It is better to not be in the US as a crypto developer, yes (especially since there are some concerns that CALEA, National Security Letters and other provisions have been used to strongarm people into backdooring crypto products as described in the classified "SIGINT Enabling Project" budget, although so far I have not seen any backdoors that were not put in willingly).

That has pretty much always been true. The crypto export laws are weaker than they used to be back in the PGP days, when PGP 2.6.2 was exported as a book to call the bluff of the whole thing, but they're still there and of some concern (especially if you intend your software to be used by citizens inside oppressive regimes which might be on The Export List).

I don't see why you'd need a 'satellite' to 'import'. There are no import restrictions I'm aware of in the US?

For a brief, non-normative summary of crypto law, please see: http://www.cryptolaw.org/