One of 2022’s Notable Nine: Jessica Rosenworcel, FCC

Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel is simultaneously raising the profile of space within the Federal Communications Commission and the FCC within the space industry. In November 2022, Chairwoman Rosenworcel announced plans to create a new Space Bureau within the agency. Space topics, like licensing satellites, had for decades been a part of the FCC’s International Bureau, but she argued the proposed reorganization would free up resources to address the growing number of satellites, particularly in broadband mega-constellations. “You can’t just keep doing things the old way and expect to lead in the new,” she said in a speech announcing the proposed reorganization. A little more than a month earlier, Rosenworcel and her fellow commissioners voted unanimously on a new rule for deorbiting satellites. Both moves show that the FCC wants to take a bigger role in commercial space regulation. The industry has welcomed some of those efforts, including the proposed Space Bureau. Some, though, are wary of other efforts, including the new deorbiting rule and recent dockets on FCC roles in the satellite servicing field. They worry the FCC could be seeking to expand its role even as the National Space Council develops its own approach to overseeing new space activities. 

[12/23/2022]