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Issues & Activities

Remarks from AMOS Conference 2020

Posted on by Jason Kim

Kevin O’Connell, Director of the Office of Space Commerce, spoke about space situational awareness at the 21st Advanced Maui Optical and Space Surveillance Technologies (AMOS) Conference, held virtually. Below are his remarks as prepared for delivery. Greetings and Aloha to…

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Posted in SSA/STM

President Signs Space Cybersecurity Policy Directive

Posted on by Jason Kim
Presidential seal

Today, President Donald J. Trump issued Space Policy Directive-5 (SPD-5), the Nation’s first comprehensive cybersecurity policy for space systems. View SPD-5 at whitehouse.gov View fact sheet at whitehouse.gov (PDF) SPD-5 establishes key cybersecurity principles to guide and serve as the…

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Posted in National Space Council, Orbital Debris, Space Industrial Base

Commerce Participates in U.S.-Japan Space Dialogue

Posted on by Jason Kim
Kevin O'Connell (far left) and U.S. delegation at conference table

On August 27, Office of Space Commerce Director Kevin O’Connell represented the Commerce Department at the 7th meeting of the high-level U.S.-Japan Comprehensive Dialogue on Space in Tokyo, Japan. O’Connell provided updates on the Department’s efforts to transition the Defense…

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Posted in International Cooperation, National Space Council, Space Economy, SSA/STM

Commerce Announces $2M STEM Talent Challenge

Posted on by Jason Kim
Economic Development Administration (EDA) logo

On August 27, the Commerce Department’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) announced the STEM Talent Challenge to develop or expand regional workforce capacity to support high-growth, high-wage entrepreneurial ventures, industries of the future (including space commerce), and other innovation driven businesses…

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Posted in Business with the Government

Commerce Applauds NAPA Study Reaffirming the Department as the Lead Agency for Space Traffic Management

Posted on by Jason Kim
Cover of report - Space Traffic Management - A Report by a Panel of the National Academy of Public Administration for the United States Department of Commerce - August 2020

Today, the National Academy of Public Administration (NAPA) released their Congressionally directed study, “Space Traffic Management: Assessment of the Feasibility, Expected Effectiveness, and Funding Implications of a Transfer of Space Traffic Management Functions.” The findings reaffirm that the Office of…

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Posted in SSA/STM

NOAA Seeks Proposals for First Operational RO Data Buy

Posted on by Jason Kim
NOAA logo

On August 4, 2020, NOAA released a Request for Proposal (RFP) for the first purchase of space-based commercial radio occultation (RO) data for use in NOAA’s operational weather forecasts. The RFP is open for 30 days, and follows the April…

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Posted in Commercial Space Solutions for NOAA, Data Buys

July 29 Webinar on Space Economy Satellite Account

Posted on by Jason Kim

On July 29, 2020, the Department of Commerce released this webinar video on its ongoing development of a Space Economy Satellite Account to measure the size of the U.S. space economy. Following introductory remarks by Office of Space Commerce Director…

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Posted in Space Economy

White House Releases Moon-Mars Development Strategy

Posted on by Jason Kim

On July 23, the National Space Council released “A New Era for Deep Space Exploration and Development,” a strategy paper that supports an ambitious vision for human space exploration and development. “The U.S. vision for space is one in which…

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Posted in Business with the Government, National Space Council, Regulatory Reform, Space Economy

New Limits on Satellite Imaging of Israel

Posted on by Jason Kim

On July 21, the Commerce Department published a Federal Register notice announcing its finding, pursuant to the Kyl-Bingaman Amendment, that satellite imagery of Israel is readily and consistently available from non-U.S. commercial sources at a resolution of 0.4 meters Ground Sample…

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Posted in Commercial Remote Sensing, Regulatory Reform

NOAA Releases Results of Commercial Weather Data Pilot Round 2

Posted on by Jason Kim
CWDP Round 2

On June 26, 2020, NOAA released the summary of the results of Commercial Weather Data Pilot (CWDP) Round 2. In Round 2, NOAA evaluated GNSS radio occultation data from two U.S. commercial space companies: GeoOptics and Spire. NOAA concludes that, based on…

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Posted in Commercial Space Solutions for NOAA, Data Buys