Amazon has received approval from the Federal Communications Commission for its updated orbital debris mitigation plan for a project to deploy and operate a Ka-band constellation of more than 3,000 satellites in non-geostationary orbit to provide broadband service.
The FCC clearance grants the application of Amazon’s Kuiper Systems subsidiary to modify its license for its Project Kuiper satellite constellation, the commission said Wednesday.
The approval requires Kuiper to comply with several conditions, including the submission to FCC of semi-annual reports that detail the collision avoidance maneuvers performed by its satellites.
The clearance also comes with post-mission disposal conditions. Kuiper will remove satellites from orbit at the end of their seven-year mission by reducing the spacecraft’s perigee to about 350 kilometers and ensure that its satellites have sufficient propellant to maintain collision avoidance capabilities.
“We adopt requirements for Kuiper to report mitigation actions taken to avoid collisions in space and to coordinate and collaborate with NASA to ensure continued availability of launch windows and on other matters,” FCC wrote in the order and authorization document.
Amazon received initial FCC approval for Project Kuiper in July 2020.
