[Satellite TODAY 02-06-13] The Sicilian regional government in Italy has announced its decision to revoke permission for the United States to build a ground station for a satellite defense system due to health concerns.

   Despite U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta’s declarations, the Sicilian government said they don’t have sufficient studies that assure the safety of the ground station’s electromagnetic waves and what effects they could have on nearby residents.

   The Mobile User Objective System (MUOS) satellite network is aimed at significantly boosting communications capacity for the U.S. military and its allies.