§  97.207   Space station.

   Link to an amendment published at  85 FR 52453 , Aug. 25, 2020.

   (a) Any amateur station may be a space station. A holder of any class
   operator license may be the control operator of a space station,
   subject to the privileges of the class of operator license held by the
   control operator.

   (b) A space station must be capable of effecting a cessation of
   transmissions by telecommand whenever such cessation is ordered by the
   FCC.

   (c) The following frequency bands and segments are authorized to space
   stations:

   (1) The 17 m, 15 m, 12 m, and 10 m bands, 6 mm, 4 mm, 2 mm and 1 mm
   bands; and

   (2) The 7.0-7.1 MHz, 14.00-14.25 MHz, 144-146 MHz, 435-438 MHz,
   2400-2450 MHz, 3.40-3.41 GHz, 5.83-5.85 GHz, 10.45-10.50 GHz, and
   24.00-24.05 GHz segments.

   (d) A space station may automatically retransmit the radio signals of
   Earth stations and other space stations.

   (e) A space station may transmit one-way communications.

   (f) Space telemetry transmissions may consist of specially coded
   messages intended to facilitate communications or related to the
   function of the spacecraft.

   (g) The license grantee of each space station must make the following
   written notifications to the International Bureau, FCC, Washington, DC
   20554.

   (1) A pre-space notification within 30 days after the date of launch
   vehicle determination, but no later than 90 days before integration of
   the space station into the launch vehicle. The notification must be in
   accordance with the provisions of Articles 9 and 11 of the
   International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Radio Regulations and must
   specify the information required by Appendix 4 and Resolution No. 642
   of the ITU Radio Regulations. The notification must also include a
   description of the design and operational strategies that the space
   station will use to mitigate orbital debris, including the following
   information:

   (i) A statement that the space station licensee has assessed and
   limited the amount of debris released in a planned manner during normal
   operations, and has assessed and limited the probability of the space
   station becoming a source of debris by collisions with small debris or
   meteoroids that could cause loss of control and prevent post-mission
   disposal;

   (ii) A statement that the space station licensee has assessed and
   limited the probability of accidental explosions during and after
   completion of mission operations. This statement must include a
   demonstration that debris generation will not result from the
   conversion of energy sources on board the spacecraft into energy that
   fragments the spacecraft. Energy sources include chemical, pressure,
   and kinetic energy. This demonstration should address whether stored
   energy will be removed at the spacecraft's end of life, by depleting
   residual fuel and leaving all fuel line valves open, venting any
   pressurized system, leaving all batteries in a permanent discharge
   state, and removing any remaining source of stored energy, or through
   other equivalent procedures specifically disclosed in the application;

   (iii) A statement that the space station licensee has assessed and
   limited the probability of the space station becoming a source of
   debris by collisions with large debris or other operational space
   stations. Where a space station will be launched into a low-Earth orbit
   that is identical, or very similar, to an orbit used by other space
   stations, the statement must include an analysis of the potential risk
   of collision and a description of what measures the space station
   operator plans to take to avoid in-orbit collisions. If the space
   station licensee is relying on coordination with another system, the
   statement must indicate what steps have been taken to contact, and
   ascertain the likelihood of successful coordination of physical
   operations with, the other system. The statement must disclose the
   accuracy--if any--with which orbital parameters of non-geostationary
   satellite orbit space stations will be maintained, including apogee,
   perigee, inclination, and the right ascension of the ascending node(s).
   In the event that a system is not able to maintain orbital tolerances,
   i.e., it lacks a propulsion system for orbital maintenance, that fact
   should be included in the debris mitigation disclosure. Such systems
   must also indicate the anticipated evolution over time of the orbit of
   the proposed satellite or satellites. Where a space station requests
   the assignment of a geostationary-Earth orbit location, it must assess
   whether there are any known satellites located at, or reasonably
   expected to be located at, the requested orbital location, or assigned
   in the vicinity of that location, such that the station keeping volumes
   of the respective satellites might overlap. If so, the statement must
   include a statement as to the identities of those parties and the
   measures that will be taken to prevent collisions;

   (iv) A statement detailing the post-mission disposal plans for the
   space station at end of life, including the quantity of fuel--if
   any--that will be reserved for post-mission disposal maneuvers. For
   geostationary-Earth orbit space stations, the statement must disclose
   the altitude selected for a post-mission disposal orbit and the
   calculations that are used in deriving the disposal altitude. The
   statement must also include a casualty risk assessment if planned
   post-mission disposal involves atmospheric re-entry of the space
   station. In general, an assessment should include an estimate as to
   whether portions of the spacecraft will survive re-entry and reach the
   surface of the Earth, as well as an estimate of the resulting
   probability of human casualty.

   (v) If any material item described in this notification changes before
   launch, a replacement pre-space notification shall be filed with the
   International Bureau no later than 90 days before integration of the
   space station into the launch vehicle.

   (2) An in-space station notification is required no later than 7 days
   following initiation of space station transmissions. This notification
   must update the information contained in the pre-space notification.

   (3) A post-space station notification is required no later than 3
   months after termination of the space station transmissions. When
   termination of transmissions is ordered by the FCC, the notification is
   required no later than 24 hours after termination of transmissions.

   [ 54 FR 25857 , June 20, 1989, as amended at  54 FR 39535 , Sept. 27, 1989;
    56 FR 56171 , Nov. 1, 1991;  57 FR 32736 , July 23, 1992;  60 FR 50124 ,
   Sept. 28, 1995;  63 FR 68980 , Dec. 14, 1998;  69 FR 54588 , Sept. 9, 2004;
    71 FR 66462 , Nov. 15, 2006;  75 FR 27201 , May 14, 2010]