Advance Publication Information

September 9, 2025

Author: Levente Buzas VA7QF

The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) has listed MARMOTSAT in its “As-Received” database of satellite filings, confirming the receipt of our Advance Publication Information (API) through the Canadian administration, Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED). The entry (see here) shows the “as-received” notice, which will later move to the BR IFIC once published by the Bureau. 

For context, the API is the first regulatory step in the ITU process (Section I of Radio Regulations Article 9). It publicly announces basic technical parameters of an intended satellite network/system and starts the regulatory clock toward later stages: coordination if required and notification/recording. The ITU will subsequently publish the filing in BR IFIC (Space Services); until then, the “as-received” listing is the official acknowledgement. Looking ahead, notification of the space station frequency assignments must occur within 7 years of the API receipt date - a requirement which is more of a concern for commercial missions than an academic one like MARMOTSat.

In terms of MARMOTSat’s regulatory journey, this is an important milestone as it opens a six-month window for the submission of a spacecraft spectrum license application to Canada's spectrum regulator, ISED. Stay tuned for more updates as we work towards this next step!