The FCC 5-Year Deorbit Rule: What Every Satellite Operator Needs to Know
The FCC now requires LEO satellites to deorbit within 5 years of end-of-life. Here's how the rule works, who it affects, and how to comply.
In September 2022, the FCC adopted a landmark rule reducing the post-mission orbital lifetime for LEO satellites from 25 years to 5 years. This is the most significant regulatory change affecting satellite operators in a decade. Here's what you need to know.
The Rule
FCC Report and Order 22-74 requires that all satellites in or passing through LEO must be deorbited within 5 years after the end of their mission. Key details:
- Applies to: All new FCC licenses and market access grants issued after the effective date (September 2024)
- Retroactive: No — existing licensed constellations are grandfathered under the 25-year guideline
- International scope: Applies to any satellite serving the US market, regardless of where it's licensed
- Compliance: Operators must demonstrate a specific deorbit plan in their application
Who It Affects
- New constellations: Any new constellation filing with the FCC must include propulsion or design-for-demise ensuring 5-year deorbit
- CubeSats and smallsats: Many CubeSats historically lacked propulsion and relied on natural orbital decay. At altitudes above ~500 km, natural decay exceeds 5 years — these missions now need propulsion or lower orbits
- Modification applications: If an existing constellation files a modification (adding satellites, changing orbits), the new satellites must comply
How to Comply
- Active propulsion: The most reliable approach. Include a propulsion system capable of lowering the perigee to ensure reentry within 5 years. Electric propulsion (Hall-effect or electrospray) is increasingly affordable for smallsats
- Low-altitude deployment: Deploy below ~400 km where natural atmospheric drag ensures deorbit within 5 years without propulsion. Trade-off: more frequent station-keeping burns during mission life
- Drag augmentation: Deployable drag sails or balloon devices that increase cross-sectional area after end-of-mission. Less proven than propulsion but lower cost and mass
- Design for demise: While not directly related to the 5-year rule, the FCC also requires operators to demonstrate their satellite will completely burn up during reentry (or demonstrate an acceptably low casualty risk)
Track compliance requirements at SpaceNexus Compliance Hub.
Get space intelligence delivered weekly
Join 500+ space professionals who get our free weekly intelligence brief.
Explore this topic with our Compliance Hub
Try Compliance Hub →Get space industry intelligence delivered
Join SpaceNexus for real-time data, market intelligence, and expert insights.
Get Started FreeRelated Articles
ITAR and EAR Compliance: What Every Space Startup Needs to Know
Export controls are one of the most misunderstood — and most consequential — regulatory challenges for space companies. Here's a practical guide to ITAR and EAR compliance.
Space Debris Regulations: What Changed in 2026 and What's Coming
The FAA withdrew its 25-year debris rule, the FCC is enforcing a 5-year deorbit mandate, and international frameworks are struggling to keep pace. Here is what satellite operators, insurers, and investors need to know about the rapidly evolving debris regulatory landscape.
The Artemis Accords Explained: Space Law for the 21st Century
The Artemis Accords are reshaping international space law for a new era of lunar exploration and commercial activity. Learn what they require, who has signed, and what they mean for the future of space governance.
Recommended Reading
Space Law 101: The Legal Framework Governing Outer Space
From the Outer Space Treaty to the Artemis Accords, space law governs everything from satellite orbits to lunar mining. Here's a comprehensive guide to the legal framework of outer space.
The Outer Space Treaty: The Foundation of Space Law
The 1967 Outer Space Treaty remains the cornerstone of international space law. Here's what it says, why it still matters in 2026, and how its principles shape everything from Artemis Accords to commercial space operations.
Spectrum Management in Space: Who Controls the Frequencies?
Every satellite communication depends on radio frequency spectrum — a finite, invisible resource governed by complex international regulations. Understanding spectrum management is essential for anyone working in satellite communications, broadband, or space policy.