NOAAs Commercial Remote Sensing

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• NOAAs Commercial Remote Sensing
• Licensing Program Overview
• October 2008
• Kay E. Weston
• International and Interagency Office
• Satellite Activities Branch Chief

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Program Summary

• The Commercial Remote Sensing Licensing (CRSL)
  Program
• NOAA operates a comprehensive licensing program
  of U.S. CRS firms
• Seeks to ensure that commercial RS satellites are
  operated consistently with U.S. national
  security, homeland security, and foreign policy
  interests.
• Facilitates the development of a vibrant, growing
  and competitive CRS industry to support the U.S.
  industrial base, and promote economic growth and
  job creation.

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Agency Partners

• Reviewing agencies
• Department of Defense
• Department of State
• Intelligence Community
• Department of Interior
• - U.S. Geological Survey

Other involved agencies White House - National
Security Council - Office of Science
Technology Policy Department of Commerce -
International Trade Administration/Office of
Aerospace - Bureau of Industry and Security
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Legal/Policy Overview

• 1992 Land Remote Sensing Policy Act
• FY1997 National Defense Authorization Act
• Kyl-Bingaman Amendment
• February 2000 Interagency Memorandum of
  Understanding Concerning the Licensing of Private
  Remote Sensing Satellite Systems
• April 25, 2003, Commercial Remote Sensing (CRS)
  Space Policy
• April 25, 2006, Regulations (15 CFR Part 960)
• August 31, 2006, U.S. National Space Policy

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Current Operations 7 satellites in orbit

• QuickBird DigitalGlobe
• WorldView-1 DigitalGlobe
• EchoStar 11 EchoStar
• GeoEye-1 ORBIMAGE d.b.a. GeoEye
• IKONOS ORBIMAGE d.b.a. GeoEye
• OrbView-2 ORBIMAGE d.b.a. GeoEye
• OrbView-3 ORBIMAGE d.b.a. GeoEye

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Licensing Summary

• Best Capabilities Licensed
• panchromatic (black/white)
• 0.5 meter commercial sale
• Better than 0.5 meter for government use only
• multispectral (color)
• 2.0 meter commercial sale
• Better than 2.0 meter for government use only
• synthetic aperture radar (SAR)
• 3 meter commercial sale
• Better than 3.0 meter for government use only
• hyperspectral (HS)
• 8 meter product, 20 meter raw data for commercial
  sale

• 17 Current Licenses
• 93 Amendments
• 7 Companies
• 45 Satellites Licensed
• 10 Launched

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What are the Regulations?

• 15 CFR Part 960 Licensing of Private Land Remote
  Sensing Space Systems (April 25, 2006)
• Derived from
• Title II of the 1992 Land Remote Sensing Policy
  Act (15 U.S.C. 5601 et seq.)
• February 2, 2000 MOU Concerning the Licensing of
  Private Remote Sensing Satellite Systems
• Four broad sections
• General (Subpart A)
• Licenses (Subpart B)
• Prohibitions (Subpart C)
• Enforcement procedures (Subpart D)

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General Section (Subpart A)

• The regulations are intended to
• Facilitate development of the commercial remote
  sensing industry and promote the broad use of
  remote sensing data
• Preserve the national security of the United
  States
• Observe the foreign policies and international
  obligations of the United States
• The regulations apply to
• Any person subject to the jurisdiction and
  control of the United States who operates or
  proposes to operate a private remote sensing
  space system
• The issuance of a NOAA license does not affect
  the authority of any other agency (FAA, FCC, etc)

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Definitions (960.3)

• Administrative Control
• The power or authority to direct or decide
  matters affecting the operation of system,
  including to determine, direct, take, manage,
  administer
• Operational Control
• The ability to operate the system or override
  commands issued by any operations center or
  station
• Operational control must be maintained in the
  United States
• Significant or Substantial Foreign Agreement
• Any agreement with a foreign partner that
  authorizes
• Access to high volumes of the systems unenhanced
  data
• Participation in the operations of the system
• Direct access to the systems unenhanced data
• An equity interest in the licensee equal to or
  greater than 20

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License Section (Subpart B)

• There are three types of licensing actions
  addressed by the regulations
• License application (960.6)
• License amendments (960.7)
• The procedures for license applications and
  amendments are very similar
• Foreign Agreements (960.8)
• There is no standard form for licensing actions
• Each section lists the required information for
  each type of action and Appendix 1 of the
  regulations provides a detailed list the
  information required for a license application

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License Term (960.9)

• The license is valid for the operational life of
  the system or until the Secretary of Commerce
  determines that the licensee is not in compliance
  with the Act, regulations, or the license
• Licensee must complete Preliminary Design Review
  and Critical Design Review within 5 years of the
  license
• The licensee must notify NOAA of any financial
  insolvency, dissolution or its decision to
  discontinue the system

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Conditions for Operation (960.11)

• The license requires certain conditions for
  operation, including
• Operate the system in a manner that preserves US
  national security and observes foreign policy
  concerns and international obligations
• Maintain operational control from the United
  States
• Ability to limit data collection and or
  distribution by the system
• Make unenhanced data available to the National
  Land Remote Sensing Data Archive
• Make unenhanced data available to the government
  of any country sensed (sensed state provision)
• Notification of operational deviations/anomalies
• Disposition of the system at the end of
  operational life

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Prohibitions (Subpart C)

• It is unlawful to
• Operate a system so as to jeopardize the national
  security, foreign policy, or international
  obligations of the United States
• Operate a system without a license
• Violate the Act, regulations, or license terms
  and conditions

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NOAAs Advisory Committee on Commercial Remote
Sensing (ACCRES)

• ACCRES charter renewed every 2 yrs
• Provide recommendations to the Under Secretary of
  NOAA
• Members represent industry, academia,
  government...not themselves
• Announcement in Federal Register at least 2 weeks
  prior to meeting.

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CRSL Activities

• FY 2008
• Kyl-Bingaman Resolution Study
• SAR Imagery Analysis
• Subcommittee on Disaster Reduction
• Lunar X Prize Consultations
• World CRS Satellite Spreadsheets
• FY 2009
• CRSL Workshop
• PECORA International Panels
• Hyperspectral, Thermal Infared studies

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Resource for Remote Sensing Satellites

• Website http//www.licensing.noaa.gov/whatsnew.ht
  ml
• Electro-Optical Satellite Database (Excel file)
• Radar Remote Sensing Satellite Database (Excel
  file)
• Updated quarterly
• Format for E-O Satellite Database
• Country, system name, launch date, and status
• Spatial resolution number of spectral bands as
  function of spectral region
• Swath width as a function of spectral region
• References
• Format for SAR Satellite Database
• Country, system name, launch date, and status
• Best resolution
• SAR modes
• Polarization options
• References
• Separate workbook tabs for each system (with
  additional technical data)

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• For additional information contact the CRSL
  Program staff
• NOAA Licensing Web Site www.licensing.noaa.gov
• NOAA licensing email NOAA.CRSL_at_noaa.gov
• Jane DAguanno, CRS Program Manager
• Jane.dAguanno_at_noaa.gov, 301-713-3385
• Alan Robinson, License Officer
• Alan.Robinson_at_noaa.gov, 301-713-2024 Ext 213
• Dave Hasenauer, License Officer
• Dave.Hasenauer_at_noaa.gov, 301-713-2024 Ext 207