FCC OKs EchoStar spectrum sales with $2.4B escrow

- The FCC approved EchoStar’s sale of satellite spectrum rights, subject to conditions. - EchoStar must place $2.4 billion into an escrow account as part of the transaction safeguards. - The decision clears regulatory hurdles for the buyer to acquire the licensed spectrum assets. - The approval includes

- Suggests a Kessler cascade would likely begin in LEO, which contains many vehicles at varied inclinations. - Notes simulations show rapid secondary-debris spread, and posits higher-inclination fragments may intersect more and spread faster. - Asks how quickly fragments are transported to higher orbits versus being cleared at lower altitudes

- The post asks how quickly debris from a Kessler syndrome cascade in LEO would spread vertically to higher orbits versus remaining in the originating orbital shell. - It notes simulations show rapid lateral spread of debris, especially from large collisions, and suggests higher-inclination fragments might intersect populated near-equatorial orbits