Other plans? The Department of Commerce is elevating the importance of the Office of Space Commerce, whose director can now advise the Commerce Secretary on private spaceflight and help federal outfits take advantage of mini satellites. NGA, meanwhile, is teaming with the General Services Administration to create a single portal for finding and buying satellite data. And the Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity is offering satellite info as part of a challenge to develop breakthroughs in both 3D mapping as well as identifying building functions from space.

If all goes well, the effort will give private outfits a stronger incentive to build small satellites. They'll have customers (both public and private) ready and waiting to buy the fruits of their labor. However, the US has broader ambitions. This could help bring Moore's Law to space, the White House says -- satellites could get ever smaller while accomplishing more than their monolithic ancestors.