Page 58 - SAMENA Trends - April 2020

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USAF's Space Surveillance Telescope Move to Western Australia

In partnership with the Australian Ministry regime. First light is a significant milestone testing regime before officially entering
of Defense, the U.S. Space Force’s (USSF) in meeting this objective. It means that service in 2022. Once operational, the
Space and Missile Systems Center’s course alignment of the telescope optics SST will become part of the global Space
(SMC) Space Surveillance Telescope (SST) with the wide field of view camera has Surveillance Network, providing Space
Program recently achieved “first light” on been completed to allow the first images of Domain Awareness for the United States,
March 5, 2020, reaching a key milestone objects in orbit to be seen by the telescope. Australia and their key allies. The Royal
after it was moved from White Sands Missile The collaboration and installation of the Australian Air Force will operate SST with
Range, New Mexico, to Harold E. Holt SST in Australia included the successful oversight and management by the USSF
Naval Communications Station in Western completion of an Australian purpose- 21st Space Wing once the telescope
Australia. Moving the SST to Australia built facility with mission-enabling site is operational. Gordon Kordyak, SMC
satisfied a critical objective to improve infrastructure and a 2-Megawatt Central Special Programs Directorate Space
the broader USSF Space Surveillance Power Station for powering the telescope Domain Awareness Division Chief said
Network’s ground-based electro-optical and the site. Moving forward, SST will this key Space Domain Awareness, or SDA,
coverage of the geosynchronous space undergo a comprehensive integration and partnership builds on the long history of
close defense space cooperation between
the United States and Australia and has
been a cornerstone of our continued
alliance. Lani Smith, SMC Special Programs
Directorate Deputy Director added that
whether it is space traffic management
or the protection and defense of critical
space-based capabilities, delivering
sensors that continuously improve our
ability to maintain real-time awareness of
the space domain is essential to facilitate
the broader needs of both the U.S. and
Australia. The SST program, which is
a jointly operated program, represents
delivery of our next iteration of sensing
capability to meet this need.

FCC Approves Ligado’s L-Band Network Plan

The FCC unanimously approved Ligado’s and Democratic lawmakers and Pentagon determining that a terrestrial network can
application to deploy a low-power officials came out against the proposal, be deployed in the L-band to advance our
terrestrial nationwide network in the as Defense Daily reported. The FCC country’s economic and security interests
L-band to support 5G and Internet of said specifically that Ligado’s downlink while fully protecting GPS. Our spectrum
Things services (IoT). The Commission’s operations will be at a power level 99% can be very instrumental in the transition
announcement came on Monday after reduced from what the company proposed to 5G, and we look forward to utilizing
Chairman Ajit Pai circulated a draft order in 2015. In addition, Ligado is required satellite and terrestrial services to deploy
last week to approve Ligado’s proposal. to protect adjacent band incumbents customized private networks and deliver
Various stakeholders including the U.S. by reporting its base station locations innovative, next-generation IoT solutions
Department of Defense (DoD), the GPS and technical operating parameters to for the industrial sector,” Smith said in
Innovation Alliance (GPSIA), and Iridium potentially affected government and a statement. GPSIA Executive Director
opposed the FCC’s draft order because industry stakeholders, monitor the transmit J. David Grossman said in a Monday
such a network could negatively interfere power of its base station sites, and respond statement that the organization is “deeply
with Global Positioning System (GPS) to credible reports of interference. Ligado disappointed” by the FCC’s decision and
receivers, but the FCC said that conditions President and CEO Doug Smith thanked the will be reviewing the restrictions on Ligado
to its approval will ensure those operations FCC for “promptly” approving the order. “We to prevent interference.
are protected from interference. After the greatly appreciate their unanimous support
draft order was circulated, both Republican as well as the expert engineering analysis

58 APRIL 2020