The Federal Communications Commission ( FCC ) wants to reduce space debris in orbit around the planet.
The Federal Communications Commission ( FCC ) of the United States has proposed a maximum deadline to eliminate dead satellites in space.
According to the measure, which must still be voted on in the US parliament, the companies responsible for non-geostationary satellites must eliminate dead units in up to five years.
This is the FCC measure for dead satellites
So far, there are only “voluntary” guidelines indicated by NASA, who in 1990 asked companies to remove dead satellites in a maximum of 25 years.
However, the FCC ‘s proposal is intended to be mandatory for operators and companies that wish to remain in the US market.
“We believe that it is no longer sustainable to leave satellites in LEO [low Earth orbit] to go out of orbit for decades,” the entity states in its proposal.
Satellites already in space would be exempt from the new guidelines .
The FCC said it would also grant waivers on a case-by-case basis after NASA raised concerns that the five-year limit would affect its CubeSat missions.
Space junk on the rise
The measure comes due to the great concern that the authorities maintain about the large amounts of space debris.
Every year the number of rockets and satellites in space is growing, with more debris threatening the operation of ships, including the International Space Station (ISS).
The proposed measure provides that organizations that already hold approval for launches into space in the near future have an exception to the measure.