U.S. Approval for 1-Meter Commercial Radar Satellite

On August 24, 2009, NOAA granted a license to Northrop Grumman to operate a commercial remote sensing satellite with one-meter synthetic aperture radar (SAR) capability. It is the first U.S. license approved for a commercial radar imaging satellite at that resolution level. The licensing decision was intended to give U.S. industry an opportunity to compete in the lucrative global market for high-resolution radar satellite imagery. Currently, that market is dominated by non-U.S. companies.