FCC Proposed Actions on Launch Vehicle Communications

[gongora]

If you've been keeping up with the SpaceX documents regarding the internet constellation or SpaceX testimony at Congressional hearings and the National Space Council, you may have noticed some mentions of the FCC rules for licensing launch vehicle communications.  This has been in the works since 2013 (and also deals with a couple of other space communications issues) under Docket Number EB 13-115 and document RM-11341.

The FCC Items on Circulation page shows this action as being circulated in January 2017, so they should be actively working on it now.

From the launch vehicle standpoint, the new rules could allow launch providers to get a longer term license to cover their launch vehicle communications instead of filing for a STA for each individual launch.  While that would be great for the launch providers, it would reduce our visibility into the launch queues 

Attached are the RM-11341 document that explains the proposals, and also a response that SpaceX filed in 2013.  There are many other documents if you want to look through them on the FCC site.  Most of the recent ones are just notices that various groups had a meeting with FCC personnel about the issue.

I assume that somewhere is a more recent document with the rules actually being circulated for approval, but I don't know if that would be public yet?