Any person seeking to operate a private remote sensing system (essentially, any system that can or will observe Earth) must obtain a license from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) where (a) the operations will occur in the United States or (b) the person operating the private remote sensing system is a U.S. citizen or company regardless from where such operations will occur.
Mudd Law works with its clients to navigate the licensing process through NOAA and its Commercial Remote Sensing Regulatory Affairs (CRSRA) office. Typically, this will begin with a discussion with the client through which the attorneys become familiar with the client and its system. This leads to recommended strategies and a review of applicable licensing conditions. Should the client decide to proceed forward, Mudd Law will initiate a dialogue with CRSRA on behalf of a client prior to formally filing the license application. Should the need for a license be confirmed (or should a client seek to obtain the license regardless), Mudd Law will then work with its clients to submit the license application and serve as a conduit between them and NOAA/CRSRA. Once NOAA determines the application to be complete (which does not necessarily mean the filing date), it has up to sixty (60) days to make a determination. Throughout the process, Mudd Law and its team members actively communicate and coordinate with the client.
