This testimony provides a review of U.S. government regulation of commercial remote sensing systems, such as export controls and operating licenses. Proceeding from the 1992 Land Remote Sensing Act, the testimony argues that U.S. national security and economic interests would be best served by continuing to limit the export of remote sensing technologies and systems save in exceptional circumstances while promoting the operation of private remote sensing systems subject to U.S. jurisdiction.

The Law Library presents the complete text of the Licensing of Private Land Remote-Sensing Space Systems (US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Regulation) (NOAA) (2018 Edition). Updated as of May 29, 2018 The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) issues regulations revising the agency's requirements for the licensing, monitoring and compliance of operators of private Earth remote sensing space systems under Title II of the Land Remote Sensing Policy Act of 1992 (the Act). These regulations implement the provisions of the Act, as amended by the 1998 Commercial Space Act, and the 2003 U.S. Commercial Remote Sensing Policy. They are also derived from experience gained since August 2000 with respect to the licensing of commercial remote sensing space systems, and include improvements that take into account public comments received on the regulations. They are intended to facilitate the development of the U.S. commercial remote sensing industry and promote the collection and widespread availability of Earth remote sensing data, while preserving essential U.S. national security interests, foreign policy and international obligations. This ebook contains: - The complete text of the Licensing of Private Land Remote-Sensing Space Systems (US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Regulation) (NOAA) (2018 Edition) - A dynamic table of content linking to each section - A table of contents in introduction presenting a general overview of the structure

American firms have begun to operate their own imaging satellite systems, aiming to become an important part of the U.S. commercial remote sensing industry. To succeed over the long run, these new U.S. commercial remote sensing satellite firms need a combination of reliable technologies, government policies that encourage U.S. industry competitiveness, a strong international presence, and sound business plans to ensure their competitiveness in both the domestic and international marketplaces. The greatest risks for the these firms come from the challenge of transforming themselves from imagery data providers to strong competitors as information age companies; the need to master the technical risks of building and operating sophisticated imaging satellite systems; and the requirement to operate effectively in a complex international business environment. In addition, the government_s policymaking process has yet to achieve the degree of predictability, timeliness, and transparency that the firms need if they are expected to operate effectively in a highly competitive and rapidly changing global marketplace. The authors conclude with six recommendations that the U.S. Department of Commerce should adopt to best fulfill its responsibilities for promoting the U.S. commercial remote sensing industry and for encouraging the competitiveness of new private imaging satellite firms.

Since the advent of Earth observation satellites nearly four decade ago, governments have been the leading providers and users of satellite imagery data. However, this has recently changed as several U.S. and foreign companies have begun to acquire and launch their own imaging satellite systems. Some American firms are already operating their own imaging satellite systems (e.g., Orbimage's Orbview-2 and Space Imaging's IKONOS). These companies aim to become an important part of the U.S. commercial remote sensing industry, which today largely consists of aerial data providers and the value-added firms that play an important role in converting raw imagery data into the products desired by customers. Success for these new U.S. commercial remote sensing satellite firms heavily depends on both understanding and overcoming various risks (e.g., technical, market, policy and regulatory) that could diminish their prospects in the highly competitive global marketplace for geospatial information products and services. Within this context, U.S. government policies and regulations exert a major influence on the ability of U.S. remote sensing satellite firms to realize their competitive potential in both the domestic and international marketplaces.

Remote sensing and geospatial data processing are rapidly evolving and increasingly important fields with widespread applications. In this monograph, Glackin and Peltzer trace the evolution of remote sensing satellites and their instruments and geospatial data processing, document the state of the art, and present key trends emerging for the next decade. The authors emphasize the increasing commercialization and international expansion of the field, particularly in the field of imaging satellites and the use of geographic information systems to make remote sensing data more accessible.