USA: Concerns With Remote Sensing Regulations Could Provoke Change

Remote Sensing Regulations Come Under Congressional Scrutiny (EOS)

(Courtesy Newberry EGS Project)

The remote sensing industry uses satellites, drones, and other platforms to collect and process imagery of Earth that has a wide variety of applications, including mapping, disaster response, and natural resource management.

Members of Congress and some industry experts raised concerns last week over policies governing the commercial remote sensing industry. Regulation of the industry is drawing congressional attention amid concerns that U.S. companies are facing increasing competition from foreign firms and may fall behind as innovators in an economic sector that the United States has led.

Amid general agreement that changes are needed, speakers at a 7 September hearing of a subcommittee of the House of Representatives Committee on Science, Space, and Technology differed over how broad an overhaul the Land Remote Sensing Policy Act of 1992 needs.

(Thanks to GRC Member Marcelo Lippmann, Staff Scientist (retired) at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory for the submission.)

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