Notice2024-05847
Information Collections Being Reviewed by the Federal Communications Commission
Primary source
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Published
March 20, 2024
Issuing agencies
Federal Communications Commission
Abstract
As part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork burdens, and as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), the Federal Communications Commission (FCC or Commission) invites the general public and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on the following information collections. Comments are requested concerning: whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the Commission, including whether the information shall have practical utility; the accuracy of the Commission's burden estimate; ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information collected; ways to minimize the burden of the collection of information on the respondents, including the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology; and ways to further reduce the information collection burden on small business concerns with fewer than 25 employees. The FCC may not conduct or sponsor a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid Office of Management and Budget (OMB) control number. No person shall be subject to any penalty for failing to comply with a collection of information subject to the PRA that does not display a valid OMB control number.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 89 Issue 55 (Wednesday, March 20, 2024)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 55 (Wednesday, March 20, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 19826-19829]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2024-05847]
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FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION
[OMB 3060-XXXX; FR ID 209487]
Information Collections Being Reviewed by the Federal
Communications Commission
AGENCY: Federal Communications Commission.
ACTION: Notice and request for comments.
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SUMMARY: As part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork burdens,
and as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), the
Federal Communications Commission (FCC or Commission) invites the
general public and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to
comment on the following information collections. Comments are
requested concerning: whether the proposed collection of information is
necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the
Commission, including whether the information shall have practical
utility; the accuracy of the Commission's burden estimate; ways to
enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information collected;
ways to minimize the burden of the collection of information on the
respondents, including the use of automated collection techniques or
other forms of information technology; and ways to further reduce the
information collection burden on small business concerns with fewer
than 25 employees. The FCC may not conduct or sponsor a
[[Page 19827]]
collection of information unless it displays a currently valid Office
of Management and Budget (OMB) control number. No person shall be
subject to any penalty for failing to comply with a collection of
information subject to the PRA that does not display a valid OMB
control number.
DATES: Written PRA comments should be submitted on or before May 20,
2024. If you anticipate that you will be submitting comments but find
it difficult to do so within the period of time allowed by this notice,
you should advise the contact listed below as soon as possible.
ADDRESSES: Direct all PRA comments to Cathy Williams, FCC, via email to
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#b1e1e3f0f1d7d2d29fd6dec7"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="7f2f2d3e3f191c1c51181009">[email protected]</span></a> and to <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#d596b4a1bdacfb82bcb9b9bcb4b8a695b3b6b6fbb2baa3"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="3e7d5f4a56471069575252575f534d7e585d5d10595148">[email protected]</span></a>.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For additional information about the
information collection, contact Cathy Williams at (202) 418-2918.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
OMB Control Number: 3060-XXXX.
Title: Part 25 Rules Addressing the Mitigation of Orbital Debris.
Form Number: N/A.
Type of Review: New information collection.
Respondents: Business or other for-profit entities, not-for-profit
institutions.
Number of Respondents and Responses: 28 respondents and 28
responses.
Estimated Time per Response: 4-15 hours.
Frequency of Response: On occasion reporting requirement.
Obligation to Respond: Required to obtain or retain benefits. The
Commission has statutory authority for the information collection
requirements under 47 U.S.C. 151, 154(i), 301, 303, 307, 308, 309, and
310.
Total Annual Burden: 341 hours.
Annual Cost Burden: $53,900.
Needs and Uses: The Federal Communications Commission requests that
the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) approve a new information
collection titled ``Part 25 Rules Addressing the Mitigation of Orbital
Debris'' under OMB Control No. 3060-XXXX, as a result of three
Commission rulemaking decisions, as discussed below.
On April 24, 2020, the Commission released a Report and Order, FCC
20-54, IB Docket No. 18-313, titled ``Mitigation of Orbital Debris in
the New Space Age'' (Orbital Debris Report and Order).\1\ In Orbital
Debris Report and Order, the Commission updated its rules related to
orbital debris mitigation, including application requirements. The new
rules are designed to ensure that the Commission's actions concerning
radio communications, including licensing U.S. spacecraft and granting
access to the U.S. market for non-U.S. spacecraft, mitigate the growth
of orbital debris, while at the same time not creating undue regulatory
obstacles to new satellite ventures. The action will help to ensure
that Commission decisions are consistent with the public interest in
space remaining viable for future satellites and systems and the many
services that those systems provide to the public. The rule revisions
also provide additional detail to applicants on what information is
expected under the Commission's rules, which can help to increase
certainty in the application filing process. While this information
collection represents an overall increase in the burden hours, the
information collection serves the public interest by ensuring that the
Commission and public have necessary information about satellite
applicants' plans for mitigation of orbital debris. Specifically
Orbital Debris Report and Order contains the new or modified
information collection requirements listed below.
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\1\ The Commission previously published a notice in the Federal
Register seeking comments from the public on the Part 25 information
collection requirements contained in the Orbital Debris Report and
Order on July 13, 2020 (see 85 FR 41980) (July 2020 Notice). On
September 11, 2020, five parties jointly submitted comments in
response to the July 2020 Notice. See Paperwork Reduction Act
Comments of The Boeing Company, Echostar Satellite Services, LLC,
Hughes Network Services, LLC, Planet Labs Inc. and Spire Global,
Inc. filed on September 11, 2020 in IB Docket No. 18-313. The five
parties, together with Telesat Canada, also filed a petition for
reconsideration of the Orbital Debris Report and Order. As discussed
below, the Commission denied that petition for reconsideration on
January 26, 2024. See Order on Reconsideration, FCC 24-6, IB Docket
No. 18-313, titled ``Mitigation of Orbital Debris in the New Space
Age'' (Orbital Debris Reconsideration Order).
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(A) Non-streamlined space station applicants. The following are new
or modified information collection requirements contained in Orbital
Debris Report and Order and applicable to non-streamlined space station
applicants submitting orbital debris mitigation plans under part 25 of
the Commission's rules:
(1) Existing application disclosure requirements have been revised
to include specific metrics in several areas, including: probability
that the space stations will become a source of debris by collision
with small debris and meteoroids that would cause loss of control and
prevent disposal; probability of collision between any non-
geostationary orbit (NGSO) space station and other large objects; and
casualty risk associated with any individual spacecraft that will be
disposed by atmospheric re-entry.
(2) Where relevant, applicants must disclose the following: use of
separate deployment devices, distinct from the space station launch
vehicle, that may become a source of orbital debris; potential release
of liquids that will persist in droplet form; and any planned proximity
operations and debris generation that will or may result from the
proposed operations, including any planned release of debris, the risk
of accidental explosions, the risk of accidental collision, and
measures taken to mitigate those risks.
(3) The existing application disclosure requirement to analyze
potential collision risk associated with space station(s) orbits has
been modified to specify that the disclosure identify characteristics
of the space station(s)' orbits that may present a collision risk,
including any planned and/or operational space stations in those
orbits, and indicate what steps, if any, have been taken to coordinate
with the other spacecraft or system, or what other measures the
operator plans to use to avoid collision.
(4) Applicants for NGSO space stations that will transit through
the orbits used by any inhabitable spacecraft, including the
International Space Station, must disclose as part of the application
the design and operational strategies, if any, that will be used to
minimize the risk of collision and avoid posing any operational
constraints to the inhabitable spacecraft.
(5) The application disclosure must include a certification that
upon receipt of a space situational awareness conjunction warning, the
operator will review and take all possible steps to assess the
collision risk, and will mitigate the collision risk if necessary. As
appropriate, steps to assess and mitigate the collision risk should
include, but are not limited to: contacting the operator of any active
spacecraft involved in such a warning; sharing ephemeris data and other
appropriate operational information with any such operator; and
modifying space station attitude and/or operations.
(6) Applicants for NGSO space stations must describe the extent of
satellite maneuverability.
(7) Applicants must address trackability of the space station(s).
NGSO space station applicants must also disclose: (a) how the operator
plans to identify the space station(s) following deployment and whether
the space station tracking will be active or passive; (b) whether,
prior to deployment the space station(s) will be registered with the
18th Space Control
[[Page 19828]]
Squadron or successor entity; and (c) the extent to which the space
station operator plans to share information regarding initial
deployment, ephemeris, and/or planned maneuvers with the 18th Space
Control Squadron or successor entity, other entities that engage in
space situational awareness or space traffic management functions, and/
or other operators.
(8) NGSO space station applicants must provide additional
disclosures regarding spacecraft disposal, including, for some
applicants, a demonstration that the probability of success of the
chosen disposal method is 0.9 or greater for any individual space
station, and for multi-satellite systems, a demonstration including
additional information regarding efforts to achieve a higher
probability of success.
(B) Space station applicants qualifying for small satellite
streamlined processing. The following are new or modified information
collection requirements contained in Orbital Debris Report and Order
and applicable to those space station applicants qualifying for small
satellite streamlined processing under part 25 of the Commission's
rules:
(1) Applicants must certify that the probability that any
individual space station will become a source of debris by collision
with small debris or meteoroids that would cause loss of control and
prevent disposal is 0.01 (1 in 100) or less.
(2) Applicants must certify that upon receipt of a space
situational awareness conjunction warning, the licensee or operator
will review and take all possible steps to assess the collision risk,
and will mitigate the collision risk if necessary. As appropriate,
steps to assess and mitigate the collision risk should include, but are
not limited to: contacting the operator of any active spacecraft
involved in such a warning; sharing ephemeris data and other
appropriate operational information with any such operator; and
modifying space station attitude and/or operations.
(3) If at any time during the space station(s)' mission or de-orbit
phase the space station(s) will transit through the orbits used by any
inhabitable spacecraft, including the International Space Station,
applicants must provide a description of the design and operational
strategies, if any, that will be used to minimize the risk of collision
and avoid posing any operational constraints to the inhabitable
spacecraft shall be furnished at the time of application.
(4) Applicants must provide a statement identifying characteristics
of the space station(s)' orbits that may present a collision risk,
including any planned and/or operational space stations in those
orbits, and indicating what steps, if any, have been taken to
coordinate with the other spacecraft or system, or what other measures
the licensee plans to use to avoid collision. This requirement also
applies to applicants for streamlined small spacecraft authorizations.
(5) Applicants must provide a statement disclosing how the licensee
or operator plans to identify the space station(s) following deployment
and whether space station tracking will be active or passive; whether
the space station(s) will be registered with the 18th Space Control
Squadron or successor entity prior to deployment; and the extent to
which the space station licensee or operator plans to share information
regarding initial deployment, ephemeris, and/or planned maneuvers with
the 18th Space Control Squadron or successor entity, other entities
that engage in space situational awareness or space traffic management
functions, and/or other operators.
(6) If the applicant's space station(s) will undertake any planned
proximity operations, the applicant must provide a statement disclosing
those planned operations, and addressing debris generation that will or
may result from the proposed operations, including any planned release
of debris, the risk of accidental explosions, the risk of accidental
collision, and measures taken to mitigate those risks.
(7) Applicants must provide a demonstration that the probability of
success of disposal is 0.9 or greater for any individual space station.
Space stations deployed to orbits in which atmospheric drag will, in
the event of a space station failure, limit the lifetime of the space
station to less than 25 years do not need to provide this additional
demonstration.
(C) Geostationary orbit (GSO) space station applicants. The
following new or modified information collection requirements contained
in Orbital Debris Report and Order are applicable to applicants
requesting a modification of an existing licensee for a GSO space
station to extend the space station license term under part 25 of the
Commission's rules: GSO space station licensees seeking a license term
extension through a license modification application must provide a
statement that includes the requested duration of the license
extension; the estimated total remaining space station lifetime; a
description of any single points of failure or other malfunctions,
defects, or anomalies during the space station operation that could
affect its ability to conduct end-of-life procedures as planned, and an
assessment of the associated risk; a certification that remaining fuel
reserves are adequate to complete de-orbit as planned; and a
certification that telemetry, tracking, and command links are fully
functional.
On September 30, 2022, the Commission released a Second Report and
Order, FCC 22-74, IB Docket No. 18-313, titled ``Mitigation of Orbital
Debris in the New Space Age'' (Orbital Debris Second Report and Order).
In Orbital Debris Second Report and Order, the Commission required all
space stations ending their mission in, or passing through, the low
earth orbit (LEO) region, and planning disposal though uncontrolled
atmospheric re-entry following the completion of the mission, to
complete disposal as soon as practicable, and no later than five years
after the end of the mission.
On January 26, 2024, the Commission released an Order on
Reconsideration, FCC 24-6, IB Docket No. 18-313, titled ``Mitigation of
Orbital Debris in the New Space Age'' (Orbital Debris Reconsideration
Order). In Orbital Debris Reconsideration Order, the Commission
dismissed three petitions for reconsideration, including a petition for
reconsideration filed by The Boeing Company, Echostar Satellite
Services, LLC, Hughes Network Services, LLC, Planet Labs Inc., Spire
Global and Telesat Canada. The Orbital Debris Reconsideration Order
upheld the current regulatory environment for orbital debris
mitigation, and provided additional clarity and guidance for satellite
operators while reinforcing the Commission's commitment to space
safety.
These collections are used by the Commission's staff in carrying
out its statutory duties to regulate satellite communications in the
public interest, as generally provided under 47 U.S.C. 151, 154(i),
301, 303, 307, 308, 309, and 310. This collection is also used by staff
in carrying out United States treaty obligations under the World Trade
Organization (WTO) Basic Telecom Agreement. The information collected
is used for the practical and necessary purposes of assessing the
legal, technical, and other qualifications of applicants; determining
compliance by applicants, licensees, and other grantees with Commission
rules and the terms and conditions of their grants; and concluding
whether, and under what conditions, grant of an authorization will
serve the public interest, convenience, and necessity.
As technology advances and new spectrum is allocated for satellite
use, applicants for satellite service will
[[Page 19829]]
continue to submit the information required in 47 CFR part 25. Without
such information, the Commission could not determine whether to permit
respondents to provide telecommunications services in the United
States. Therefore, the Commission would be unable to fulfill its
statutory responsibilities in accordance with the Communications Act of
1934, as amended, and the obligations imposed on parties to the WTO
Basic Telecom Agreement.
Federal Communications Commission.
Marlene Dortch,
Secretary. Office of the Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2024-05847 Filed 3-19-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6712-01-P
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