Exploring the Unknown - NASA's History Office

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and for maintaining archives of remote sensing data.
2. To a lesser extent, the report will refer to the analysis activities or systems required by
users for the analysis, enhancement, or display of remote sensing data and its consolidation
with data from other sources. These are the activities and systems that convert
processed remote sensing data—the output of the production and dissemination systems—into
information, the product that is used by users and beneficiaries.
[3] 3. Each of the above types of systems (production, dissemination, analysis) may be
operated in one of three modes:
a. Experimental, for R&D, test, or demonstration purposes (beneficial operational
uses may also be made of data from such systems).
b. Operational, for the provision of services on a continuing basis in accordance
with a stated plan.
c. Quasi-operational, for the combined or simultaneous conduct of experimentation
and provision of operational services.
4. The availability of the data output of remote sensing production systems may be:
a. Open access, when all interested users are given access to the data on an equitable
and non-discriminatory basis.
b. Limited access, when access to the data may be limited by the system operator on
a national or proprietary basis.
[4] CHAPTER II - U.S. INVOLVEMENT IN CIVIL
REMOTE SENSING FROM SPACE
A. The Basic Policy Questions
OBSERVING THE EARTH FROM SPACE
1. In this chapter, we address the basic question of the U.S. policy attitude toward a continuing
future U.S. involvement in civil remote sensing from space. Policies and options
on the conduct of civil remote sensing—to be discussed in succeeding chapters—are heavily
dependent on the intentions of the U.S. with regard to a continuing future involvement,
the reasons for such involvement, and expectations regarding benefits and other
consequences.
2. The fundamental question is whether U.S. policy should be based on the premise that
the U.S. will continue to be actively involved in civil remote sensing from space, in some
mode and at a scale to be determined, for the indefinite future. If the basic policy attitude
is that there are expected to be significant benefits, advantages, and opportunities of value
to the U.S. from such involvement, then institutional and other policies should be directed
at the best way of realizing these values. If, as a second alternative, the policy attitude
is that this is a technology of uncertain value to U.S. interests that should remain indefinitely
in an experimental mode, policies should nevertheless still be directed at achieving
the maximum values for U.S. interests from the continuing experimental program.
Finally, if the policy attitude is that the expected values do not justify recognition of a longterm
U.S. involvement in civil remote sensing, then the implications for all U.S. interests
should be squarely faced.
3. To arrive at the appropriate policy attitude toward civil remote sensing at this time
and the implications of the alternatives, we will, in the following sections, (a) review the
wide variety of U.S. interests that may be served by civil remote sensing from space, (b)
give the consultants’ views on the considerations that should determine the U.S. policy
attitude, (c) state the conclusions on U.S. policy attitudes reached by the consultants, and
(d) indicate the consequences of these conclusions which will be discussed in the remainder
of the report.