Radiocommunications (Foreign Space Objects) Determination 2025

The Australian Communications and Media Authority makes the following determination under paragraph 16(1)(ca) of the Radiocommunications Act 1992.

Dated: 27 February 2025

Adam Suckling

[signed]

Member

Michael Brealey

[signed]

General Manager

1  Name

  This is the Radiocommunications (Foreign Space Objects) Determination 2025.

2  Commencement

  This instrument commences at the start of the day after the day it is registered on the Federal Register of Legislation.

Note: The Federal Register of Legislation is available, free of charge, at www.legislation.gov.au.

3  Authority

  This instrument is made under paragraph 16(1)(ca) of the Act.

4  Repeal

  The Radiocommunications (Foreign Space Objects) Determination 2014 (F2014L01584) is repealed.

5  Interpretation

  In this instrument, unless the contrary intention appears:

  class licence means the Radiocommunications (Communication with Space Object) Class Licence 2025, as in force from time to time.

Note 1: For references to Commonwealth Acts, see section 10 of the Acts Interpretation Act 1901; and see also subsection 13(1) of the Legislation Act 2003 for the application of the Acts Interpretation Act 1901 to legislative instruments.

Note 2: A number of other expressions used in this instrument are defined in the Act, including the following:

(a) Australia;

(b) foreign space object;

(c) radio emission;

(d) space object.

Note 3: Other expressions used in this instrument may be defined in a determination made under subsection 64(1) of the Australian Communications and Media Authority Act 2005, that applies to this instrument, including the following:

(a) Act;

(b) space station;

(c) station.

6  Application of Act outside Australia — foreign space objects operating in frequency range mentioned in class licence

  The Act applies outside Australia in relation to a foreign space object if:

 (a) the foreign space object is owned, controlled or operated by or for a corporation mentioned in column 2 of an item in Schedule 1; and

 (b) a space station on the foreign space object is operating in a frequency range mentioned in paragraph 8(a) or (b) of the class licence to transmit radio emissions to, or receive radio emissions from, a station inside Australia.

Note: Under section 5 of the Act, a foreign space object is defined to mean a space object (also defined in section 5 of the Act) that is not an Australian space object. An Australian space object is defined in section 5 to mean a space object that the ACMA, by legislative instrument, determines to be an Australian space object for the purposes of the Act (see the Radiocommunications (Australian Space Objects) Determination 2025).

Schedule 1 Owners, controllers or operators of foreign space objects operating in a frequency range mentioned in the class licence

(paragraph 6 (a))