ECON 0488 Week 8.1 meeting prompt

Today’s class will be discussion-based. This prompt is meant to help guide your discussion. We will convene as a class after ~35 minutes to discuss the issues raised.

Regulating remote sensing

Let’s think about question 4 on PS3 today: how can the US (or any other country with advanced remote sensing technology) regulate the sector to balance economic efficiency, environmental quality, and national security concerns? What kinds of regulations might be effective, and what kind might not be?

International cooperation can solve many things. Let’s focus our attention on national-level policies, ideally those which an executive agency could do without new laws.

Some articles which may help

In addition to the week 8.1 notes and the PS3 solutions, you may find some of the sources below helpful:

• NewSpace could eliminate Sun-Synchronous orbits (a little bit about the debris/congestion issues)

• National Security Needs Robust Commercial Space (gives an overview of the national security issues at stake)
  • National Reconnaissance Office launches new procurement of commercial satellite imagery (an indicator of where the national security space community in the US is headed)

• Commerce Department Releases New Regulations to Support U.S. Leadership in Commercial Satellite Remote Sensing Industry (this built off of SPD-2, which we read a few weeks ago)
  • U.S. Eases Restrictions on Private Remote-Sensing Satellites (an IEEE piece covering some industry responses to the reforms)
  • Beyer seeks regulatory balance for commercial remote sensing (some statements from an elected rep on the subject)
  • NESDIS Commercial Remote Sensing Regulatory Affairs office webpage (some of the folks who regulate things, may be worth poking around)

Try to identify additional questions which you may not be able to answer but think are important in thinking about these questions.