Permitted Space Station List – fcc.gov

Conditions:

1. NSS-703 is not authorized to provide any Direct-to-Home (DTH) service, Direct Broadcast Satellite (DBS) service, or Digital Audio Radio Service (DARS) to, from, or within the United States.

2. Communications between ALSAT-designated earth stations and the NSS-703 space station shall be in compliance with all existing and future space station coordination agreements reached between Gibraltar and other Administrations.

3. SES Gibraltars request for a waiver of 47 C.F.R 25.202(g) is GRANTED, as conditioned. Section 25.202(g) requires that telemetry, tracking, and telecommand functions for U.S. domestic satellites shall be conducted at either or both edges of the allocated bands. Frequencies, polarization, and coding shall be selected to minimize interference into other satellite networks and within their own satellite system. SES Gibraltar proposes to place its telemetry, tracking, and telecommand (TT&C) functions near the center of the conventional C-band at the 47.05 W.L. orbital location, which is within the orbital arc that provides coverage to the United States. The NSS-703 space station was placed into operation in 1994 in order to provide service outside of the U.S., and the TT&C frequencies upon which it relies cannot be altered. We grant a limited waiver of Section 25.202(g) subject to the following conditions:

4. SES Gibraltars request for a waiver of Section 25.210(a)(1) of the Commissions rules, 47 C.F.R. 25.210(a)(1) is GRANTED, as conditioned. Section 25.210(a)(1) requires that C-band operations use orthogonal linear polarization. The NSS-703 satellite uses circular polarization. This waiver is based upon the findings that: 1) the space station is in-orbit and the polarization cannot be changed; and 2) there is a minimal potential for harmful interference from operations at this location with circular polarization. As a condition of this waiver, SES Gibraltar must accommodate future space station networks that are compliant with Section 25.210(a)(1). Further, SES Gibraltar must operate NSS-703 pursuant to any coordination agreements for this location.

5. SES Gibraltars request for a waiver of Section 25.210(a)(3) of the Commissions rules, 47 C.F.R. 25.210(a)(3) is GRANTED, as conditioned. Section 25.210(a)(3) requires FSS space stations to be capable of switching polarization sense on ground command. The Commission requires polarity switching capability for two reasons: 1) to provide U.S. licensed space stations with the flexibility to operate at different orbital locations; and 2) to mitigate potential interference between adjacent fixed space station systems transmitting analog television signals. See Telesat Canada, Petition for Declaratory Ruling for Inclusion of ANIK F3 on the Permitted Space Station List, Order, 22 FCC Rcd 588 (Int Bur., Sat. Div. 2007). This waiver is based upon a finding that the ability to switch polarization is not currently necessary to protect other space stations at adjacent orbital locations from harmful interference. As a condition of this waiver, NSS-703s operations must accommodate future space station networks that are compliant with Section 25.210(a)(3). Further, SES Gibraltar must operate NSS-703 pursuant to any coordination agreements for this location.

6. SES Gibraltars request for a waiver of Section 25.210(i) of the Commissions rules, 47 C.F.R. 25.210(i) is GRANTED, as conditioned. Section 25.210(i) requires FSS space station antennas to provide cross-polarization isolation such that the ratio of the on-axis co-polar gain to the crosspolar gain of the antenna in the assigned frequency band is at least 30 dB within its primary coverage area. The performance of the NSS-703 space station is 35 dB for the C-band global beam and 27 dB for all other C-band beams. For its Ku-band spot beams, the worst-case cross polarization isolation is in the 17-20 dB range. We agree that a waiver will not produce a significant increase in interference, except to SES Gibraltar itself. As a condition of this waiver, we will not permit SES Gibraltar to transmit analog video signals in the C-band frequencies into the United States unless it has coordinated such operations with adjacent satellites. Further, SES Gibraltar shall not claim more protection from interference from other licensed radiocommunication systems operating in accordance with Section 25.210(i) of the Commissions rules than it could claim if it met the cross-polarization requirements set forth in the rule.

7. SES Gibraltars request for a waiver of 25.210(j) of the Commissions rules, 47 C.F.R. 25.210(j) is GRANTED, as conditioned. Section 25.210(j) requires geostationary space stations to be maintained within 0.05 of their assigned orbital locations in the East/West direction unless specifically authorized by the Commission to operate with a different longitudinal tolerance. SES Gibraltar requests a waiver to permit NSS-703 to operate with an East/West station-keeping volume of 0.10 as specified in a letter to the Commission from the Radiocommunications Agency Netherlands. SES Gibraltar states that this extended station-keeping volume does not overlap with the station keeping volume of any known operational satellites, nor is SES Gibraltar aware of any proposed satellite to be launched or placed into orbit at the nominal 47 W.L. orbital location in the near term. We grant SES Gibraltars request to operate NSS-703 with 0.10 East/West longitudinal tolerance, as long as no other space station is located within the station-keeping volume of NSS-703. Should such a spacecraft be launched or relocated into the station-keeping volume of NSS-703, but would not overlap a 0.05 East/West station keeping volume, SES Gibraltar will be required to maintain 0.05 East/West station-keeping, or coordinate its operations with that of the other space station.

8. SES Gibraltars request for a waiver of Section 25.211(a) of the Commissions rules, 47 C.F.R. 25.211(a) is GRANTED, as conditioned. Section 25.211(a) provides that downlink analog video transmissions in the C-band shall be transmitted only on a center frequency of 3700+20N MHz, where N=1 to 24, with corresponding uplink frequencies 2225 MHz higher. This waiver grant is based upon SES Gibraltars statement that it does not intend to transmit analog video signals in the C-band frequencies, unless such operations are coordinated with adjacent satellites. Further, as a condition of this waiver, SES Gibraltar must accommodate future space station networks serving the United States that are compliant with Section 25.211(a). In addition, SES Gibraltar must operate NSS-703 pursuant to any coordination agreements for this location.

9. SES Gibraltars request for a waiver of Section 25.114(c)(4)(iii) of the Commission's rules, 47 C.F.R. 25.114(c)(4)(iii), is GRANTED. Section 25.114(c)(4)(iii) requires applicants to identify which antenna beams are connected or switchable to each transponder and tracking, telemetry, and control (TT&C) function. SES Gibraltar has submitted the combined receiver and transmitter filter response characteristics (Section 5.5 and Exhibit D in the Technical Appendix). It also states that the disaggregated filter response characteristics are not available and maintains that the aggregate characteristics it submitted provide sufficient information for an assessment of the interference potential of the satellite. We find that information provided in Section 5.5 and Exhibit D of the Technical Appendix fulfills the requirements of Section 25.114(c)(4)(iii).

10. SES Gibraltars request for a waiver of Section 25.114(c)(10) of the Commissions rules, 47 C.F.R. 25.114(c)(10) is GRANTED, as conditioned. Section 25.114(c)(10) requires applicants to submit information regarding the physical characteristics of the space station, including estimated operational lifetime and reliability of the space station. SES Gibraltar states that it does not have the original reliability estimates because the satellite was transferred to New Skies prior to Intelsats privatization in 2000. We grant the waiver based on SES Gibraltars statements that the NSS-703 space station, launched in 1994, has exceeded all reliability projections as it has survived past its design end-of-life. SES Gibraltar further states that the satellite is in good working condition and expected to survive until its estimated end of life in August 2014.

11. This grant of market access is based on SES Gibraltars representation that it will dispose of the NSS-703 spacecraft at end of life to a minimum altitude of 150 kilometers (perigee) above the geostationary arc, that it has reserved 19.3 kilograms of fuel for this purpose, and that fuel gauging uncertainty has been and will be taken into account in these calculations, using the methods set forth in SES Gibraltars application.

12. This grant of market access is limited to SES Gibraltars use of the NSS-703 space station (Call Sign 2818) at the 47.05 W.L. orbital location and does not convey to SES Gibraltar first-in-line status under the Commissions first-come, first-served processing framework. If SES Gibraltar seeks to operate another space station at this location using the frequencies authorized in this grant, such an application, together with any applications filed by other companies seeking similar authority, would be subject to the first-come, first-served processing framework for geostationary-satellite orbit space stations.

13. This grant of market access will terminate in the event that the NSS-703 space station is relocated from the 47.05 W.L. orbital location or ceases to operate. In either case, NSS-703 will be removed from the Permitted List. If SES Gibraltar wishes to provide service to the U.S. using another space station, it must file a new application to have that space station placed on the Permitted List.

14. SES Gibraltar is afforded 30 days from the date of release of this action to decline the authorization as conditioned. Failure to respond within this period will constitute formal acceptance of the authorization as conditioned.

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Permitted Space Station List - fcc.gov