Exploring the Unknown - NASA's History Office

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training and technology transfer activities now being conducted by NASA and the
Department of the Interior. NOAA could arrange for reimbursable training programs,
enter into joint applications demonstration projects with users in all sectors, encourage
university land remote sensing instructional programs and work with domestic and international
assistance agencies to promote new opportunities for American business in the
land remote sensing satellite field. As part of its ongoing R&D responsibility, NASA could
continue to develop and demonstrate to users new techniques and technologies for using
land remote sensing satellite data.
International Aspects
The United States should continue to encourage international participation in the
U.S. civil operational land remote sensing satellite program by further developing an
international community of data users and by continuing discussions with prospective foreign
land satellite system operators to explore the prospects for encouraging complementary
and compatibility among future operational land satellite systems.
The United States should ensure that data from the Interim and Fully Operational
Systems are made available to foreign users through sales of standard data products on a
nondiscriminatory basis. NOAA, working closely with the Department of State and other
interested agencies, should take the following actions:
• Consider foreign user requirements in planning the Fully Operational System;
• Conclude agreements with those foreign agencies wishing to receive data directly
from the Interim and Fully Operational Systems;
• Establish pricing policies for data sales and direct reception fees that are consistent
for domestic and foreign users; and
[14] • Continue the Landsat Ground Station Operations Working Group as a forum for
the exchange of technical information.
The land remote sensing satellite systems being developed by other countries offer
the prospect of both competition and cooperation with the U.S. The competitive challenge
to U.S. technologies leadership is likely to occur in such areas as the development
of multilinear array sensor technology, and sales of ground equipment, services and data
products. NOAA, working closely with the Department of State and other interested agencies,
should encourage the expansion of world-wide markets for U.S. equipment, services
and data products, and pursue prospects for complementary with foreign satellite operators
in order to develop complementary system characteristics (e.g., orbits, coverage patterns
and repeat cycles) and compatible system outputs (e.g., standard data product
formats).
Legislation for the Operational System
OBSERVING THE EARTH FROM SPACE
Legal authority in four principal areas may be required in order to implement a civil
operational land remote sensing satellite system:
1. Authorization for NOAA to develop, own and manage the civil operational land
remote sensing satellite system until the responsibility is transferred to a private
or other entity;
2. Establishment of the institutional structure, financial assistance and transition to
private sector ownership and operation of the U.S. civil land remote sensing satellite
system;
3. Establishment of a regulatory system to ensure that a private sector owner’s activities
are in compliance with U.S. laws, policies and international obligations; and
4. Establishment of proprietary interests in operational land remote sensing data
and standard data products.