U.S. telecom regulator launching new space bureau

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) plans to create a new space bureau to address the growing number of satellite launches and policy issues, agency chair Jessica Rosenworcel said.

The FCC plans to restructure its International Bureau into a new Space Bureau and a standalone Office of International Affairs.

"The satellite industry is growing at a record pace, but here on the ground our regulatory frameworks for licensing them have not kept up," Rosenworcel said last Thursday, adding that over the past two years the agency has received applications for 64,000 new satellites and noting the $10 billion investment in space last year by private companies. "A new space age is here. Unlike the first space age, this one is not limited to the prowess of our political superpowers."

The FCC noted that of 10,000 satellites deployed since 1957 more than half are no longer working. "Defunct satellites, discarded rocket cores, and other debris now fill the space environment, creating challenges for current and future missions," the FCC said.

- CyberBeat