§60121 General Licensing Authority

Summary

The Secretary can give private companies a license to run private remote sensing space systems for a time the Secretary sets. The Secretary will work with other U.S. government agencies when doing this. If a space system does other jobs too, the Secretary’s license only covers the remote sensing part. No license can be given unless the Secretary writes that the applicant will follow this law, related rules, any international duties, and U.S. national security concerns. The Secretary must publish in the Federal Register a full list of the information needed for a complete application. An application is complete when it includes everything on the list that was current when the application was first sent. If the Secretary does not ask for missing information within 30 days, the application cannot be denied for that missing information. The Secretary must decide on an application within 120 days or tell the applicant what issues remain and what is needed. The Secretary may not refuse a license just to protect a current licensee from competition. The Secretary must also require licensees to give certain unenhanced data under section 60122(b)(3) when the data come from systems largely paid for by the U.S. Government or when it is in the national interest after considering the licensee and public access. Any such requirement must not conflict with U.S. Government contracts with the licensee.