Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Law Commons

Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Environmental Law

Vanderbilt Journal of Entertainment & Technology Law

2020

Environmental law

Articles 1 - 1 of 1

Full-Text Articles in Law

The Fault In Our Stars: Challenging The Fcc's Treatment Of Commercial Satellites As Categorically Excluded From Review Under The National Environmental Policy Act, Ramon J. Ryan Jan 2020

The Fault In Our Stars: Challenging The Fcc's Treatment Of Commercial Satellites As Categorically Excluded From Review Under The National Environmental Policy Act, Ramon J. Ryan

Vanderbilt Journal of Entertainment & Technology Law

Mega satellite constellations, such as SpaceX's Starlink, have the ability to connect humans across the globe in a way never before possible. However, the unprecedented deployment of tens of thousands of satellites into orbit around Earth creates the risk of altering the night sky for astronomers and the public for decades to come, as well as the risk of polluting the environment through the use of toxic satellite components. The Federal Communications Commission considers commercial-satellite projects categorically excluded from environmental review despite the National Environmental Policy Act's requirement that federal agencies review projects for their environmental effects. A court would …