[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 68 (Friday, April 8, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 20622-20623]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-08063]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
[Docket No. 151014950-5950-01]
RIN 0648-XE260
Notice of Availability of a Draft NOAA/NESDIS Commercial Space
Activities Assessment Process
AGENCY: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of availability of a Draft NOAA/NESDIS Commercial Space
Activities Assessment Process; request for comments.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: On January 8, 2016, NOAA released the NOAA Commercial Space
Policy. Consistent with that policy, the Draft National Environmental
Satellite, Data, and Information Service (NESDIS) Commercial Space
Activities Assessment Process identifies the NESDIS process for
engagement with the commercial sector by which NESDIS will assess and
pursue commercial opportunities to support NOAA's space-based
observational information requirements. In order to ensure
consideration of a broad range of ideas for optimal methods of engaging
with the commercial sector, NESDIS seeks comments on the Draft NESDIS
Commercial Space Activities Assessment Process. Through http://www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=NOAA-NESDIS-2015-0132, the public
can view the Draft NESDIS Commercial Space Activities Assessment
Process, submit ideas, review submissions from other parties, and make
comments.
All comments are welcome. In particular, NOAA would like comments
on the following areas:
What contractual or other mechanisms could NOAA use to work with
commercial sector data providers beyond traditional acquisition
approaches?
What steps should NOAA take to consider the long-term viability of
a commercial data provider prior to an operational data purchase?
What are the key aspects of demonstration projects that allow the
commercial sector to gain necessary insights?
What are the key aspects of demonstration projects that would allow
NOAA to perform the necessary data validation for the continued success
of NOAA's public safety mission?
DATES: Comments must be received by 5 p.m. on May 9, 2016.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments on this document, identified by
NOAA-NESDIS-2015-0132, by either of the following methods:
Electronic Submission: Submit all electronic public comments via
the Federal e-Rulemaking Portal. Go to http://www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=NOAA-NESDIS-2015-0132, click the ``Comment Now!''
icon, complete the required fields, and enter or attach your comments.
Mail: Submit written comments to: NOAA NESDIS, c/o Ms. Kate Becker,
U.S. Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration, National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information
Service, Room 8229, 1335 East West Highway, Silver Spring, MD 20910.
Instructions: Comments sent by any other method, to any other
address or individual, or received after the end of the comment period,
may not be considered by NOAA. All comments
[[Page 20623]]
received are a part of the public record and will generally be posted
for public viewing on www.regulations.gov without change. All personal
identifying information (e.g., name, address, etc.), confidential
business information, or otherwise sensitive information submitted
voluntarily by the sender will be publicly accessible. NOAA will accept
anonymous comments (enter ``N/A'' in the required fields if you wish to
remain anonymous). Additional information as well as instructions on
how to submit comments can be found at the following Web site: http://www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=NOAA-NESDIS-2015-0132. The Draft
NESDIS Commercial Space Activities Assessment Process can also be
viewed here.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Kate Becker, NESDIS Office of the
Chief of Staff, U.S. Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration, National Environmental Satellite, Data, and
Information Service, Room 8229, 1335 East West Highway, Silver Spring,
MD 20910. (Phone: 301-713-7049, [email protected]).
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: NOAA is a science-based services agency
charged with understanding and predicting changes in Earth systems in
order to provide critical environmental intelligence to the American
public, decision makers, and our partners. NOAA's environmental
intelligence depends on observations obtained via a variety of systems,
including satellites, ships, ground, and in situ networks.
The NOAA Commercial Space Policy and the NESDIS Commercial Space
Activities Assessment Process are two steps of NOAA's multi-step
approach to engaging the commercial sector to ensure best use of
commercial sector capabilities. NOAA has developed these documents as
timeless guidance to provide a foundation for a long-term endeavor.
Both documents formally establish core principles that will guide
NOAA's engagement with the commercial sector. In January, NOAA released
the Commercial Space Policy to establish the broad principles for the
use of commercial space-based approaches to meet NOAA's observational
requirements. Now, to supplement the principles established in the
policy, NESDIS has released the draft NESDIS Commercial Space
Activities Assessment Process.
The NESDIS Process lays out the phases of the process that NESDIS
will follow leading to any potential commercial data acquisition.
First, NESDIS will release one or more Requests for Information (RFIs)
to gather a sense of commercial capabilities and convey our interest in
a new dataset. Based on assessment of the RFI responses, NESDIS will
then release one or more Requests for Proposals (RFPs) to acquire and
evaluate commercial data, which will include the data specifications we
require. Based on RFP responses, NOAA may purchase data from one or
more vendors for analysis and evaluation through a demonstration
project.
Because specifications are unique to each individual dataset, RFPs
are an appropriate vehicle for sharing data specifications rather than
through the policy or the process. The RFPs will focus on individual
systems and allow for an in-depth, detailed description of
requirements.
Following the demonstration project and the pending results, NESDIS
may issue one or more RFPs to purchase on-orbit observations from
commercial sources for operational use by NOAA.
These steps are formally outlined in the draft NESDIS Commercial
Space Activities Assessment Process, which can be found at: http://www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=NOAA-NESDIS-2015-0132.
Both the NOAA Commercial Space Policy and the NESDIS Commercial
Space Activities Assessment Process firmly establish the principles
that will guide NOAA's engagement with the commercial sector and the
practices for how NOAA will assess, pursue, and determine the viability
of using commercial data. We are actively implementing the activities
identified in the two documents toward this end. In the near future, we
plan to share more specific information on individual datasets and
steps involved in our process. NOAA will use multiple platforms to
share important information, including RFIs, RFPs, the Office of Space
Commerce Web site, and ongoing engagement events to promote dialogue
and transparency.
Dated: April 1, 2016.
Stephen M. Volz,
Assistant Administrator for Satellite and Information Services.
[FR Doc. 2016-08063 Filed 4-7-16; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-HR-P