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Oct 5, 2023

Why the first-ever space junk fine is such a big deal

Posted by in category: satellites

A fine handed to the US TV firm Dish by the FCC could help kick-start the market for solutions to space debris.

We’ve just taken a major step toward cleaning up space junk. On Monday, October 2, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in the US issued its first fine for space debris, ordering the US TV provider Dish to pay $150,000 for failing to move one of its satellites into a safe orbit.

“It is definitely a very big symbolic moment for debris mitigation,” says Michelle Hanlon, a space lawyer at the University of Mississippi. “It’s a great step in the right direction.”

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