Frequency licensing is one of the most important logistics when it comes to preparing spacecraft for launch. Spacecraft must have this before they are allowed to transmit or receive on a frequency, and therefore, they must be licensed in order to launch.

This episode features a conversation on frequency licensing with Alicia Johnstone, who is the resident expert on licensing at Cal Poly and has helped many CubeSat missions with the licensing process throughout her career. The discussion covers everything that goes into obtaining an Amateur or Experimental frequency license, as well as tips for navigating this process and ensuring a license is granted well before spacecraft delivery. Amateur frequency licensing is especially applicable to university-led CubeSat missions, as these typically operate on amateur frequencies, so if you are working on a CubeSat mission of your own, I hope you find this episode helpful!

Licensing Resources:

A few resources for getting started with frequency licensing:

CubeSat 101 Guidebook: https://www.nasa.gov/content/cubesat-launch-initiative-resources

Licensing Documents & Resources from ASU’s Phoenix CubeSat:

http://phxcubesat.asu.edu/resources/documents

Timestamps

0:00 - Episode Intro

3:40 - Interview Start, meet Alicia Johnstone

11:36 - overview of frequency licenses and the missions they apply to

14:36 - Amateur vs Experimental Licenses: key differences, and which is better for university-led CubeSats?

20:55 - Discussion of the process for getting an Amateur Frequency license (where to start, what documents are useful, who to work with, and when to start)

32:32 - SpaceCap & SpaceVal

36:16 - who to communicate with/forward documents to

37:38 - how long the licensing process takes

40:24 - tips for helping the licensing process move along

45:00 - Handling conflicts with frequency licensing

49:38 - Special licensing cases, from experience

55:45 - how the licensing process is changing with more CubeSats being developed

58:36 - Deorbiting & orbital debris assessment considerations

1:02:36 - Favorite memory from working on licensing

1:06:08 - ITU Cost Recovery forms: what these are and when they’re applicable

1:12:44 - Keeping NASA involved in licensing

1:15:42 - Episode Outro