The Government Role

According to the Bush administration's policy on commercial remote sensing, the U.S. Government will:

Rely to the maximum practical extent on U.S. commercial remote sensing space capabilities for filling imagery and geospatial needs for military, intelligence, foreign policy, homeland security, and civil users;
Focus U.S. Government remote sensing space systems on meeting needs that cannot be effectively, affordably, and reliably satisfied by commercial providers because of economic factors, civil mission needs, national security concerns, or foreign policy concerns;
Develop a long-term, sustainable relationship between the U.S. Government and the U.S. commercial remote sensing space industry;
Provide a timely and responsive regulatory environment for licensing the operations and exports of commercial remote sensing space systems; and
Enable U.S. industry to compete successfully as a provider of remote sensing space capabilities for foreign governments and foreign commercial users, while ensuring appropriate measures are implemented to protect national security and foreign policy.