Timeline: 2002 - Dish Network launches EchoStar-7 with a 10 year license from the FCC 2004 - FCC passes new Orbital Debris Mitigation rules, grandfathering ex

Timeline: 2002 - Dish Network launches EchoStar-7 with a 10 year license from the FCC 2004 - FCC passes new Orbital Debris Mitigation rules, grandfathering existing satellites[1] 2012 - Dish Network applies for a license extension, which includes provisions according to the new rules 2020 - FCC updates debris mitigation rules[2] 2022 - Dish Network notices unexpected fuel loss, and begins moving satellite to graveyard orbit, but only makes it 122km instead of the required 300km. 2022 - FCC updates debris mitigation rules again[3] I had remembered recent press releases about new debris mitigation rules and my first reaction when reading this story was surprise that the FCC was applying the new rules to a satellite launched over 20 years ago, but it appears that is not the case. Dish Network is being fined according to rules that were in place when they requested their license extensions, not the more recent rules. [1] https://www.fcc.gov/document/mitigration-orbital-debris https://www.fcc.gov/document/mitigration-orbital-debris [2] https://www.fcc.gov/document/fcc-updates-orbital-debris-mitigation-rules-new-space-age-0 https://www.fcc.gov/document/fcc-updates-orbital-debris-miti... [3] https://www.fcc.gov/document/fcc-adopts-new-5-year-rule-deorbiting-satellites-0 https://www.fcc.gov/document/fcc-adopts-new-5-year-rule-deor...