Inter-Sector Policies This section contains policies applicable to, and binding on, the national security and civil space sectors. - The United States Government will maintain and coordinate separate national security and civil operational space systems where differing needs of the sectors dictate. - Survivability and endurance of national security space systems, including all necessary system elements, will be pursued commensurate with the planned use in crisis and conflict, with the threat, and with the availability of other assets to perform the mission. - Government sectors shall encourage to the maximum extent feasible, the development and use of United States private sector space capabilities. - A continuing capability to remotely sense the Earth from space is important to the achievement of United States space goals. To ensure that the necessary capability exists, the United States government will: (a) ensure the continuity of LANDSAT-type remote sensing data; (b) discuss remote sensing issues and activities with foreign governments operating or regulating the private operation of remote sensing systems; (c) continue government research and development for future advanced remote sensing technologies or systems; and (d) encourage the development of commercial systems, which image the Earth from space, competitive with, or superior to, foreign-operated civil or commercial systems. - Assured access to space, sufficient to achieve all United States space goals, is a key element of national space policy. United States space transportation systems must provide a balanced, robust, and flexible capability with sufficient resiliency to allow continued operations despite failures in any single system. The United States government will continue research and development on component technologies in support of future transportation systems. The goals of United States space transportation policy are: (1) to achieve and maintain safe and reliable access to, transportation in, and return from, space; (2) to exploit the unique attributes of manned and unmanned launch and recovery systems; (3) to encourage to the maximum extent feasible, the development and use of United States private sector space transportation capabilities; and (4) to reduce the costs of space transportation and related services. - Communications advancements are critical to all United States space sectors. To ensure necessary capabilities exist, the United States government will continue research and development efforts for future advanced space communications technologies. - The United States will consider and, as appropriate, formulate policy positions on arms control measures governing activities in space, and will conclude agreements on such measures only if they are equitable, effectively verifiable, and enhance the security of the United States and our allies. - All space sectors will seek to minimize the creation of space debris. Design and operations of space tests, experiments and systems will strive to minimize or reduce accumulation of space debris consistent with mission requirements and cost effectiveness. The United States government will encourage other space-faring nations to adopt policies and practices aimed at debris minimization.