Seems the government has required key-escrow in exchange for imaging- satellite licenses for some time. With the "national security" password. 1.Any U.S. entity that receives an operating license is required to maintain a record of all satellite tasking from the previous year, which the U.S. Government is permitted to access. 2.The operational characteristics stated in the application for license may not be altered without formal notification and approval of the Department of Commerce. 3.The license does not relieve the Licensee of the obligation to obtain export license(s) pursuant to applicable statutes. 4.The license is normally valid only for a finite period (10 years) and is not transferable or subject to foreign owners above a certain threshold without specific permission. 5.Encryption devices, which deny unauthorized access to others during periods when national security, international obligations and/or foreign policies may be compromised, must be approved by the U.S. Government. 6.The licensee must use a data downlink which allows the U.S. Government access to and use of the data in periods when national security, international obligations, and/or foreign policies may be compromised (as provided for in the Act); the level of data collection and/or distribution may be limited during such times. 7.During periods when national security or international obligations and/or foreign policies may be compromised, the U.S. government maintains the right to "require the licensee to limit data collection and/or distribution by the system to the extent necessitated by the given situation." 8.If the Licensee wishes to enter into a significant or substantial agreement with new foreign customers, the U.S. Government requires notification by the Licensee to give the U.S. government "opportunity to review the proposed agreement in light of the national security, international obligations and foreign policy concerns of the U.S. Government." http://www.ta.doc.gov/oasc/rmtsens.htm