§  5.63   Supplementary statements required.

   (a) Each applicant for an authorization in the Experimental Radio
   Service must enclose with the application a narrative statement
   describing in detail the program of research and experimentation
   proposed, the specific objectives sought to be accomplished; and how
   the program of experimentation has a reasonable promise of contribution
   to the development, extension, or expansion, or utilization of the
   radio art, or is along lines not already investigated. An applicant may
   request non-disclosure of proprietary information submitted under this
   part. These requests should follow the procedures for submission set
   forth in §  0.459 of this chapter.

   (b) If the authorization is to be used for the purpose of fulfilling
   the requirements of a contract with an agency of the United States
   Government, the applicant shall submit a narrative statement describing
   the project, the name of the contracting agency, and the contract
   number.

   (c) If the authorization is to be used for the sole purpose of
   developing equipment for exportation to be employed by stations under
   the jurisdiction of a foreign government, the applicant shall submit a
   narrative statement describing the project, any associated contract
   number, and the name of the foreign government concerned.

   (d) The provisions of paragraph (a) of this section shall not be
   applicable to applications for an authorization in the Experimental
   Radio Service to be used for communications essential to a research
   project in which other means of communications are inadequate or not
   available. In such cases, applicants shall include as part of the
   application for an authorization the following:

   (1) A description of the nature of the research project being
   conducted.

   (2) A showing that communications facilities are necessary for the
   research project involved.

   (3) A showing that existing communications facilities are inadequate or
   unavailable.

   (e) Except where the satellite system has already been authorized by
   the FCC, applicants for an experimental authorization involving a
   satellite system must submit a description of the design and
   operational strategies the satellite system will use to mitigate
   orbital debris, including the following information:

   (1) A statement that the space station operator 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;

   (2) A statement that the space station operator 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;

   (3) A statement that the space station operator 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 operator 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;

   (4) 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.

   [ 63 FR 64202 , Nov. 19, 1998, as amended at  69 FR 54586 , Sept. 9, 2004]

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