US space agency NASA has objected to the FCC over Blue Origin’s ‘Project Sunrise’ application to deploy approximately 51,600 satellites in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) at altitudes between 500 km and 1,800 km.
While supporting commercial innovation, NASA emphasises that the constellation’s scale raises significant safety and sustainability concerns for its human spaceflight and science missions.
NASA, in its filing, said: “Consistent with NASA’s commitment to sustainable space operations and responsible approaches to space traffic management, orbital debris mitigation, and debris remediation, NASA has submitted similar comments on other large constellation proposals.”
“NASA appreciates Blue Origin’s commitments to sharing ephemeris and maneuver plans, designing the system for post mission disposal, and considering astronomy impact mitigations. However, the limited technical detail contained in the application and the absence of an orbital debris mitigation plan make it unclear whether the proposed technical design and coordination measures will suffice to support spaceflight safety measures. Given the range of operational altitudes and the ambiguity of orbital parameters for the proposed system, launch windows may also be impacted,” added NASA.
The filing stated: “NASA understands the importance of American superiority in space, fostering continued commercial innovation. The Blue Origin Project Sunrise constellation requires commensurate transparency, technical rigor, and coordination to ensure long-term safety and sustainability of the space environment. Early and sustained technical engagement between NASA and Blue Origin is essential to develop appropriate mitigation strategies, preserve safe access to space, and ensure that this large-scale system does not compromise human spaceflight, national assets, or the scientific use of the space environment.”