The Federal Communications Commission has passed new rules meant to provide commercial space launch operators access to spectrum resources needed for communications during satellite launches and science exploration missions.
The FCC rules will expand allocation in the 2025 to 2110 MHz band to support ground-to-launch vehicle telecommand and free up the entire 2200 to 2290 MHz band for launch telemetry, the commission said Thursday.
With the new policy, a non-exclusive licensing framework and technical rules will be established to provide commercial launch providers with the predictability they need to carry out their operations.
FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel said allocating airwaves for commercial space launches “will make our process simpler and more open to new entrants.”
“It will better facilitate coordination with our federal partners through the use of a frequency coordinator,” added Rosenworcel, who first introduced the spectrum rules in late July.
According to the FCC, 79 commercial space launches occurred in 2022, up from nine launches in 2015.
The move marks the latest effort in advancing the commission’s Space Innovation agenda.
