Helping U.S. businesses use the unique medium of space to benefit our economy
On December 6, 2013, the Air Force decommissioned its Commercially Hosted Infrared Payload (CHIRP) mission after 27 months of successful operation. CHIRP launched in 2011 as a hosted payload on a commercial communications satellite and completed its initial demonstration period …
On November 21, President Obama signed an updated National Space Transportation Policy providing guidance to federal departments and agencies on the development and use of commercial and governmental space transportation systems. The goal of the policy is “assured access to …
President Issues New Space Transportation Policy Read more »
On September 29, 2013, the first Cygnus spacecraft berthed with the International Space Station (ISS), becoming the second new cargo delivery system to be demonstrated under NASA’s Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) program. It hauled about 1,300 pounds of supplies …
New Commercial Capsule Reaches International Space Station Read more »
DOC’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) has released an assessment of the consumers of U.S. commercial electro-optical (EO) satellite imagery. The goal was to evaluate the current market behavior of these imagery consumers as well as providers of products, …
Report on Consumers of Commercial Remote Sensing Imagery Read more »
The governments of the United States and Japan held their 10th plenary meeting in Tokyo, Japan, on July 24, 2013, to review and discuss cooperation in the civil use of GPS and the Quasi-Zenith Satellite System (QZSS). The Office of …
2013 Joint Announcement on U.S.-Japan GPS Cooperation Read more »
Today, Colorado-based Surrey Satellite Technology US LLC (SST-US) announced that NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory has selected SST-US for the flight of the Deep Space Atomic Clock (DSAC) payload. Under the agreement, SST-US will provide a hosted payload flight opportunity for …
NASA Awards Hosted Payload Contract for Deep Space Atomic Clock Demo Read more »
On May 24, 2013, the State and Commerce Departments published a pair of Proposed Rules to transfer certain satellites from the U.S. Munitions List (USML) to the Commerce Control List (CCL). This move was made possible by the 2013 National Defense Authorization Act, which returned …
Proposed Changes to Satellite Export Controls Released for Public Comment Read more »
On April 21, 2013, U.S. space company Orbital conducted the first test flight of its Antares rocket with a simulated cargo capsule on top. Orbital is the second of two U.S. firms to successfully demonstrate a new commercial launch vehicle …
In January 2013, the major two U.S. commercial remote sensing satellite firms, DigitalGlobe and GeoEye, completed their merger, retaining the DigitalGlobe name.
The governments of the United Kingdom and the United States today announced that they had reached a common understanding of intellectual property rights related to GPS and will work together to address broader global navigation satellite systems’ intellectual property issues. …
Joint UK–U.S. Statement Regarding GPS Intellectual Property Read more »
On January 2, 2013, President Obama signed the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2013. Section 1261 of the law repeals the 1999 legislation that placed satellites and related items under the strict rules of the International Traffic in …
Law Clears Way for Satellites to be Removed from U.S. Munitions List Read more »