176 



STRENGTHENING THE RAD INFRASTRl^CTURE 79 



middle 10 late 1970!;. the R-dcral lntcrapcnc>' Energy/Environment R&D 

 Propram successfully coordinated federal R&D efforts, with EPA providing 

 funds to other federal agencies through interagency agreements. A similar 

 program focused on technology development would help ensure an inte- 

 grated federal approach to technology development. Congressman Joseph 

 P. Kennedy has introduced legislation to establish a program of this kind.'* 



NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION 



■ The National Aeronautics and Space Administration should closely link 

 its environmental monitoring activities with those of other federal depart- 

 ments and agencies and of other nations. 



Satellite-based earth observing systems make a fundamental con- 

 tribution to understanding, describing, and monitoring the biosphere. Such 

 satellites can support research efforts dealing with problems of climate change 

 and ozone depiction, operational systems such as weather forecasting, and 

 commercial interests in forestry, agriculture, mineral resources, and land 

 use planning. But despite broad international interest and widespread 

 activities, space-based remote sensing has followed an erratic course. In pan, 

 the imperfections of this approach have been due to the high cost of long- 

 term remote sensing from space. Given the wide interest in remote sensing, 

 it is essential to make future eanh-observing systems as efficient as possible. 

 Over the long term, it seems most efficient to procure a standard satellite 

 and operating system worldwide. This would involve merging and coordi- 

 nating governmental and commercial interests with new and innovative inter- 

 governmental and private arrangements (see Box 5). 



Over the years, various alternatives to an intergovernmental coordi- 

 nating mechanism have been suggested as pan of the efFons to reduce the 

 cost of existing and future government and commercial observing systems. 

 One possibility would be to construct an international network of eanh- 

 obscrving systems, analogous to the successful INTELSAT and INMARSAT 

 of the telecommunications world, with all countries benefiting from im- 

 proved, more reliable, and less costly services. 



A wide range of institutions use remote sensing, including inter- 

 national, national, and state agencies; commercial firms; academic institu- 

 tions; and individuals. These users receive data from two sources: satellite 

 systems funded and operated by governments and private-sector operations. 

 The market for land data alone has proven insufficient to sustain a remote 

 sensing program. In many cases, commercial firms prefer to use aircraft- 

 based remote sensing to meet their specialized needs, rather than rely on 



