The American federal communications agency FCC announced the punishment on Monday. DISH receives a fine of 150,000 dollars, equivalent to more than 140,000 euros.
The EchoStar-7 was launched in 2002. It orbited the Earth at a distance of about 36,000 kilometers. That is a normal workplace for communications satellites, far above observation satellites and space stations. DISH and FCC agreed in 2012 that the satellite would use its last bit of fuel at the end of its life to fly to a ‘graveyard’ in space. There it would not pose a danger to other satellites.
When the time came ten years later and the end of the satellite was approaching, it turned out that there was no longer enough fuel on board. As a result, EchoStar-7 remains a danger to other communications satellites in that high orbit. “Now that we are increasingly using satellites and the space economy is growing, companies must stick to their agreements. This measure is a breakthrough,” the FCC said.
There are thousands of satellites and many more pieces of debris orbiting the Earth at high speed. When they collide, they break into smaller pieces. The more space debris there is, the greater the chance of more collisions and the creation of even more waste. Due to the high speeds, even the smallest pieces of debris can be dangerous.