Quote from: RedLineTrain on 03/09/2021 10:30 pmOn Friday, Musk spoke with Acting Chairwoman Rosenworcel about the modification requested last April. Looks like there is a flurry of effort by SpaceX to finish the request and its competitors to keep the conversation going.One interesting statement by SpaceX is that Amazon may have abandoned its system entirely. That would be big news, if true!Not a native speaker, but I read it as a jab at Amazon for focusing too much on lobbying and obstructing SpaceX's plans rather than building their constellation.
On Friday, Musk spoke with Acting Chairwoman Rosenworcel about the modification requested last April. Looks like there is a flurry of effort by SpaceX to finish the request and its competitors to keep the conversation going.One interesting statement by SpaceX is that Amazon may have abandoned its system entirely. That would be big news, if true!
Gateway filing for Ketchikan, Alaska
The Commission has previously granted experimental authority to test these sameuser terminals at various locations within the United States.3 In order to expand itsassessment of the end-to-end capabilities of its satellite system, SpaceX seeks authorizationto expand these experimental operations to include three additional areas of operation: (1)Aboard recovery vessels (a) anchored in port, (b) in transit to predetermined landing zones,and (c) on station at those landing zone sites in U.S. territorial waters in the Pacific Ocean.Recovery vessels operating in the Pacific Ocean will be anchored at the Port of Los Angeles(33.72°N, 118.27°W). (2) Aboard recovery vessels (a) anchored in port, (b) in transit topredetermined landing zones, and (c) on station at those landing zone sites in U.S. territorialwaters in the Gulf of Mexico. Recovery vessels operating in the Gulf of Mexico will beanchored at Port Canaveral, FL (28.41°N, 80.62°W); Port of Brownsville, TX (25.97°N97.36°W); and Pascagoula, MS (30.34°N 88.51°W). (3) Aboard vehicles within 5 km of BocaChica Village, TX, (26.00°N, -97.16°W) at altitudes not to exceed 12.5 km. These operationswill only occur on the ground in Boca Chica Village, TX or during test flights of durations notto exceed eight minutes. Such authority would enable SpaceX to obtain critical dataregarding the operational performance of its user terminals and the SpaceX NGSO systemmore broadly.
SpaceX requests Special Temporary Authority to operate a single user terminal within5 km of Boca Chica Village, TX (26.00°N, -97.16°W) on an experimental basis at altitudes notto exceed 12.5 km. The authority requested herein will be sharply limited in duration: SpaceXrequests to operate under this STA for a period of only 60 days, beginning on April 20, 2020,or the date on which the STA requested herein is granted, whichever is later. Theseoperations will only occur on the ground or during test flights of durations not to exceedeight minutes. This user terminal will be electrically identical to earth stations alreadyauthorized under SpaceX’s blanket earth station authorization1 as well as its pendingapplication for experimental authorization to operate a limited number of user terminalsaboard aircraft.
SpaceX requests Special Temporary Authority to operate two (2) mobile ground-baseduser terminal within 300 km of Redmond, Washington (47.6941°N, 122.0327°W) on anexperimental basis. The authority requested herein will be limited in duration: SpaceX requests tooperate under this STA for a period of only 60 days, beginning on April 20, 2020 or the date onwhich the STA requested herein is granted, whichever is later. One user terminal will beelectrically identical to earth stations already authorized under SpaceX’s blanket earth stationauthorization and one will be a new user terminal type....Like those previously authorized, the tests requested here are designed to demonstrate theability to transmit to and receive information from a moving vehicle on the ground. Nothing aboutthese experiments will change the operation of SpaceX spacecraft, which will continue to operateas authorized. As discussed below, these proposed operations will not adversely affect any otherauthorized spectrum user, including geostationary orbit (“GSO”) satellite systems.SpaceX will analyze the data link performance and installation options for the mobile userterminals. In order to complete the link with its satellites, SpaceX will use gateway earth stationsauthorized by the Commission for communications with the Starlink system. Communicationswith the satellites will be limited to a minimum elevation of 25 degrees above the horizon at alltimes during testing. Supplemental information on the new terminal performance characteristicscan be found in Exhibit 1 of the subject application....(table below for the user terminals in this request)
New response to all the responses by SpaceX: https://licensing.fcc.gov/myibfs/download.do?attachment_key=5940089
SpaceX presented the attached fact sheet with an accurate chronology of events that demonstrates the coordination was successful and there was never a risk of a collision. Despite recent reports to the contrary, the parties made clear that there was no "close call" or "near miss." SpaceX and OneWeb agreed that they had conducted a successful coordination, resulting in a positive outcome. The probability of collision never exceeded the threshold for a maneuver, and the satellites would not have collided even if no maneuver had been conducted. As further detailed in the attached fact sheet, and despite OneWeb's previous public claims, SpaceX's autonomous collision avoidance system was and remains fully functional at all times. SpaceX only turned off the capability at OneWeb's explicit request after OneWeb decided to conduct a maneuver.
OneWeb 's misleading public statements coincide with OneWeb's intensified efforts to prevent SpaceX from completing a safety upgrade to its system. For instance, immediately after the first inaccurate quotes came out in media accounts, OneWeb met with Commission staff and Commissioners demanding unilateral conditions placed on SpaceX’s operations. Ironically, the conditions demanded by OneWeb would make it more difficult to successfully coordinate operations going forward, demonstrating more of a concern with limiting competitors than with a genuine concern for space safety.
Well, the recent encounter between Starlink and OneWeb satellites just got more interesting.Basically, the two companies had a conference call where they discussed the physical coordination of the satellites which was successful and there was never a risk of collision. SpaceX also states that OneWeb explicitly requested SpaceX to turn off their autonomous collision avoidance system.Additionally, the document states that even if there had not been any maneuver conducted, the satellites would have not collided. In the rest of the document, SpaceX trashes OneWeb.https://licensing.fcc.gov/myibfs/download.do?attachment_key=6212177
