ASCEND Act
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The ASCEND Act would give NASA formal legal authority to run its program of buying Earth-observation data and imagery from commercial satellite companies, replacing an informal pilot effort with a permanent statutory program.
It would require that acquisition terms not block scientists from publishing the data, direct NASA to favor U.S. vendors where practical, and require annual reports to Congress on vendors, license terms, and how the data is used.
What this bill would do
What it would do
The bill would add a new section to title 51 of the U.S. Code directing NASA's Administrator to establish, within the Earth Science Division, a formal program to acquire and disseminate commercial Earth remote sensing data and imagery. This would convert NASA's existing Commercial SmallSat Data Acquisition pilot program into a permanent statutory authority. The bill would bar acquisition terms from preventing publication of the data or of information derived from it, would let NASA broaden end-use license terms so people beyond NASA-funded users can access the data, and would require that data be procured from U.S. vendors to the maximum extent practicable. It would also require NASA to report annually to the Senate Commerce Committee and the House Science Committee on agreements, vendors, license terms, and how the data is used, starting 180 days after enactment. The bill does not appropriate new funding or change NASA's existing Earth science research goals; it formalizes and constrains how NASA runs the commercial data-buying program.
Key provisions
- 1Would require NASA to establish a program within its Earth Science Division to acquire and disseminate commercial Earth remote sensing data and imagery
- 2Would prohibit acquisition terms from blocking publication of commercial data, imagery, or information derived from them for scientific purposes
- 3Would authorize NASA to establish or modify end-use license terms allowing the widest possible use of the data by non-NASA users
- 4Would require that, to the maximum extent practicable, the data and imagery be procured from United States vendors
- 5Would require an initial report within 180 days of enactment and annual reports thereafter to congressional committees on vendors, license terms, and data uses
Who would be affected
NASA's Earth Science Division and the commercial satellite vendors that supply remote sensing data to it, particularly U.S.-based companies favored under the vendor preference. Other federal agencies and federally funded or non-federal researchers who use NASA-acquired satellite imagery would also gain broader access under the new end-use license provisions.
Why it matters
Giving the program permanent statutory footing would make NASA's commercial data purchases less dependent on internal pilot-program decisions and more predictable for vendors and researchers. The publication-protection and broadened-access provisions could expand who can use and share the imagery, while the U.S.-vendor preference could favor domestic satellite companies over foreign competitors.
What would change
Changes to existing law
Creates Title 51, United States Code, Chapter 603 (Sec. 2(b)(1))
Adds new Section 60307 establishing a formal commercial satellite data acquisition program within NASA's Earth Science Division.
Amends Title 51, United States Code, Section 50115 (Sec. 2)
Builds on existing authority for NASA to acquire commercial Earth remote sensing data by adding formal program structure, publication protections, and reporting requirements.
Agencies directed to act
Effective dates
- Initial report to Congress on the commercial data program's agreements, vendors, and license terms
Funding and costs
Congressional Budget Office estimate
CBO estimates that H.R. 2600, the ASCEND Act, would cost less than $500,000 over the 2025–2030 period, with no effect on direct spending, revenues, or the deficit.
CBO estimates that implementing H.R. 2600 would have no effect on direct (mandatory) spending or revenues over the 2025–2035 period, resulting in no change to the deficit. The bill would codify NASA's Commercial SmallSat Data Acquisition pilot program and require NASA to submit an initial report to Congress within 180 days of enactment and annually thereafter; CBO estimates those reporting requirements would cost less than $500,000 over the 2025–2030 period, subject to the availability of appropriated (discretionary) funds. CBO identified no intergovernmental or private-sector mandates in the bill.
How implementation would work
NASA's Earth Science Division would run the program, entering into or modifying agreements with commercial satellite vendors to acquire data and imagery, while establishing end-use license terms that broaden access beyond NASA-funded users. The agency would prioritize U.S. vendors where practical. Starting 180 days after enactment and annually thereafter, NASA would report to the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee and House Science, Space, and Technology Committee listing agreements, license terms, and how the data advances research, including priorities from National Academies decadal surveys.
Legislative status & sources
Latest action
Received in the Senate. Read twice. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 344.
Official CRS summary
Show the CRS summaryHide the CRS summary
This bill provides statutory authority for the Commercial SmallSat Data Acquisition (CSDA) program run by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). Through the CSDA program, NASA acquires remote sensing data and imagery from commercial satellites to support its Earth science research. (Remote sensing generally refers to the collection of data by instruments in Earth’s orbit, such as satellites, that can be processed into imagery of Earth’s surface.)
Under the bill, NASA may establish or modify end-use agreements to allow for broad use of data and imagery acquired under the program, including by individuals outside of NASA (e.g., other federal agencies). The terms of any data or imagery acquisition may not prevent the publication of such data or imagery for scientific purposes or the publication of information derived from it. To the extent practicable, NASA must acquire such data and imagery from U.S. vendors.
Legislative subjects
Congressional oversight; Earth sciences; Photography and imaging; Science, Technology, Communications; Space flight and exploration; Spacecraft and satellites
Committee report
H. Rept. 119-502