Small Satellite Regulation in 2021

Small satellite innovation has advanced rapidly over the past decade, and regulators are working hard to keep up. In August 2020, a new streamlined licensing process became available at the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for certain small satellite missions to bring satellite licensing procedures up to date with technological innovation. This new optional licensing process applies to small satellites meeting certain criteria, such as a constellation of ten or fewer satellites, a wet mass of 180 kg or less, a shorter in-orbit lifetime, and a low orbital debris risk. The streamlined licensing process provides for reduced fees and decreased regulatory barriers for qualifying satellite operators, enabling the deployment of low-cost commercial satellite systems that were previously untenable under the FCC’s rules. This new process provides operators with an intermediate licensing option in addition to the FCC’s existing processes for satellite authorization, including its experimental, amateur, and standard Part 25 commercial satellite licensing procedures, giving small satellite operators flexibility to choose the licensing procedure that best matches their operational and spectrum needs. Operators with satellite systems meeting the criteria for streamlined licensing have already started to apply for FCC authorizations, and there are lessons to be learned from FCC review and grant of these early applications. The rules governing orbital debris mitigation, space situational awareness and space traffic management have also evolved. In addition to the FCC, satellite licensing involves a variety of other federal agencies. As part of the FCC authorization process, the FCC will coordinate spectrum use with the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) if federal systems operate in the same spectrum. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) licenses commercial launch and reentry vehicles well as commercial spaceports. Commercial remote sensing satellites require a license from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The Departments of Commerce and State license exports of space technology

Small Satellite Regulation in 2020

Small satellite innovation has advanced at a rapid pace over the past decade, but until recently satellite licensing procedures have lagged behind technological innovation, imposing significant regulatory and financial burdens on small satellite operators during early stages of system development. In late 2019, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) adopted rules creating a new, optional licensing process for small satellites meeting certain criteria, such as a wet mass of 180 kg or less, a shorter in-orbit lifetime, and a low orbital debris risk. Satellite systems meeting these and other criteria may apply for FCC authorization or U.S. market access under a streamlined application process with reduced fees, decreasing barriers to entry for qualifying operators and enabling the deployment of low-cost satellite systems. This new licensing process is in addition to the FCC’s existing processes for satellite authorization, including its experimental (part 5), amateur (part 97), and standard commercial satellite licensing procedures (part 25). Small satellite operators seeking to provide service in the United States now have a variety of licensing options to choose from, and will need to select the licensing procedure that best matches their operational and spectrum needs. In addition to the FCC, satellite licensing involves a variety of other federal agencies. As part of the FCC authorization process, the FCC will coordinate spectrum use with the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA). The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) licenses commercial launch and reentry vehicles well as commercial spaceports. Commercial remote sensing satellites require a license from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The Departments of Commerce and State license exports of space technology. The Department of State also maintains a registry of U.S. space objects. This paper gives an overview of the licensing and authorization regimes in the United States as they apply to small satellite operations

Thermodynamic Scaling of the Viscosity of Van Der Waals, H-Bonded, and Ionic Liquids

Viscosities and their temperature, T, and volume, V, dependences are reported for 7 molecular liquids and polymers. In combination with literature viscosity data for 5 other liquids, we show that the superpositioning of relaxation times for various glass-forming materials when expressed as a function of TV^g, where the exponent g is a material constant, can be extended to the viscosity. The latter is usually measured to higher temperatures than the corresponding relaxation times, demonstrating the validity of the thermodynamic scaling throughout the supercooled and higher T regimes. The value of g for a given liquid principally reflects the magnitude of the intermolecular forces (e.g., steepness of the repulsive potential); thus, we find decreasing g in going from van der Waals fluids to ionic liquids. For strongly H-bonded materials, such as low molecular weight polypropylene glycol and water, the superpositioning fails, due to the non-trivial change of chemical structure (degree of H-bonding) with thermodynamic conditions.Comment: 16 pages 7 figure

High throughput genomic sequencing of bioaerosols in broiler chicken production facilities

Chronic inhalation exposure to agricultural dust promotes the development of chronic respiratory diseases among poultry workers. Poultry dust is composed of dander, chicken feed, litter bedding and microbes. However, the microbial composition and abundance has not been fully elucidated. Genomic DNA was extracted from settled dust and personal inhalable dust collected while performing litter sampling or mortality collection tasks. DNA libraries were sequenced using a paired-end sequencing-by-synthesis approach on an Illumina HiSeq 2500. Sequencing data showed that poultry dust is predominantly composed of bacteria (64–67%) with a small quantity of avian, human and feed DNA (\u3c 2% of total reads). Staphylococcus sp. AL1, Salinicoccus carnicancri and Lactobacillus crispatus were the most abundant bacterial species in personal exposure samples of inhalable dust. Settled dust had a moderate relative abundance of these species as well as Staphylococcus lentus and Lactobacillus salivarius. There was a statistical difference between the microbial composition of aerosolized and settled dust. Unlike settled dust composition, aerosolized dust composition had little variance between samples. These data provide an extensive analysis of the microbial composition and relative abundance in personal inhalable poultry dust and settled poultry dust

Horizon Profile Checkpoints For Low-Altitude Aircraft

A technique for utilizing on-board sensed horizon profiles and computer stored reference horizon profiles to provide navigation check points for low-altitude aircraft is described. The technique has been analyzed using digitized terrain data and computer simulations to select the best method of horizon profile comparison, to determine horizon data density requirements, and to provide performance comparisons, system error limitations, and tradeoffs. Results of these analyses are shown to support feasibility conclusions and system parameter tradeoffs. Copyright © 1976 by The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc