The commercial remote sensing industry is flourishing, with revenues growing 9% in 2024 to reach new highs. Innovations in optical, hyperspectral, and synthetic aperture radar (SAR) imaging are providing the public and government users with unprecedented insights.
SIA applauds the regulatory framework established by the 2020 NOAA Commercial Remote Sensing Rules (15 CFR Part 960), which introduced a tiered licensing system to streamline approvals. However, as global capabilities advance, SIA continues to advocate for regular reviews of these tier restrictions to ensure U.S. companies are not held back by outdated conditions that do not reflect the reality of the global market.
Space science spectrum allocations are predominantly Federal only uses. As a result, innovative smallsat companies must coordinate spectrum access with the U.S. Federal spectrum users, prior to obtaining an FCC license, rather than after securing an FCC license. The coordination process requires many months, if not years, to finalize, jeopardizing funding for satellite companies and incentivizing innovative companies to license offshore.
SIA and its smallsat member companies believe that either (i) a small amount of spectrum should be designated as a “sharing sandbox” or “exclusive commercial zone” to allow smallsat companies to flourish in the U.S. so that the U.S. can build upon the critical capabilities provided by small satellites and/or (ii) the coordination process should be altered in bands shared between commercial and Federal earth observation or remote sensing users to provide an accelerated and more predictable process.
Read the Satellite Industry Association: Remote Sensing Spectrum White Paper
National Security Policy Directive 27 and U.S. Commercial Remote Sensing Policy (October 2022)