Sec.  5.63   Supplementary statements required.

   (a) Each applicant for an authorization in the Experimental Radio Service
   must enclose with the application a narrative statement describing in detail
   the  program  of  research  and experimentation proposed, the specific
   objectives sought to be accomplished; and how the program of experimentation
   has a reasonable promise of contribution to the development, extension, or
   expansion, or utilization of the radio art, or is along lines not already
   investigated.  An  applicant may request non-disclosure of proprietary
   information submitted under this part. These requests should follow the
   procedures for submission set forth in  Sec. 0.459 of this chapter.

   (b) If the authorization is to be used for the purpose of fulfilling the
   requirements of a contract with an agency of the United States Government,
   the applicant shall submit a narrative statement describing the project, the
   name of the contracting agency, and the contract number.

   (c) If the authorization is to be used for the sole purpose of developing
   equipment for exportation to be employed by stations under the jurisdiction
   of a foreign government, the applicant shall submit a narrative statement
   describing the project, any associated contract number, and the name of the
   foreign government concerned.

   (d) The provisions of paragraph (a) of this section shall not be applicable
   to applications for an authorization in the Experimental Radio Service to be
   used for communications essential to a research project in which other means
   of communications are inadequate or not available. In such cases, applicants
   shall include as part of the application for an authorization the following:

   (1) A description of the nature of the research project being conducted.

   (2) A showing that communications facilities are necessary for the research
   project involved.

   (3) A showing that existing communications facilities are inadequate or
   unavailable.

   (e) Except where the satellite system has already been authorized by the
   FCC, applicants for an experimental authorization involving a satellite
   system must submit a description of the design and operational strategies
   the satellite system will use to mitigate orbital debris, including the
   following information:

   (1) A statement that the space station operator has assessed and limited the
   amount of debris released in a planned manner during normal operations, and
   has assessed and limited the probability of the space station becoming a
   source of debris by collisions with small debris or meteoroids that could
   cause loss of control and prevent post-mission disposal;

   (2) A statement that the space station operator has assessed and limited the
   probability of accidental explosions during and after completion of mission
   operations.  This  statement  must include a demonstration that debris
   generation will not result from the conversion of energy sources on board
   the spacecraft into energy that fragments the spacecraft. Energy sources
   include chemical, pressure, and kinetic energy. This demonstration should
   address whether stored energy will be removed at the spacecraft's end of
   life, by depleting residual fuel and leaving all fuel line valves open,
   venting  any  pressurized system, leaving all batteries in a permanent
   discharge state, and removing any remaining source of stored energy, or
   through  other  equivalent  procedures  specifically  disclosed in the
   application;

   (3) A statement that the space station operator has assessed and limited the
   probability of the space station becoming a source of debris by collisions
   with large debris or other operational space stations. Where a space station
   will be launched into a low-Earth orbit that is identical, or very similar,
   to an orbit used by other space stations, the statement must include an
   analysis  of the potential risk of collision and a description of what
   measures  the  space  station operator plans to take to avoid in-orbit
   collisions. If the space station operator is relying on coordination with
   another system, the statement must indicate what steps have been taken to
   contact, and ascertain the likelihood of successful coordination of physical
   operations  with,  the  other  system. The statement must disclose the
   accuracy—if any—with which orbital parameters of non-geostationary satellite
   orbit  space  stations  will be maintained, including apogee, perigee,
   inclination, and the right ascension of the ascending node(s). In the event
   that a system is not able to maintain orbital tolerances, i.e., it lacks a
   propulsion system for orbital maintenance, that fact should be included in
   the  debris mitigation disclosure. Such systems must also indicate the
   anticipated evolution over time of the orbit of the proposed satellite or
   satellites.  Where  a  space  station  requests  the  assignment  of a
   geostationary-Earth orbit location, it must assess whether there are any
   known satellites located at, or reasonably expected to be located at, the
   requested orbital location, or assigned in the vicinity of that location,
   such that the station keeping volumes of the respective satellites might
   overlap. If so, the statement must include a statement as to the identities
   of those parties and the measures that will be taken to prevent collisions;

   (4) A statement detailing the post-mission disposal plans for the space
   station at end of life, including the quantity of fuel—if any—that will be
   reserved for post-mission disposal maneuvers. For geostationary-Earth orbit
   space stations, the statement must disclose the altitude selected for a
   post-mission disposal orbit and the calculations that are used in deriving
   the disposal altitude. The statement must also include a casualty risk
   assessment if planned post-mission disposal involves atmospheric re-entry of
   the space station. In general, an assessment should include an estimate as
   to whether portions of the spacecraft will survive re-entry and reach the
   surface of the Earth, as well as an estimate of the resulting probability of
   human casualty.

   [ 63 FR 64202 , Nov. 19, 1998, as amended at  69 FR 54586 , Sept. 9, 2004]