NOAA Lifts Commercial Remote Sensing License Conditions

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has announced a significant regulatory change that is set to revolutionize the capabilities of commercial remote sensing satellite systems. On August 7, NOAA revealed the modification of "Tier 3" commercial remote sensing licenses for several companies, marking a significant step in the evolution of satellite imaging technology.

An undisclosed number of "Tier 3" licenses were previously subject to a total of 39 different restrictions, but have now been freed from limitations that have been in place for up to three years. The move comes as part of NOAA's efforts to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of the licensing process, aimed at reducing application review times by government authorities.

We said these temporary restrictions would last no more than three years, and three years later, we lifted them," - Rick Spinrad, NOAA Administrator

Among the changes are the reduction of global imaging restrictions for specific modes, the removal of constraints on non-Earth imaging and rapid revisit, and the complete elimination of temporary conditions on X-band synthetic aperture radar (SAR) imagery.

The implications of these changes are already being felt within the industry. One of the companies benefiting from these relaxed conditions is Umbra, a SAR imaging company. Following the removal of restrictions, Umbra announced that it can now offer SAR images to its customers at an impressive 16-centimeter resolution, a significant improvement from the previous limit of 25 centimeters.

Credit : Umbra

"This means that we are finally able to offer customers the highest resolution images that our satellites are capable of capturing, setting the stage for even further expansion of products to customers," - Gabe Dominocielo, Co-Founder and President of Umbra.

NOAA's move to alleviate restrictions has been hailed by both government and industry experts as a strategic maneuver to enhance the competitiveness of U.S. remote sensing companies on the global stage.

"U.S. capabilities lead the world in this important market, and this licensing change will maintain that lead," - Rick Spinrad, NOAA Administrator

While the majority of Tier 3 restrictions have been lifted, a "small number" remain in place for national security reasons, at the request of the Secretary of Defense. NOAA did not provide specific details about these remaining restrictions.

As of the first quarter of 2023, NOAA reported a total of 23 Tier 3 licenses, constituting a quarter of all active licenses. Additionally, NOAA issued 71 Tier 1 licenses for systems that offer data "substantially the same" as foreign systems, thus carrying no restrictions. No Tier 2 licenses were issued for systems with capabilities equivalent to other NOAA-licensed systems.

NOAA emphasized that the regulatory overhaul has succeeded in one of its primary goals, which was to reduce license processing times. The average time to review a license application has been slashed from 48 days in 2020 to a mere 14 days in 2023, in alignment with the 2020 regulations that established a 60-day review deadline.

The loosening of restrictions promises to have far-reaching impacts, not only on the capabilities of commercial remote sensing satellite systems but also on the global competitiveness of U.S. companies in this rapidly evolving sector.