Satellite Update—Jan. 23, 2009

On Dec. 5, 2008, Star One S.A. filed a request to modify its previous request for Declaratory Ruling to add its Star One C5 satellite at 68 degrees west longitude (WL) to the Permitted Space Station list. The modification would substitute the technical characteristics of the Star One B1 satellite currently operating at 68 degrees WL for the Star One C5 characteristics.

Star One also asked for a waiver to operate the Star One B1 satellite with an east-west station-keeping tolerance of +/- 0.10 degrees and requested confirmation that this substitution, if granted, would satisfy all applicable milestone and bond requirements for the Star One C5 satellite. Star One requested an extension, if necessary, of the Star One C5 contract execution milestone until 14 days after the Commission rules on the Dec. 5, 2008 request.

XM Radio requested special temporary authority to operate very low power repeaters with less than 10 watts EIRP and signal boosters at less than 0.0001 watts EIRP within the 2320-2345 MHz frequency band at various venues, locations, and dates that cannot yet be identified for a period of up to 180 days. From FCC Report SAT=00573.

The FCC granted an application from Intelsat New Dawn Company Ltd to launch and operate the hybrid C/extended C-band and Ku/extended Ku-band New Dawn space station at 32.8 degrees east longitude (EL). Intelsat North America received special temporary authority (STA) to continue operating the tracking, telemetry and command payload on Intelsat 605 to perform end of life maneuvers boosting the satellite to a disposal orbit above the geostationary arc.

Sirius XM Radio received STA for 60 days, effective Jan. 12, to operate indoor terrestrial repeaters with an average EIRP of up to 10 watts and boosters with EIRP up to 0.0001 watts at trade shows and other indoor locations, such as automobile industry promotional events, press and marketing events, and investor relations events. From FCC Report SAT-00574.

Doug Lung

Doug Lung is one of America's foremost authorities on broadcast RF technology. As vice president of Broadcast Technology for NBCUniversal Local, H. Douglas Lung leads NBC and Telemundo-owned stations’ RF and transmission affairs, including microwave, radars, satellite uplinks, and FCC technical filings. Beginning his career in 1976 at KSCI in Los Angeles, Lung has nearly 50 years of experience in broadcast television engineering. Beginning in 1985, he led the engineering department for what was to become the Telemundo network and station group, assisting in the design, construction and installation of the company’s broadcast and cable facilities. Other projects include work on the launch of Hawaii’s first UHF TV station, the rollout and testing of the ATSC mobile-handheld standard, and software development related to the incentive auction TV spectrum repack.
A longtime columnist for TV Technology, Doug is also a regular contributor to IEEE Broadcast Technology. He is the recipient of the 2023 NAB Television Engineering Award. He also received a Tech Leadership Award from TV Tech publisher Future plc in 2021 and is a member of the IEEE Broadcast Technology Society and the Society of Broadcast Engineers.