SPACE is shown in the U.S.S.R. outer space budget which exceeds the U.S. by 3 billion dollars annually. The Soviets may quadruple their current annual 18 billiondollar effort by the year 2000, as they expand manned space station operations and unmanned operations (5). The Soviet expenditure estimate compares with a total U.S. civilian/military budget request of about 17.7 billion in fiscal 1982. This includes about 8 billion for defense space funding and 6.7 billion for NASA (6). Although the Soviets are spending substantially more on space, including telecommunications from space stations, the higher U.S. technology offsets, to some extent, the funding disparity when comparing the relative capabilities of the two countries. Clearly ECOSPACE is a key factor in DBS of various capabilities in the future from a manned or unmanned mode and from geostationary or elliptical orbits. CONFIRMATIONS The above-mentioned acceleration and trends are confirmed by The Stanley Foundation Study of June 19-24, 1982, entitled “Maintaining Peace in Outer Space” for the Seventeenth Conference on the United Nations of the Next Decade. Therein it states: All nations need to assess their national needs and priorities regarding space. In 1985 and 1987 the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) will hold a world conference at which time allocations of the radio frequency spectrum with regard to the geostationary orbit will be determined for the next twenty years. UNISPACE 1982 should urge delegates to carry home the message that now is the time to begin planning for the ITU Conference. Further study needs to be conducted of ways to apply advanced technology to basic needs. More attention should be devoted to controlling space junk. UNISPACE 1982 should encourage the design of launch and space vehicles that leave less debris (7). It was noted at UNISPACE 1982 that INTELSAT has already removed a number of satellites from the geostationary orbit, although all these were not involved in the DBS. The Stanley Foundation report also proposes that the United Nations Committee on Disarmament and the United Nations COPUOS should meet jointly to discuss weapons in space (8). The future in DBS, particularly as to the geostationary, has reached the point where DBS space applications, at least in the U.S., may not legally even make launch reservations, much less construct platforms, unless their applications for satellite construction are officially approved. To that end, the November issue of Satellite Communications states: In an unexpected move, the FCC has asked for public comment on whether it should authorize spacing or satellites along the U.S. portion of the geostationary arc at two degree intervals. Presently, the FCC requires that satellites in the C band (6/4 GHz) be spaced at four degree intervals, while K-band birds are to be no closer together than three degrees. The FCC “notice of inquiry” caught many in the industry off guard. It has been generally known for some time that the commission was considering a proposal to allow three degree spacing in the C band. But according to Ron Lepkowski, the FCC Satellite Radio branch chief, once it was determined that three degree spacing was technically achievable, “we wanted to see what was feasible.”
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