Via the ARRL: ARRL Comments in Orbital Debris Mitigation Proceeding

In comments to the FCC, ARRL targeted two specific areas of concern regarding a Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (FNPRM) in IB Docket 18-313 — mitigation of orbital debris in the new space age. In an earlier phase of the proceeding, ARRL filed comments and met with FCC staff to discuss the proposed rules. In comments filed on October 9, ARRL focused on the areas of indemnification and maneuverability/propulsion. Indemnification places the liability for any possible damage from a satellite on an individual or entity. ARRL reiterated its assertion that, as a practical matter, an indemnification requirement “would seriously impair the ability of amateur and university experimenters to launch and operate satellites under US auspices” due to the potential liability and high insurance cost.

ARRL’s comments cited a letter from University Small Satellite Researchers, submitted on behalf of 24 named professors last April, contending that the requirement “would effectively preclude a large proportion of academic SmallSat missions because public universities typically cannot legally enter into indemnification arrangements.”

Read more – via American Radio Relay League | Ham Radio Association and Resources http://www.arrl.org/news/view/arrl-comments-in-orbital-debris-mitigation-proceeding