§ 97.207   Space station.

   (a)  Any amateur station may be a space station. A holder of any class
   operator license may be the control operator of a space station, subject to
   the  privileges  of  the class of operator license held by the control
   operator.

   (b)  A  space  station  must  be  capable  of effecting a cessation of
   transmissions by telecommand whenever such cessation is ordered by the FCC.

   (c) The following frequency bands and segments are authorized to space
   stations:

   (1) The 17 m, 15 m, 12 m, and 10 m bands, 6 mm, 4 mm, 2 mm and 1 mm bands;
   and

   (2) The 7.0-7.1 MHz, 14.00-14.25 MHz, 144-146 MHz, 435-438 MHz, 2400-2450
   MHz, 3.40-3.41 GHz, 5.83-5.85 GHz, 10.45-10.50 GHz, and 24.00-24.05 GHz
   segments.

   (d) A space station may automatically retransmit the radio signals of Earth
   stations and other space stations.

   (e) A space station may transmit one-way communications.

   (f) Space telemetry transmissions may consist of specially coded messages
   intended to facilitate communications or related to the function of the
   spacecraft.

   (g)  The license grantee of each space station must make the following
   written notifications to the International Bureau, FCC, Washington, DC
   20554.

   (1) A pre-space notification within 30 days after the date of launch vehicle
   determination, but no later than 90 days before integration of the space
   station into the launch vehicle. The notification must be in accordance with
   the provisions of Articles 9 and 11 of the International Telecommunication
   Union (ITU) Radio Regulations and must specify the information required by
   Appendix  4  and  Resolution No. 642 of the ITU Radio Regulations. The
   notification must also include a description of the design and operational
   strategies that the space station will use to mitigate orbital debris,
   including the following information:

   (i) A statement that the space station licensee 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;

   (ii) A statement that the space station licensee 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;

   (iii) A statement that the space station licensee 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 licensee 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;

   (iv) 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.

   (v) If any material item described in this notification changes before
   launch,  a  replacement pre-space notification shall be filed with the
   International Bureau no later than 90 days before integration of the space
   station into the launch vehicle.

   (2)  An in-space station notification is required no later than 7 days
   following initiation of space station transmissions. This notification must
   update the information contained in the pre-space notification.

   (3) A post-space station notification is required no later than 3 months
   after termination of the space station transmissions. When termination of
   transmissions is ordered by the FCC, the notification is required no later
   than 24 hours after termination of transmissions.

   [ 54 FR 25857 , June 20, 1989, as amended at  54 FR 39535 , Sept. 27, 1989;  56 FR 56171 , Nov. 1, 1991;  57 FR 32736 , July 23, 1992;  60 FR 50124 , Sept. 28,
   1995;  63 FR 68980 , Dec. 14, 1998;  69 FR 54588 , Sept. 9, 2004;  71 FR 66462 ,
   Nov. 15, 2006;  75 FR 27201 , May 14, 2010]

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