Media Contact: 
Will Wiquist, (202) 418-0509
will.wiquist@fcc.gov

For Immediate Release

ACTING CHAIRWOMAN ROSENWORCEL PROPOSES MAKING SPECTRUM AVAILABLE FOR COMMERCIAL SPACE LAUNCHES
Proposed Rules and Further Notice to Be Voted on at the FCC’s April Open Meeting
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WASHINGTON, March 31, 2021—FCC Acting Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel today shared a proposal with her colleagues that would bolster the U.S. commercial space industry by improving access to spectrum needed for successful rocket launches.  Currently, the frequencies used to support space launches are allocated exclusively for federal agency uses, and private space travel and satellite launch companies request temporary authority from the FCC for each launch.

“With the support of the FCC, 2021 is shaping up to be a record-setting year for commercial space launches.  However, despite the revolutionary activity in our atmosphere, the regulatory frameworks we rely on to support these efforts are dated,” said Acting Chairwoman Rosenworcel.  “With today’s proposal the US is leading the way in developing predictable and transparent rules to support this growing industry.” 

A robust, innovative, and competitive commercial space sector is vital for American leadership in space.  The commercial space sector has grown tremendously in recent decades, from a handful of commercial satellites in the 1960s to an industry that today provides a variety of communications services to consumers, businesses, and governments around the world.  In addition, the United States is poised to be a world leader in space exploration and commercialization with many activities increasingly being shifted from government to the private sector as evidenced by the increasing reliance on private spaceports to support launch activities rather than federal launch ranges. 

Commercial space launches today must apply for and receive Special Temporary Authority on from the FCC on an ad-hoc basis to share the federal spectrum during the launch.  The proposed Report and Order circulated today would, if adopted, add a non-federal, secondary allocation in the 2200-2290 MHz band.  This new allocation would limit use of the band to transmissions from space launch vehicles during pre-launch testing and space launch operations.

This proposal is a key step in providing certainty and predictability for commercial space launches.  To that end, this proposal also includes a Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to move toward establishing the necessary technical and service rules to support a more consistent licensing process.  


The full agenda for the April Open Commission meeting will be outlined later today by Acting Chairwoman Rosenworcel in her latest Notes from the Acting Chairwoman: https://go.usa.gov/xshCf.  The formal agenda and public drafts of the agenda items will be available tomorrow at: https://go.usa.gov/xshCM. . 

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Media Relations: (202) 418-0500 / ASL: (844) 432-2275 / Twitter: @FCC / www.fcc.gov 

This is an unofficial announcement of Commission action.  Release of the full text of a Commission order constitutes official action.  See MCI v. FCC, 515 F.2d 385 (D.C. Cir. 1974).