STATEMENT OF COMMISSIONER JESSICA ROSENWORCEL Re: Space Exploration Holdings, LLC, Application for Approval for Orbital Deployment and Operating Authority for the SpaceX NGSO Satellite System, IBFS File No. SAT-LOA- 20161115-0018; Call Sign S2983; Application for Approval for Orbital Deployment and Operating Authority for the SpaceX NGSO Satellite System Supplement, SAT-LOA- 20170726-00110, Call Sign S3018 A next-generation space race is unfolding. We are seeing new commercial models, players, and technologies coming together to pioneer a wide range of cool satellite services. This is undeniably exciting. However, this rush to develop new space opportunities requires new rules. Despite the revolutionary activity in our atmosphere, the regulatory frameworks we rely on to shape these efforts are dated. They were designed for a time when going to space was astronomically expensive and limited to the prowess of our political superpowers. No one imagined commercial tourism taking hold, no one believed crowd-funded satellites were possible, and no one could have conceived of the sheer popularity of space entrepreneurship. Across the board, we need to prepare for the proliferation of satellites in our higher altitudes. In short, we have work to do. There are two places we can start. First, the FCC has to tackle the growing challenge posed by orbital debris. Today, the risk of debris-generating collusions is reasonably low. But they’ve already happened—and as more actors participate in the space industry and as more satellites of smaller size that are harder to track are launched, the frequency of these accidents is bound to increase. Unchecked, growing debris in orbit could make some regions of space unusable for decades to come. That is why we need to develop a comprehensive policy to mitigate collision risks and ensure space sustainability. Second, the FCC must coordinate more closely with other federal actors to figure out what our national policies are for this jumble of new space activity. Right now, the National Space Council is considering policy changes to help promote the growth of the commercial space industry. Their efforts encompass everything from streamlining licenses to reforming export controls to protecting airwaves facilitating space activities. Its membership spans the civil, military, and commercial sectors, including the Secretary of State, Secretary of Defense, Secretary of Transportation, Secretary of Homeland Security, and Director of National Intelligence. Representatives from the Office of Management and Budget, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and the Joint Chiefs of Staff, among others, also serve on this council. It’s an impressive list. But the FCC should have a seat at this table. It’s a glaring omission that the agency does not because through our oversight of the airwaves and licensing of satellite services we have an important role ensuring the viability of space for future generations. Cutting the FCC out of this discussion is an unseemly mistake—and one that deserves a fix.