Gateway uplink operations on spectrum shared with the local multipoint distribution service (LMDS) are on a secondary unprotected, non-interference basis. ViaSat relinquished its authorization to use the 29.25-29.5 GHz frequency band at 77.3 degrees WL. This frequency band at this location is now available for reassignment.
Mobile Satellite Ventures request to operate the MSV-1 satellite at the 101.3-degree WL orbital location with a station-keeping tolerance of +/- 0.05 degrees was granted.
SES Americom was allowed to operate C- and Ku-band satellite AMC-2 at an orbital location between 100.9 degrees and 101.05 degrees WL. SES Americom relinquished its C-band frequencies at the 85-degree WL orbital location. They are now available for reassignment. The FCC granted SES Americom’s request to operate AMC-4 using conventional C-band frequencies and 11.45-12.2 GHz (space-to-Earth) and 13.75-14.5 GHz (Earth-to-space) frequencies at the 101 degree WL orbital location with an east-west station-keeping range of 0.15 degrees of longitude between 100.9 and 101.05 degrees WL.
DirecTV Enterprises was granted STA for 30 days commencing on May 25,2008, to operate DirecTV 11 from 99.4 degrees WL to conduct in-orbit testing using 18.3-18.8 GHz (space-to-Earth) and 28.35-28.6 GHz and 29.25-.29.5 GHz (Earth-to-space) and to conduct telemetry, tracking and control operations necessary to maintain the satellite at the 99.4 degree WL orbital location.
EchoStar withdrew its application for STA in connection with a planned controlled atmospheric re-entry of the AMC-14 satellite. EchoStar had an STA to conduct tracking, telemetry and command operations necessary to maintain the AMC-14 satellite in a geostationary transfer orbit. It expired May 2, 2008.
PanAmSat received STA to conduct in-orbit testing of the Galaxy 18 satellite at 123.15 degrees WL for a period of 30 says, starting May 26, 2008, using conventional C and Ku-band frequencies and to conduct space station telemetry, tracking and command operations necessary to effect operation at the 123.15 degree WL location.
