SpaceX and OneWeb satellites didn't have a close call in space after all: report
- by Space.com
- Apr 27, 2021
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However, OneWeb hasn't made this retraction. "OneWeb made no such offer to retract any previous statements made to the press," OneWeb said in a response letter it filed with its legal firm Sheppard Mullin. "OneWeb simply noted during the meeting that press coverage can sometimes be erroneous in certain respects – a fact noted by SpaceX itself when requesting the FCC meeting in the first place. OneWeb stands by its story as reported to the press."
The letter from SpaceX contends that the probability of collision was never so high that they couldn't have fixed it with a maneuver in-orbit. And the two companies did orchestrate a maneuver to decrease the probability of collision. However, "the satellites would not have collided even if no maneuver had been conducted," the letter reads.
"OneWeb's misleading public statements coincide with OneWeb's intensified efforts to prevent SpaceX from completing a safety upgrade to its system," the letter continues. "For instance, immediately after the first inaccurate quotes came out in media accounts, OneWeb met with Commission staff and Commissioners demanding unilateral conditions placed on SpaceX operations."
These media statements referenced in the letter were made by OneWeb's head lobbyist, according to a fact sheet about the event provided by SpaceX from a conference call on April 20, which is available within the same letter to the FCC.
Additionally, in the fact sheet, it was stated that 18 SPCS and LeoLabs, Inc., a company that provides space debris tracking services, reported significantly different distances between the two satellites. 18 SPCS reported a distance of 3,674 feet (1,120 meters) while LeoLabs stated it was 3,517 feet (1,072 meters).
SpaceX also name-drops satellite operator Viasat in the letter, suggesting that miscommunications such as this are jeopardizing safety in space overall.
"Both Viasat and OneWeb have argued forcefully that they should be exempt from Commission rules for orbital debris mitigation due to their status as non-U.S. operators," the letter states. The letter continues and urges the FCC to act on a SpaceX petition that the company has put forth to extend the FCC's orbital debris for all companies operating in orbit around Earth.
Currently, there is no global or even national, regulation or organization that could mandate satellite operators like OneWeb or SpaceX to move satellites or conduct specific maneuvers if there is a risk of collision. However, SpaceX recently signed a Space Act Agreement with NASA to steer its Starlink satellites out of the way of the International Space Station or any other agency spacecraft if they get too close. This is a major shift as, just last year, the orbiting lab had to adjust its orbit a number of times to avoid potential collisions with objects in orbit.
Email Chelsea Gohd at cgohd@space.com or follow her on Twitter @chelsea_gohd. Follow us on Twitter @Spacedotcom and on Facebook.
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