Notice2025-00741
Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for Review and Approval; Comment Request; Licensing of Private Remote-Sensing Space Systems
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
January 15, 2025
Issuing agencies
Commerce DepartmentNational Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Abstract
The Department of Commerce, in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), invites the general public and other Federal agencies to comment on proposed and continuing information collections, which helps us assess the impact of our information collection requirements and minimize the public's reporting burden. The purpose of this notice is to allow for 60 days of public comment preceding submission of the collection to OMB.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 90 Issue 9 (Wednesday, January 15, 2025)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 9 (Wednesday, January 15, 2025)]
[Notices]
[Pages 3800-3801]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2025-00741]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to the
Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for Review and Approval; Comment
Request; Licensing of Private Remote-Sensing Space Systems
AGENCY: National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of information collection, request for comment.
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SUMMARY: The Department of Commerce, in accordance with the Paperwork
Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), invites the general public and other
Federal agencies to comment on proposed and continuing information
collections, which helps us assess the impact of our information
collection requirements and minimize the public's reporting burden. The
purpose of this notice is to allow for 60 days of public comment
preceding submission of the collection to OMB.
DATES: To ensure consideration, comments regarding this proposed
information collection must be received on or before March 17, 2025.
ADDRESSES: Interested persons are invited to submit written comments to
Adrienne Thomas, NOAA PRA Officer, at <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#1c52535d5d324c4e5d5c72737d7d327b736a"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="571918161679070516173938363679303821">[email protected]</span></a>. Please
reference OMB Control Number 0648-0174 in the subject line of your
comments. Do not submit Confidential Business Information or otherwise
sensitive or protected information.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information or
specific questions related to collection activities should be directed
to Dr. Sarah Brothers, Director, Commercial Remote Sensing Regulatory
Affairs, 1401 Constitution Avenue NW, Room 31027, Washington, DC 20230;
(771) 216-4112; <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#d4a7b5a6b5bcfab6a6bba0bcb1a6a794babbb5b5fab3bba2"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="cdbeacbfaca5e3afbfa2b9a5a8bfbe8da3a2acace3aaa2bb">[email protected]</span></a>.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Abstract
This is a request for revision and extension to an approved
information collection.
The Department of Commerce (DOC), through the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Office of Space Commerce (OSC)
Commercial Remote Sensing Regulatory Affairs (CRSRA), has the authority
to regulate private space-based remote sensing under the Land Remote
Sensing Policy Act of 1992, 51 U.S.C. 60101 et seq. (the Act) and
regulations at 15 CFR part 960. The regulations facilitate the
development of the U.S. private remote sensing industry and thus
promote the collection and widespread availability of remote sensing
data while preserving essential U.S. national security interests and
observing international obligations.
The proposed revisions in this notice are primarily tied to the
development of a new, online platform to manage license actions called
the Commerce Licensing and Compliance System for Space (CLCSS). CLCSS
is intended to streamline the process for communications with CRSRA
regarding applications, notices, modification requests, and annual
compliance certifications. CRSRA is committed to improving the user
experience and providing a simplified license application and
management process for all licensees. The forms discussed below and
their integration with CLCSS will streamline, clarify, and expedite
paperwork submissions required to support regulation of the private
space-based remote sensing industry.
Applications are made in response to the requirements in the Act,
as amended. At present, CRSRA sends the applicant an Application Guide,
which repeats the application questions and criteria listed in Appendix
A to 15 CFR part 960 with an additional explanatory text. In the
future, the CLCSS system will incorporate these questions and response
criteria in a fillable, online form format. The application information
received is used to determine if the applicant meets the legal criteria
for issuance of a license to operate a private remote sensing space
system, i.e., the proposed system will be operated in accordance with
the Act, U.S. national security concerns and international obligations.
Application information includes information about the applicant (such
as corporate information), the launch dates of any components going to
space, and technical specifications of all components of the remote
sensing system. CRSRA has observed that relying on both the Appendix
and the Application Guide creates confusion and has led to the
submission of incomplete applications. CRSRA anticipates the fillable
format, which combines both the Application Guide and criteria in
Appendix A, will help any new applicant accurately provide the
necessary information. If a licensee wishes to modify its license,
either to reflect changes in its business practices or technical
changes to its system, or to request different license conditions, it
may submit such a request to CRSRA and explain why the change is
sought. CRSRA needs this information to be able to keep licenses
accurate and to respond to the regulated community's needs. CRSRA is
incorporating a new form called the License Modification Form with a
standard set of questions licensees can provide for the modification
request to be processed. Licensees will identify the relevant license
provisions, the requested changes to those provisions, and the date
upon which the requested change will take effect. CRSRA anticipates
this will expedite how quickly the requests are processed and remove a
moderate amount of paperwork by clarifying what to include with a
modification request.
Licensees are required to notify CRSRA when a spacecraft launches
or deploys; upon disposal of an on-orbit component of the licensed
system; upon detection of an anomaly; and upon the licensee's financial
insolvency or dissolution. The existing information collection already
allows for the collection of this information through the Licensee
Notification Form (LNF).
[[Page 3801]]
The approved LNF can already ease the burden on licensees when
reporting this already-required information. This information is
critical to fulfilling one of the United States' key international
obligations, which is to authorize and continually supervise U.S.
nationals' activities in space. CRSRA, therefore, must be notified when
spacecraft are deployed and disposed of so that CRSRA can supervise the
space activities of U.S. nationals. Similarly, anomalies may indicate
loss of control of a spacecraft, so CRSRA must monitor any anomalies to
meaningfully supervise the activities of U.S. nationals in space.
Finally, the financial insolvency or dissolution of a licensee may
indicate that a change in control of the spacecraft will follow,
because an insolvent licensee may go through a bankruptcy process that
might put the licensed system's ownership in question. It is critical
that CRSRA be able to intervene as early as possible in this process so
that a sensitive system does not pass into the ownership of an entity
who might jeopardize national security or international obligations.
The LNF ensures that only required information is submitted, thereby
reducing unnecessary paperwork and/or follow-up correspondence. The LNF
will be integrated into CLCSS to clarify content, make the LNF more
accessible, and further reduce the paperwork burden.
Pursuant to the regulations, CRSRA requires licensees to submit an
annual compliance certification. In the certification, licensees verify
that all facts in the license remain true. Facts that must be verified
in this certification include the technical specifications of the
system and other foundational facts that CRSRA relies upon in reviewing
license applications. This information is critical to ensuring that
only those entities who are legally fit to obtain a license do so. In
order to integrate this process with CLCSS, CRSRA will turn the
standard verification requirement into a form. There will be no
substantive change in what information needs to be provided by
licensees.
CRSRA will renew the optional Initial Contact Form (ICF) that
includes contact information and general remote sensing system
information with a few changes for clarity that include rephrasing a
few questions and removing one or two. The ICF may be submitted
electronically through the NOAA website prior to the submission of a
full application and will also be integrated into CLCSS. The ICF
information received is used to determine if the applicant is required
to submit a full application for the issuance of a license to operate a
private remote sensing space system, i.e., the proposed system falls
under the authority defined in the Act and the regulations. If NOAA
determines after reviewing the ICF that an application is not required,
the potential applicant will save 40-50 hours of paperwork by not
submitting the application.
Finally, CRSRA is renewing the optional Data Availability
Notification (DAN) which includes contact information and general data
availability information. The DAN may be submitted electronically
through the NOAA website during the application process, while an
applicant holds a license, or by any interested party. The DAN will be
integrated with CLCSS as well. The DAN information received is used to
help determine the availability of unenhanced data from a foreign or
domestic remote sensing system, which may then be compared to
unenhanced data produced by an applicant's system for the purpose of
adjusting the conditions and/or restrictions in a license. The DAN form
ensures that only required information is submitted, thereby reducing
unnecessary paperwork and/or follow-up correspondence.
II. Method of Collection
Information is collected electronically through the NOAA website
and through the coming online platform Commerce Licensing and
Compliance System for Space (CLCSS).
III. Data
OMB Control Number: 0648-0174.
Form Number(s): None.
Type of Review: Regular (revision and extension of a current
information collection).
Affected Public: Business or other for-profit organizations.
Estimated Number of Respondents: 100.
Estimated Time per Response: 25 hours for the submission of a
license application (one time for the entire license); 1 hour for the
submission of a license amendment; 30 minutes each for a notification
of disposal of on-orbit component, notification of detection of
anomaly, and notification of financial insolvency or dissolution using
the Licensee Notification Form; 30 minutes each for notification of
launch or deployment of spacecraft; 3 hours for the annual compliance
certification; and 20 minutes for the Initial Contact Form; and 10
minutes for the Data Availability Notification.
Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 100 hours.
Estimated Total Annual Cost to Public: $0.
Respondent's Obligation: Mandatory. The ICF and DAN are voluntary.
Legal Authority: Land Remote Sensing Policy Act of 1992, 51 U.S.C.
60101 et seq; and 15 CFR part 960--Licensing of Private Remote Sensing
Space Systems.
IV. Request for Comments
We are soliciting public comments to permit the Department/Bureau
to: (a) Evaluate whether the proposed information collection is
necessary for the proper functions of the Department, including whether
the information will have practical utility; (b) Evaluate the accuracy
of our estimate of the time and cost burden for this proposed
collection, including the validity of the methodology and assumptions
used; (c) Evaluate ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of
the information to be collected; and (d) Minimize the reporting burden
on those who are to respond, including the use of automated collection
techniques or other forms of information technology.
Comments that you submit in response to this notice are a matter of
public record. We will include or summarize each comment in our request
to OMB to approve this ICR. Before including your address, phone
number, email address, or other personal identifying information in
your comment, you should be aware that your entire comment--including
your personal identifying information--may be made publicly available
at any time. While you may ask us in your comment to withhold your
personal identifying information from public review, we cannot
guarantee that we will be able to do so.
Sheleen Dumas,
Departmental PRA Clearance Officer, Office of the Under Secretary for
Economic Affairs, Commerce Department.
[FR Doc. 2025-00741 Filed 1-14-25; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-HR-P
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