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 …

NOAA Releases Results of Commercial Weather Data Pilot Round 2 Read more »

On June 25, Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross delivered remarks to the Advisory Committee on Commercial Remote Sensing (ACCRES), an independent advisory body to NOAA’s Commercial Remote Sensing Regulatory Affairs office (CRSRA). Secretary Ross spoke about the Department’s final rule …

Secretary Ross Addresses ACCRES on Final Remote Sensing Rule Read more »

On June 24, Office of Space Commerce Director Kevin O’Connell spoke about the new commercial remote sensing rule at the 27th meeting of NOAA’s Federal Advisory Committee on Commercial Remote Sensing (ACCRES). Below are his remarks as prepared for delivery. …

O’Connell Remarks at June 2020 ACCRES Meeting Read more »

On May 19, Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross participated in the seventh meeting of the National Space Council, held at NASA Headquarters in Washington, D.C. During the meeting, Secretary Ross announced the release of the final rule for commercial remote …

Secretary Ross Remarks to National Space Council, May 2020 Read more »

Today, the U.S. Department of Commerce released new regulations to improve the licensing process for private U.S. satellite remote sensing operations, helping ensure continued U.S. leadership in a critical commercial space industry. View final rule at federalregister.gov The new final …

Commerce Department Releases New Regulations to Support U.S. Leadership in Commercial Satellite Remote Sensing Industry Read more »

On April 21, 2020, NOAA released a draft Statement of Work (SOW) for public comment to support NOAA’s first acquisition of commercial space-based radio occultation data for operational use in NOAA’s products and services. View draft SOW at SAM.gov The …

NOAA Plans First Operational Data Buy from Commercial RO Firms Read more »

On April 3, 2020, NOAA’s National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service (NESDIS) began awarding contracts for satellite mission and instrument design analysis. NESDIS is building on the findings from the NOAA Satellite Observing System Architecture (NSOSA) study. NESDIS will …

NOAA Awards Contracts for Next Generation Weather Satellite Concepts Read more »

Today, President Donald J. Trump signed Executive Order 13914 on “Encouraging International Support for the Recovery and Use of Space Resources.” This order addresses U.S. policy regarding the recovery and use of resources in outer space, including the Moon and …

President Signs Executive Order on Space Resource Utilization Read more »