(a) Approving authority means NOAA for the GOES DCS; and it means the Argos Participating Agencies, via the Argos Operations Committee, for the Argos DCS.

(b) Argos DCS means the system which collects data from fixed and moving platforms and provides platform location data. This system consists of platforms, the Argos French instrument on the Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellites (POES) and other international satellites; a ground processing system; and telemetry ground stations.

(c) Argos participating agencies means those agencies of the United States and other countries that participate in the management of the Argos DCS.

(d) Assistant Administrator means the Assistant Administrator for Satellite and Information Services, NOAA, or his/her designee.

(e) Director means the Director of the Office of Satellite Data Processing and Distribution for the National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service of NOAA.

(f) Environmental data means environmental measurement data for the purpose of using the GOES DCS; and it means environmental measurement and environmental protection data for the purpose of using the Argos DCS.

(g) Environmental measurement data means data that relate to the characteristics of the Earth and its natural phenomena by helping to better understand, evaluate, or monitor its natural resources.

(h) Environmental protection data means data that relate to the characteristics of the Earth and its environment (including its ecosystems and the species which inhabit them) by helping to protect against any unreasonable adverse effects thereto.

(i) Episodic use means the use of the system for short events where there is a significant possibility of loss of life, such as for Arctic expeditions or scientific campaigns into remote areas.

(j) Government interest means that the use is determined in advance to be of interest to one or more governmental entities of the United States, France or, once they have become an Argos Participating Agency, Japan or a European Organization for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites (EUMETSAT) member state; or also, in the case of the GOES DCS, a state or local government.

(k) Government user means agencies of international governmental organizations, national government or any subdivision thereof, or any of those agencies' contractors or grantees, so long as the contractor is using the data collected by the NOAA DCS to fulfill its contractual obligations to the government agency or in the case of a grantee that these data are being used in accordance with the statement of work for the award.

(l) NOAA DCS means the GOES and Argos space-based DCS.

(m) Non-profit user means a not-for-profit academic, research, or other non-governmental organization, which is using these data, for education and/or scientific, non-commercial purposes.

(n) Operational use means the use of data in a situation where the utility of the data are significantly reduced if not collected or delivered in a specific time window. This includes situations where extensive preparation work is in place and a delay in acquisition of data would jeopardize the project.

(o) Platform compatibility means the compatibility of the platform with the space segment of the system, and includes elements such as message length and composition, signal strength, and transmission protocol (e.g., continuous versus event drive).

(p) Sensitive use means the use of the NOAA DCS where the users' requirements dictate the use of a governmental system such as National security, homeland security, law enforcement and humanitarian operations.

(q) Testing use means the use of the NOAA DCS by manufacturers of platforms for use in conjunction with the NOAA DCS, for the limited purpose of testing and certifying the compatibility of new platforms with the technical requirements of the NOAA DCS.

(r) User means the entity and/or organization that owns or operates user platforms for the purpose of collecting and transmitting data through the NOAA DCS, or the organization requiring the collection of the data.

(s) User platform means device designed in accordance with the specifications delineated and approved by the Approving Authority used for the in-situ collection and subsequent transmission of data via the NOAA DCS. Those devices which are used in conjunction with the GOES DCS are referred to as data collection platforms (DCP) and those which are used in conjunction with the Argos DCS are referred to as Platform Transmitter Terminals (PTT). For purposes of these regulations, the terms “user platform,” “DCP”, and “PTT” are interchangeable.

(t) User requirement means the requirement expressed and explained in the System Use Agreement.