Satellite Update – Oct. 20, 2011

By Doug Lung
published


Information on these actions is from FCC Report SAT-00815.

  • •The FCC International Bureau's Satellite Division granted ESES Americom's request to extend the authorization for AMC-1 operating on conventional C-band and Ku-band frequencies at 103 degrees west longitude (WL) for another five years, until October 16, 2016. AMC-1 was launched on September 8, 1996. By the time its authorization expires, this Lockheed Martin A2100 spacecraft has already been in operation over 15 years! The A2100 has been extremely reliable. SES Americom was also granted authority to conduct telemetry, tracking and telecommand (TT&C) operations necessary to place AMC-1 into a disposal orbit at the end of its operational life.
  • •SES Satellites' (Gibraltar) NSS-703 is now on the Commissions Permitted Space station use. U.S. licensed earth stations with "ALSAT" designated as a point of communication now have authority to provide fixed satellite service (FSS) to, from, or within the United States by accessing NSS-703 at 47.05 degrees WL using conventional C- and Ku-bands. Note that NSS-703, while authorized for the entire Ku-band uplink band (14.0-14.5 GHz) is only authorized for 11.7-11.95 GHz (space-to-Earth).
  • •EchoStar received special temporary authority (STA) for 60 days to continue to operate EchoStar 6 at 76.95 degrees WL with feeder links in the 17.3-17.8 GHz band and service links (space-to-Earth) in the 12.2-12.7 GHz band on Direct Broadcast Satellite channels 1-32. TT&C is authorized on 17.305 GHz (command Earth-to-space) and 12.203 GHz and 12.204 GHz (space-to-Earth) for telemetry and beacon links.


The only application listed in last week's FCC Report SAT-00814 was a request for STA from EchoStar Corporation to operate and continue to conduct TT&C with EchoStar 3 at 61.45 degrees WL using 12.2-12.7 GHz (space-to-Earth) and 17.3-17.8 GHz (Earth-to-space) for 180 days, the maximum time allowed under a STA.

Doug Lung
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.