Dish Network Fined $150,000 by US Government for Space Debris Violation

October 4, 2023

The US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has issued its first fine related to space debris rule violations. Dish Network has been fined $150,000 for failing to properly deorbit its EchoStar-7 satellite, which has been in space for over two decades. Instead of deorbiting the satellite as required, Dish sent it into a “disposal orbit” at a lower altitude, posing a risk of orbital debris.

Background

Dish Network launched the EchoStar-7 satellite into geostationary orbit in 2002.
In 2012, Dish agreed to an orbital debris mitigation plan, which involved moving the satellite to a “graveyard orbit” upon completing its mission to prevent it from posing a risk to active satellites.
In 2022, Dish discovered that the satellite was low on propellant and could not reach its intended destination.
As a result, the satellite ended up only 76 miles (122 km) above the active geostationary orbit areas, significantly off its planned trajectory.

Concerns About Space Debris

Space debris, defined as non-functional artificial objects in Earth’s orbit, has become a growing concern for the FCC.
The presence of old space debris can hinder new satellite missions and pose collision risks to active satellites.
In 2022, the FCC adopted a rule requiring satellite operators to dispose of their satellites within five years of completing their missions to address the space debris issue.

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