[SatNews] GeoMetWatch, Inc. has announced that NOAA's Commercial Remote Sensing Regulatory Affairs Office, an agency of the Department of Commerce, has granted it the nation's first commercial remote sensing license for a geostationary hyperspectral imaging/sounding system.

The license permits the company to operate as many as six satellites in geostationary orbit providing hyperspectral imaging and sounding products for advanced environmental and weather observations. “The impetus for our license application was the NOAA solicitation of commercial sources to meet US government requirements for satellite based observations, particularly in the area of geostationary sounding. This requirement is an essential part of improving severe weather forecasts," said Dr. David Crain, CEO of GeoMetWatch. "Our innovative business model can provide this important weather data at a fraction of the cost of dedicated weather systems without requiring large, upfront government investment and development risk."

Under the license, GeoMetWatch is developing capabilities to provide NOAA, along with its National Weather Service, and international weather agencies with advanced observations required to improve severe weather forecasts, hurricane tracking, numerical weather prediction and environmental monitoring. GeoMetWatch provides a means for these advanced observations to be used globally, without exporting any sensitive U.S. technology which complies with International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR neutral). The GeoMetWatch space-based remote sensing system will encompass a hyperspectral sounder with basic imaging capability co-hosted on a commercial satellite bus. The sensor, operational system and data products will be developed and built by academic and industry partners and will be primed by Utah State University Research Foundation’s Space Dynamics Laboratory in Logan, Utah.