Future of Land Remote Sensing Time to Think

Future of Land Remote Sensing: Time to Think Again Pecora 16 “Global Priorities in Land Remote Sensing” Jay Feuquay USGS Program Coordinator, Land Remote Sensing October 27, 2005 U. S. Department of the Interior U. S. Geological Survey

USGS Objectives for the Discipline of Geography § Provide Leadership in U. S. Land Science and Applications § Manage the USGS science program in land surface change § Generate and support a multidisciplinary approach to land science § Provide enabling capabilities for management of the Territorial Interests of the United States § Ensure the Continuity and Fidelity of U. S. National Land Imagery Capabilities § Sponsor land imagery initiatives that further U. S. scientific, economic, national security, and foreign policy interests § Gather land imagery requirements for the U. S. and manage U. S. land imagery systems, data, and business operations § Propose and implement U. S. land remote sensing data policy 2

Mission Statement of the USGS Land Remote Sensing Program (1) To manage and operate the U. S. Moderate-Resolution National Land Imagery System; (2) To acquire and make available remotely sensed land data from Government, commercial and international sources on behalf of the U. S. ; (3) To foster and promote the development of U. S. markets for the commercial distribution and use of land remote sensing data; (4) To expand the utility and breadth of land remote sensing applications that are relevant to land science, disaster management, economic development, and U. S. security interests; and (5) To ensure the preservation of U. S. land data through operation of the National Satellite Land Remote Sensing Data Archive (NSLRSDA). 3

Landsat Policy in Focus • The U. S. Government has a requirement for Landsat data. • Landsat is a National Asset and should transition to being a sustained Operational Capability of the U. S. – Landsat is and will remain essential to land science, U. S. economic development and natural resource management, land use planning and management, disaster mitigation and relief, and U. S. national security interests. – Landsat and Landsat-type capabilities are essential components of fulfilling U. S. international obligations and requirements in science and research, including support for the international Global Earth Observing System of Systems. • USGS remains committed to fulfilling U. S. interests. 4

Landsat 7 Data Policy • • • Ensure that unenhanced data are available to all users at the cost of fulfilling user requests; Ensure timely and dependable delivery of unenhanced data to the full spectrum of civilian, national security, commercial, and foreign users and the National Satellite Land Remote Sensing Data Archive (NSLRSDA); Ensure that the United States retains ownership of all unenhanced data generated by Landsat 7; Support the development of the commercial market for remote sensing data; Ensure that the provision of commercial value-added services based on remote sensing data remains exclusively the function of the private sector; and To the extent possible, ensure that the data distribution system for Landsat 7 is compatible with the Earth Observing System Data and Information System (EOSDIS). 5

Current Practice in Landsat 7 Data Distribution Landsat Satellite System Satellite Data Unenhanced Imagery USGS EROS Commercial Sales Commercial Industry General Public Commercial Value-Added Services Unenhanced Imagery US Federal Government Unenhanced Imagery USG Affiliates 6

P. L. 102 -555 Legal Framework PUBLIC MARKET PRIVATE MARKET Non-discriminatory Data Availability Preference for Satellite Commercialization + + Unenhanced Data Commercial Value-Added Service = = Unrestricted Distribution to USG & Affiliates Protected Distribution to Commercial Markets Transfer of Investment to Private Industry INTENDED RESULTS Broad-based Use of Landsat 7

Features of a New Landsat Data Policy • The U. S. Government would continue to ensure Landsat Data Continuity. • Landsat data would be made available to U. S. Government and Affiliated Users on terms consistent with P. L. 102 -555. • Landsat data and Landsat-derived products of the U. S. Government would be provided at no cost to U. S. Commercial Data Distributors under agreements or contracts with the U. S. Government. • Commercial Data Distributors would be required to distribute U. S. Government Landsat-derived products to State, Local, and Tribal Governments on terms consistent with P. L. 102 -555. • A limited fee or royalty on Landsat-related sales would be paid by commercial markets as future offsets for Landsat costs. 8

Alternate Model of Landsat Product Distribution Landsat Satellite System Commercial Value-Added Producers Commercial Sales Imagery, USG Product, & Commercial Product Commercial Transactions & Agreements Satellite Data USGS EROS Imagery & USG Product US Federal Government Imagery & USG Product Commercial Data Distributors Commercial Product Imagery & USG Product Commercial Industry General Public State & Local Government Public Safety Requirements & Other Public Needs USG Affiliates 9