Space Regulatory Glossary Regulations
shutter control
- The authority of the U.S. government to temporarily restrict a commercial remote sensing satellite operator from collecting or distributing imagery of a specific area during a defined period, typically invoked for national security or foreign policy reasons.
- Codified in the Land Remote Sensing Policy Act of 1992 and implemented through NOAA license conditions, shutter control has never been formally exercised. The 2020 Part 960 revision preserved the government's authority while narrowing the conditions under which it can be invoked, reflecting the reality that foreign competitors offer comparable imagery.
Read: NOAA Remote Sensing License & Part 960 Explained
Mentioned in The Downlink
- Multi-Agency Coordination: FCC, FAA, NOAA, and ITU
A single satellite mission can require four federal agencies that don't talk to each other. Case studies and reform efforts in multi-agency coordination.
- NOAA Remote Sensing License & Part 960 Explained
Part 960 governs every U.S. commercial Earth observation satellite. Here's how the tier system works and why CRSRA's capacity is now uncertain.