The FCC’s agenda at its next meeting includes an item for “Weird Space Stuff”
In releasing its agenda for its upcoming March 26, 2026 open meeting, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) included one very intriguing item entitled “Spectrum Abundance for Weird Space Stuff.”
In reviewing the fact sheet [pdf] for this particular agenda item, it appears the commission is focused on finding ways to maximize the use of some communications spectrum for more than one purpose. The commission wants to do this because it is anticipating a lot of new demand coming from what it calls “emergent space activities or emergent space operations.” As the fact sheet then notes:
In the geopolitical race to commercialize and dominate the Final Frontier, historic levels of private investment have paved the way for the engineering marvels and daring endeavors that now take place in outer space. Once the province of science fiction, American companies are now upgrading, relocating, and servicing satellites; 1. manufacturing pharmaceuticals in space; 2. building private inhabitable spacecraft; 3. and conducting private robotic missions to the surface of the Moon. 4. Emergent space operations like these depend on the use of radiocommunications for their spacecraft, but they are not the type of communications satellites that have traditionally commanded much of the Commission’s regulatory attention.
Spectrum is a critical component of all space operations. Even for spacecraft that do not provide radiocommunications services to the public, reliable spectrum access is mandatory for safety functions like telemetry, tracking, and command (TT&C) to control spacecraft in orbit. American innovators, however, currently face an acute shortage of usable and readily accessible spectrum for TT&C, and that spectrum crunch threatens to delay — or even prevent — the growth of domestic space technologies and jeopardize U.S. leadership in the booming global space economy. [emphasis mine]
In other words, the FCC is trying to find other spectrum, allocated for other purposes but available at other times, that can be provided to these new in-space operations for this telemetry, tracking, and command functions. To do this it appears it will need to rewrite some of its regulations, and this agenda item raises the issues involved in doing so.
And most interestingly, it is even considering allowing the marketplace solve the problem, by allowing licensees to lease their allocated spectrum to others. The FCC would limit such actions to the spectrum the FCC determines best for these multiple uses, but it is considering setting up rules to allow such freedom.
What an idea! Let free enterprise find a way to use the electromagnetic spectrum in the most efficient way possible.
No decision has been made, and we should expect the Democrats on the commission to oppose this, simply because. Nonetheless, it is a refreshing policy proposal.
Hat tip to reader Steve Golson, who notes quite correctly, “It’s good to see FCC trying to help rather than hinder.” Amen to that.
On Christmas Eve 1968 three Americans became the first humans to visit another world. What they did to celebrate was unexpected and profound, and will be remembered throughout all human history. Genesis: the Story of Apollo 8, Robert Zimmerman's classic history of humanity's first journey to another world, tells that story, and it is now available as both an ebook and an audiobook, both with a foreword by Valerie Anders and a new introduction by Robert Zimmerman.
The print edition can be purchased at Amazon or from any other book seller. If you want an autographed copy the price is $60 for the hardback and $45 for the paperback, plus $8 shipping for each. Go here for purchasing details. The ebook is available everywhere for $5.99 (before discount) at amazon, or direct from my ebook publisher, ebookit. If you buy it from ebookit you don't support the big tech companies and the author gets a bigger cut much sooner.
The audiobook is also available at all these vendors, and is also free with a 30-day trial membership to Audible.
"Not simply about one mission, [Genesis] is also the history of America's quest for the moon... Zimmerman has done a masterful job of tying disparate events together into a solid account of one of America's greatest human triumphs."--San Antonio Express-News
In releasing its agenda for its upcoming March 26, 2026 open meeting, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) included one very intriguing item entitled “Spectrum Abundance for Weird Space Stuff.”
In reviewing the fact sheet [pdf] for this particular agenda item, it appears the commission is focused on finding ways to maximize the use of some communications spectrum for more than one purpose. The commission wants to do this because it is anticipating a lot of new demand coming from what it calls “emergent space activities or emergent space operations.” As the fact sheet then notes:
In the geopolitical race to commercialize and dominate the Final Frontier, historic levels of private investment have paved the way for the engineering marvels and daring endeavors that now take place in outer space. Once the province of science fiction, American companies are now upgrading, relocating, and servicing satellites; 1. manufacturing pharmaceuticals in space; 2. building private inhabitable spacecraft; 3. and conducting private robotic missions to the surface of the Moon. 4. Emergent space operations like these depend on the use of radiocommunications for their spacecraft, but they are not the type of communications satellites that have traditionally commanded much of the Commission’s regulatory attention.
Spectrum is a critical component of all space operations. Even for spacecraft that do not provide radiocommunications services to the public, reliable spectrum access is mandatory for safety functions like telemetry, tracking, and command (TT&C) to control spacecraft in orbit. American innovators, however, currently face an acute shortage of usable and readily accessible spectrum for TT&C, and that spectrum crunch threatens to delay — or even prevent — the growth of domestic space technologies and jeopardize U.S. leadership in the booming global space economy. [emphasis mine]
In other words, the FCC is trying to find other spectrum, allocated for other purposes but available at other times, that can be provided to these new in-space operations for this telemetry, tracking, and command functions. To do this it appears it will need to rewrite some of its regulations, and this agenda item raises the issues involved in doing so.
And most interestingly, it is even considering allowing the marketplace solve the problem, by allowing licensees to lease their allocated spectrum to others. The FCC would limit such actions to the spectrum the FCC determines best for these multiple uses, but it is considering setting up rules to allow such freedom.
What an idea! Let free enterprise find a way to use the electromagnetic spectrum in the most efficient way possible.
No decision has been made, and we should expect the Democrats on the commission to oppose this, simply because. Nonetheless, it is a refreshing policy proposal.
Hat tip to reader Steve Golson, who notes quite correctly, “It’s good to see FCC trying to help rather than hinder.” Amen to that.
On Christmas Eve 1968 three Americans became the first humans to visit another world. What they did to celebrate was unexpected and profound, and will be remembered throughout all human history. Genesis: the Story of Apollo 8, Robert Zimmerman's classic history of humanity's first journey to another world, tells that story, and it is now available as both an ebook and an audiobook, both with a foreword by Valerie Anders and a new introduction by Robert Zimmerman.
The print edition can be purchased at Amazon or from any other book seller. If you want an autographed copy the price is $60 for the hardback and $45 for the paperback, plus $8 shipping for each. Go here for purchasing details. The ebook is available everywhere for $5.99 (before discount) at amazon, or direct from my ebook publisher, ebookit. If you buy it from ebookit you don't support the big tech companies and the author gets a bigger cut much sooner.
The audiobook is also available at all these vendors, and is also free with a 30-day trial membership to Audible.
"Not simply about one mission, [Genesis] is also the history of America's quest for the moon... Zimmerman has done a masterful job of tying disparate events together into a solid account of one of America's greatest human triumphs."--San Antonio Express-News
When The Going Gets Weird, The Weird Turn Pro
The above is from a galaxy far, far away, and a great Grateful Dead shirt / concert.
“”Spectrum Abundance for Weird Space Stuff””
I believe it would be news to find something in space that is NOT weird.
Also a Hunter S Thompson quote!