ARLA/CLUSTER: IARU alinha as Directrizes de Coordenação de Satélites com as decisões da WRC-15 da UIT

[João Costa > CT1FBF]

IARU aligns Satellite Coordination Guidelines with ITU WRC-15 decisions

As the global federation of national associations of radio amateurs in
more than 150 countries, the International Amateur Radio Union (IARU)
for many years has provided frequency coordination services for
amateur satellites free of charge

Often these satellites are constructed by students at universities and
other institutions as a part of their educational experience. In
general, they have been licensed to operate in the amateur-satellite
service, which is defined by the Radio Regulations of the
International Telecommunication Union (ITU) as having the "...purpose
of self-training, intercommunication and technical investigations
carried out by amateurs, that is, by duly authorized persons
interested in radio technique solely with a personal aim and without
pecuniary interest."

Some administrations have issued experimental licenses for such
satellites operating in amateur-satellite frequency bands. The IARU
has coordinated these satellites as well, to reduce the possibility of
harmful interference that might result from uncoordinated operation.
Since 1 July 2014 it has not been possible to coordinate experimental
satellites in the 144-146 MHz band because of the high probability of
harmful interference in this heavily used band.

Educational satellite projects have grown in popularity as launch
opportunities have increased. In 2012 the ITU World Radiocommunication
Conference took note of the proliferation of what in Resolution 757
(WRC-12) it called "nanosatellites and picosatellites" and invited
WRC-18 (now scheduled for 2019) to consider steps to facilitate their
deployment and operation. Two Reports, ITU-R SA.2312 (09/2014) and
ITU-R SA.2348 (05/2015), are instructive regarding the
characteristics, definitions, spectrum requirements, and notification
procedures of and for such satellites, which generally must use
spectrum below 1 GHz for operational reasons.

At the following WRC in 2015, in place of Resolution 757 the Member
States of the ITU adopted Resolution 659 (WRC-15) in which it was
noted that the use of 144-146 MHz and 435-438 MHz by non-amateur
satellites is not in accordance with the definition of the
amateur-satellite service in the Radio Regulations. Resolution 659
cites the two reports mentioned above and makes it clear that the
spectrum needs of what are now called "non-geostationary satellites
with short duration missions" should be met either within the service
in which the space station is operating or within the space operation
service. Further, if new or upgraded allocations to the space
operation service are required, studies should be limited to the
frequency ranges 150.05-174 MHz and 400.15-420 MHz.

Accordingly, effective 1 August 2017 the IARU will be following
revised guidelines for satellite frequency coordination.

The strong preference is for all satellites using spectrum allocated
to the amateur and amateur-satellite services to operate under amateur
licenses and within the definition of the amateur-satellite service
and the service-specific Article 25 of the Radio Regulations. The IARU
believes the definition is sufficiently broad to encompass nearly all
educational satellite projects that include giving students hands-on
experience with radiocommunication and are conducted under an amateur
license.

The IARU will only coordinate a non-amateur satellite if an
administration directs in writing that it be operated in an
amateur-satellite band under an experimental or other non-amateur
license.

Satellites with combined amateur and non-amateur missions will
continue to be coordinated.

IARU Satellite Frequency Coordination
http://www.iaru.org/satellite.html

IARU Satellite Coordination Status pages
http://www.amsat.org.uk/iaru/