FACTOR ANALYSIS OF THE LONG-TERM CONTINUITY OF GOVERNMENTAL SATELLITE REMOTE SENSING PROGRAMS: A COMPARATIVE CASE STUDY ON THE POLICY PROCESS OF THE LANDSAT AND SPOT PROGRAMS

摘要

To promote wide utilization of satellite remote sensing that provides various societal benefits, the long-term continuity of the observational program is a prerequisite. The purpose of this research is to identify the key factors that enhance the continuity of a civil governmental satellite remote sensing program with respect to decision-making at a governmental level. In the research, the historical policy processes of the long-term continued U.S. and French civil remote sensing programs, namely Landsat and SPOT, are studied from their beginning to date. The government decisions and processes to approve the development of individual satellites are examined and compared from viewpoints of program continuity and the applicability of six political factors: political support, coherence with political priorities, existence of rival programs, consensus among stakeholders, consensus-building mechanisms, and changes in the policy-making process. The results show that except for the changes in the policy-making process, the other five factors correlate with the decisions that ensure the continuity of the program. Analysis reveals that the common conditions that promote the continuity of civil governmental remote sensing satellite programs are strong political support, good coherence with governmental priorities, existence of consensus-building mechanisms among stakeholders, absence of strong rivals, and no severe conflicts among stakeholders. In addition, comparison of the results of the Landsat and SPOT programs suggests that national governance on satellite remote sensing affects these factors. Based on this analysis, it is suggested that a consolidated policy formulation process, linkage between political agendas and satellite projects, and strategic partnerships with core stakeholders could enhance the continuation of the civil satellite remote sensing program. Simultaneous development of two satellites and international cooperation are possible measures to be taken to