“Dish Network has to pay $150,000 to the commission over its failure to deorbit its EchoStar-7 satellite, which has been in space for more than two decades.”
Dish promised in 2012 to boost EchoStar-7 300km above geostationary orbit when it retired. It ran low on propellant and stopped 122km up instead, 178km short. The FCC calls a $150,000 fine a breakthrough. Every operator now knows the price of skipping the graveyard orbit, and it is small.