Exploring the Unknown - NASA's History Office

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funding adjustments as agreed to by the Deputy Secretary of Defense and the
NASA Administrator (the cost baseline, reflecting this approach, is provided in
Attachment 1).
• Any improvements over a Landsat 6 functional equivalent capability for Landsat
7 will be funded by the sponsoring agency, if the required funding exceeds the
baseline defined above. If it is agreed that improvements benefit the interests of
both agencies, they would be funded based upon a mutually [4] acceptable sharing
arrangement approved by the Deputy Secretary of Defense and the NASA
Administrator.
• NASA and DoD will coordinate their interactions with Congress with regard to
the Landsat program.
• Agency funding and management responsibilities for subsequent Landsat satellite(s)
would be the subject of a separate agreement.
Data Management
• Data Access and Acquisition for Landsat 7:
– U.S. Government (USG) civil, national security, commercial and noncommercial
users, including global change research users, will have near-real time
and/or archival access to all data acquired. Collection scheduling for such
users will be accomplished jointly by NASA and DoD, through the NASA project
office.
– Commercial users will be given input into collection scheduling and access to
data through NASA.
– USG users will have unrestricted rights of redistribution within the USG.
• Data from Landsats 1–6. NASA will seek to negotiate an agreement such that data
from Landsats 1–6 are made available to USG civil, national security, commercial
and non-commercial users, including global change research users in a manner
similar to the arrangements for data access and acquisition for Landsat 7,
described above.
• Data Pricing. The program will seek to limit the cost of data for USG civil, national
security, and global change research use to the marginal cost of fulfilling the
specific user request. In doing so, it will make such data available to the global
change research community in a manner consistent with the Administration’s
Data Management for Global Change Research policy statements. Data will be
provided for commercial use, with the goal of encouraging Landsat remote sensing
commercialization and economic growth. Prices, policies, procedures and
other terms and conditions for the distribution and sale of unenhanced Landsat
data will be made publicly available.
• Data Archiving. NASA will work with the Department of the Interior to develop
and maintain a permanent national archive for all Landsat data.
[5] • National Security and Foreign Policy Considerations. As a general principle, all
Landsat data will remain unclassified. Special data prioritization, distribution procedures
or restrictions might be necessary under certain national security and foreign
policy conditions, or if future system improvements substantially increase the
national security or foreign policy sensitivity of some Landsat data. DoD and
NASA will develop procedures to minimize the impact of potential restrictions on
Landsat system users.
Other Considerations
OBSERVING THE EARTH FROM SPACE
• International Cooperation. NASA will have the lead responsibility, with DoD support,
for evaluating opportunities for international cooperation and utilization of