Federal Communications Commission FCC 18-162 STATEMENT OF COMMISSIONER JESSICA ROSENWORCEL Re: Space Exploration Holdings, LLC Application for Approval for Orbital Deployment and Operating Authority for the SpaceX V-band NGSO Satellite System, IBFS File No. SAT-LOA-20170301-00027; In the Matter of Kepler Corporation Petition for Declaratory Ruling to Grant Access to the U.S. Market for Kepler’s NGSO FSS System, IBFS File No. SAT-PDR-20161115-00114; In the Matter of Telesat Canada Petition for Declaratory Ruling to Grant Access to the U.S. Market for Telesat’s V-band NGSO Constellation, IBFS File No. SAT-PDR-20170301-00023;In the Matter of LeoSat MA, Inc., Petition for Declaratory Ruling Concerning U.S. Market Access for the LeoSat Ka-band Low-Earth Orbit Satellite System, IBFS File No. SAT-PDR-20161115-00112. The United Nations is well known for its Human Development Index. It’s a lot like a national report card. It’s a composite of indicators involving life expectancy, education, and per capita income. As indices go, this one gets all the glory at the General Assembly. But there’s another United Nations index that deserves some time in the spotlight—and that’s the Index of Objects Launched into Outer Space. Moreover, it’s one that directly informs our satellite work at the Federal Communications Commission. According to this index, there are currently 4,857 satellites orbiting the globe. If you start counting from the fall of 1957, when Russia’s Sputnik became earth’s first artificial star, a total of 8,126 objects have been launched into space. Now consider this. Today this agency is approving more than 7,500 new satellites for orbit. That’s on top of more than 4,500 new satellites already authorized this year. Then consider that we have another 1,200 proposed satellites still in our pipeline for review. Do the math. It adds up to a next-generation space race. New commercial models, players, and technologies are coming together and rapidly multiplying the range of satellite services. With these services come all kinds of opportunities. They include new capacities to connect more people in more places, use scarce resources more efficiently, support expanded access to education and health care, and grow economies beyond the limits of today’s terrestrial networks. In other words, they could help with improving the very sorts of things that are measured by the United Nations in its Human Development Index. This is exciting. Of course, increasing the number of satellites in orbit like this brings new challenges. That’s because left unchecked, the growing amount of debris in orbit could make some regions of space unusable for decades to come. This should concern us all—because junking up our far altitudes will constrain our ability to innovate, connect, and make progress with satellite systems. 4 2