Commercialisation of remote sensing U.S. and International law : towards a liberalization of economic regulations

This thesis analyses the International and American laws and regulations structuring the commercialization of space based remote sensing images.Chapter one outlines the historical evolution influencing the present regulatory structure. Chapter two describes the technology of space based remote sensing systems. Chapter three analyses the international treaties and institutions along with their application to commercial remote sensing by satellites. Chapter four analyses the American legislative evolution and regulatory structure pertaining to commercial remote sensing.The argument of the thesis is that a contextual evolution of the global geopolitical climate is forcing a regulatory retooling for commercial space endeavors. The contextual evolution has created new paradigms based upon international economic market values. The initial international treaties and institutions must evolve to reflect these criteria