Satellite Update for Sept. 7, 2012


From FCC Report SAT-00893, “Satellite Space Applications Accepted for Filing”:

• New Skies Satellites B.V. filed a Petition for Declaratory Ruling for SES-6 to be added to the Permitted List. New Skies requested SES-6, located at 40.5 degrees west longitude (WL), be permitted to provide fixed satellite service (FSS) to the U.S. market using 3625-3700 MHz, 3700-4200 MHz, 4500-4800 MHz, 10.95-11.2 GHz, 11.2-11.45 GHz, 11.45-11.7 GHz, and 11.7-12.2 GHz (space-to-Earth) and 5850-5925 MHz, 5925-6425 MHz, 6725-7025 MHz, 11.7-12.2 GHz, 13.75-14.0 GHz and 14.0-14.5 GHz (Earth-to-space). This application requests use of C-band frequencies not commonly used in the United States. New Skies also requested authority to provide direct-to-home service from SES-6 within the United States, between the United States and the Netherlands, between the United States and other European Union member stations, between the United States and Mexico and between the United States and Brazil, the Netherlands Antilles, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, and Cayman Islands. New Skies requested several waivers of FCC rules in connection with these requests.

• Orbcomm License Corp filed an amendment to its application to modify its non-voice, non-geostationary mobile satellite service (Little LEO) system. Changes include a revision of its deployment plan for its next-generation satellites, revision of its orbital debris mitigation showing and details of the launch mission profile for its first next-generation satellite. This profile would place its first satellite in a circular operational orbit with a target inclination of 51.7 degrees at a target altitude of 750 kilometers in a separate, single-satellite orbital plane. The remaining 17 next-generation satellites would be deployed in four evenly phased orbital planes, with three planes consisting of four satellites each, and the fourth plane consisting of five satellites, each plane with a target inclination of 52 degrees and target operational altitude of 750 kilometers. Part of the filing also requested modification or waiver to extend by six months its fourth satellite implementation milestone requiring Orbcomm to complete construction of and launch its first two next-generation satellites by Sept. 21, 2012, and to require deployment of one satellite instead of two.

From FCC Report SAT-00894, “Actions Taken”:

• The FCC International Bureau’s Satellite Division granted Dish Operating LLC special temporary authority (STA) for 180 days to continue to operate EchoStar 7 using its authorized DBS channels 1-21 at 118.8 degrees WL.

DirecTV Enterprises LLC received special temporary authority (STA) for 60 days, commencing September 3, 2012, to conduct telemetry, tracking and command (TT&C) operations necessary to drift DirecTV 1R from 109.8 degrees WL to 56.16 east longitude (EL) using specified Ku-band frequencies.

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.