Commercial sources of high resolution images will now be Uncle Sam's primary way of obtaining such images. The so-called "National Technical Means", in English government-owned satellites, will focus only on that capability that cannot be commercially bought. It is a landmark step in the evolution of the remote sensing industry, and if matched with budget resources-something that must be defined in the next several weeks in Washington- could trigger actual growth in that space business sector.

The two current providers of one meter resolution images from space; Space Imaging and Digital Globe, have struggled to define a purely commercial market outside of government clients. Orbimage is set to launch OrbView 3 into orbit this year, making it the third entrant. And the technology research continues into ever greater optical capabilities from satellite platforms.

The Bush policy also in effect drops restrictions on the design and construction of such advanced spacecraft. But embedded in the policy plan are licensing safeguards and other restrictions on where such future, higher resolution pictures could be sold, and to whom. The new policy might require government-to-government agreements if the buyers were foreign entities, or limit such sales to the U.S. government itself.

Administration sources told this column yesterday that the lead agency to implement the policy would be NIMA, the National Imagery and Mapping Agency. Even it will get a new shine under the conservative administration: it's new name will be the National Geospatial Intelligence Agency. More space policy changes are ahead, in space transportation and possibly navigation and communications. One by one the Bushies are getting around to space. The appointment of Sean O'Keefe was one step. This new space policy is another.

But stay tuned.

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