FCC Chairman Brendan Carr recently previewed a new Commission initiative aimed at bringing “spectrum abundance” to what he described as “weird space stuff,” a category encompassing emerging space operations such as orbital laboratories, satellite repairs, and private inhabitable spacecraft. The proposal would initiate a formal rulemaking later this month to examine how the FCC’s spectrum framework can better support these next‑generation missions.

If adopted at the FCC’s March 26, 2026 open meeting, the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) would focus on ensuring reliable access to spectrum for telemetry, tracking, and command (TT&C) functions used by spacecraft that are not communications satellites, but which depend on secure radio links for basic control and safety operations. Chairman Carr emphasized that predictable spectrum access is critical for these activities and for maintaining U.S. leadership in a competitive global space economy.

According to the NPRM, American innovators currently face an “acute shortage” of readily accessible TT&C spectrum, a constraint that could delay the deployment of new space technologies. The NPRM would explore ways to provide greater regulatory clarity for these “emergent space activities,” including by revisiting how existing FCC rules classify and authorize space operations so that emergent operations have more predictable spectrum access.

In addition, the NPRM would examine whether more flexible approaches could help alleviate near‑term spectrum constraints. Among the concepts flagged for comment is the possibility of allowing emergent spacecraft to “piggyback” on authorized spectrum access—permitting a spacecraft to operate in a band it would not otherwise be eligible to use when operating in coordination with a spacecraft already authorized in that band. The Commission appears interested in whether such arrangements could leverage existing allocations more efficiently while longer‑term solutions are developed.

The proposal builds on the FCC’s broader effort to modernize its space communications framework, including recent proceedings to make additional spectrum available for next‑generation connectivity services and a comprehensive review of licensing and regulatory requirements for space operations. The proposal has been circulated for tentative consideration by the Commission at its March 26, 2026 open meeting.