Space Regulatory Glossary Regulations

orbital debris mitigation plan

noun

1. A required component of FCC satellite license applications describing the measures an operator will take to minimize the creation of orbital debris during and after the mission, including post-mission disposal strategy.
2. Must address collision avoidance procedures, probability of accidental explosion, trackability of the spacecraft, and the method and timeline for post-mission disposal. Under a rule adopted in 2022 and effective since September 2024, the FCC requires LEO operators to complete disposal within five years of mission end.

Read: The FCC 5-Year Deorbit Rule

Related terms

Five-Year Rule An FCC rule adopted in September 2022 (effective September 2024) requiring satellite operators in low Earth orbit to… orbital debris Non-functional human-made objects in Earth orbit, including defunct satellites, spent rocket stages, fragmentation… deorbit The deliberate removal of a spacecraft from its operational orbit, typically through controlled reentry into Earth's… FCC The Federal Communications Commission. The U.S. federal agency responsible for regulating interstate and international…

Mentioned in The Downlink

• Vector Search and Embeddings for Regulatory Filings

  Keyword search misses regulatory filings written in another agency's vocabulary. How vector embeddings, hybrid retrieval, and domain-specific benchmarks enable cross-agency semantic search over FCC, ITU, UNOOSA, and FAA data.

• How Satellite Licensing Works: A Complete Guide

  FCC, FAA, NOAA, and ITU filing processes, costs, timelines, and common mistakes. A plain-language guide to U.S. satellite licensing.

• The FCC 5-Year Deorbit Rule Explained

  The FCC cut satellite disposal timelines from 25 years to 5. Who it applies to, how operators comply, and what happens if they don't.

Browse all terms in the Space Regulatory Glossary →