Mitigation of Orbital Debris

The Federal Communications Commission (“Commission”) requests that the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) approve a revision of the information collection titled “Mitigation of Orbital Debris,” under OMB Control No. 3060-1013, as a result of changes adopted in the Commission’s 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), and released on April 24, 2020. In the 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.

The latest form for Mitigation of Orbital Debris expires 2027-05-31 and can be found here.