Commercial Imaging
Commerce Department seeks to increase American space industry’s global competitiveness
The Commerce Department wants to improve the standing of the American space industry in an increasingly competitive global market through a combination of regulatory reform and promotional efforts.
House passes commercial space regulatory bill
The House of Representatives approved legislation April 24 that would reform commercial remote sensing regulation and create a licensing regime for “non-traditional” commercial space activities.
Op-ed | To lead in space, the United States must modernize satellite regulations
The U.S. Land Remote Sensing Policy Act of 1992 is badly in need of updating, as the world has changed dramatically in the last 25 years, and so has the commercial remote sensing industry.
Pentagon list could clear the way for licensing of advanced commercial imaging systems
The Pentagon has finalized a list of exclusion zones for two types of advanced remote sensing technologies that could help end a long-running logjam for licensing of commercial systems using those techniques.
NGA director supports commercial remote sensing regulatory reform
Facing increasing pressure from both industry and Congress, the head of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency said the federal government is taking steps to streamline the licensing process for commercial remote sensing satellites.
Earth-i plans constellation to provide high-definition video imagery in color
Earth-i’s new constellation will allow customers to task the onboard imager to gather still or video imagery of targets of interest, capturing videos of 25 to 30 frames per second.
NOAA cuts target future polar weather satellites
While NOAA received full funding for its ongoing weather satellite programs, the agency is looking at options after a cut to a program for future polar-orbiting weather satellites.
OmniEarth acquired by EagleView, continuing satellite-imagery consolidation wave
OmniEarth, a company that once planned to launch a constellation of Earth imaging satellites and later shifted into analysis of satellite imagery, has been acquired by another data analytics company, EagleView.
Commercial remote sensing companies seek streamlined regulations
A regulatory system crafted a quarter-century ago is failing to keep up with an evolving commercial remote sensing industry, which companies say is slowing down their efforts to develop new satellite systems and capabilities.
Planet unveils satellite imagery online tool
Planet, the San Francisco startup that began building a constellation five years ago to offer frequently updated Earth imagery, took a major step towards achieving that goal March 10 when it unveiled Planet Explorer Beta, an online geospatial data tool.
Astro Digital raises funds to develop its Earth imaging satellite system
Astro Digital, a remote sensing company developing both its own satellite constellation and an analytics platform for that imagery, said March 2 it has raised $16.65 million to accelerate the company’s plans.
Planet to acquire Terra Bella from Google
Commercial remote sensing company Planet announced Feb. 3 it was acquiring rival Terra Bella from Google for an undisclosed sum, bringing together what the companies believe are complementary capabilities to image the Earth from space.
A Planet-Terra Bella merger would make sense, industry watchers say
Rumors began circulating in December that two leaders in the small satellite Earth imaging field were on the brink of deal, when employees of Alphabet Inc. subsidiary Terra Bella began visiting the offices of San Francisco-based Planet. Although the two companies have not confirmed an agreement, Bloomberg reported Jan. 9 that Planet was in talks to acquire Terra Bella, the Mountain View, California company formerly known as Skybox Imaging.
House panel criticizes commercial remote sensing licensing
Members of a House committee and a group of industry witnesses used a Sept. 7 hearing to criticize delays and uncertainty in commercial remote sensing licensing as well as “slow-rolling” of a report on the issue required by law.
Orbital Insight raises $20 million to wring actionable intelligence from satellite imagery
Investor enthusiasm remains strong for companies that provide information drawn from Earth observation satellites, judging by $20 million in new investments for geospatial data company Orbital Insight.
Op-ed | The space renaissance and regulatory environment: moving beyond oversight
As the commercial satellite imaging industry grows, it is worth revisiting what principles should guide the approach that government takes to regulate it.
