Electro Optic Systems digital image. (AFP via Getty Images)

The US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) announced that it had imposed its initial penalty on a company for breaching its anti-space debris regulation, The Guardian reported.

Dish Network has been fined $150,000 by the commission for neglecting to bring down its EchoStar-7 satellite, which has been in space for over twenty years. Rather than following the correct procedure for de-orbiting the satellite, Dish placed it in a "disposal orbit" at a lower altitude, creating a risk of orbital debris.

In a statement that disclosed the Dish settlement, Enforcement Bureau Chief Loyaan A. Egal said: “As satellite operations become more prevalent and the space economy accelerates, we must be certain that operators comply with their commitments.”

“This is a breakthrough settlement, making very clear the FCC has strong enforcement authority and capability to enforce its vitally important space debris rules,” Egal added.

Back in 2002, Dish Network placed the satellite into geostationary orbit, which is situated at around 22,000 miles (36,000km) above the Earth's surface. In 2012, the company committed to an orbital debris management plan that stipulated that after finishing its mission, the EchoStar-7 satellite would be relocated to a "graveyard orbit," located 186 miles (300km) above its operational position, ensuring it wouldn't pose a threat to other active satellites.

However, in 2022, Dish Network discovered that the satellite had depleted its propellant reserves and wouldn't have sufficient fuel to maneuver the satellite to its planned location. Consequently, the satellite was only able to reach an altitude of 76 miles (122 km) above the areas where active geostationary orbits are situated, which is 178 km below its intended destination.

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has expressed an increasing worry about space debris, which they broadly define as non-functional artificial objects orbiting Earth. They emphasize that the longer old debris remains in orbit, the more challenging it becomes for new satellites to initiate and successfully conclude their missions.

In response to this concern, in 2022, the FCC implemented a regulation that mandates satellite operators to remove their satellites within five years of completing their missions.

In a 2022 statement that accompanied the announcement of the rule, FCC chair Jessica Rosenworcel said: "Right now there are thousands of metric tons of orbital debris in the air above – and it is going to grow.”

“We need to address it. Because if we don’t, this space junk could constrain new opportunities,” he added.