Frequency License - Approval In Principle

Author: Levente Buzas

The launch and operation of any spacecraft requires government approval. ORCASat is no exception to this. Various licenses and permits need to be obtained which deal with a wide range of areas like exporting the spacecraft to the launch provider, or radio communication. 

One key area where a license is required is the radio transmitter on board of the spacecraft. This falls under the jurisdiction of Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED), and it is obtained through the CPC-2-6-02 licensing process. Without this, the launch provider will not place ORCASat to orbit, so it is critical to obtain this license in a timeline manner, because its absence can result in the failure of the project.

The ORCASat TT&C team has started the preparation of a license application in November 2018, not long after the project has been kicked off. After numerous revisions, this application was submitted to ISED on July 5, 2021, and an approval in principle was received on November 10, 2021. This approval in principle means that if the relevant components of ORCASat are constructed and tested as described, a radio licence will be issued.

Obtaining a frequency license approval is a major milestone in the development of ORCASat, as it guarantees that the spacecraft can be launched if it is built as per the license conditions. The ORCASat team is grateful for the privilege of using UHF amateur satellite spectrum for this mission. We would like to thank all of those at the CSA, ISED, IARU and RAC who made this possible.

As a next step, the ORCASat TT&C team will start the licensing process for the ground station, following the procedures set out in CPC-2-6-01. This has not been possible so far, because it depends on having a license for the space station. We will post an update on this once some progress is made.