[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1437 Reported in Senate (RS)]
<DOC>
Calendar No. 173
119th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 1437
[Report No. 119-68]
To require the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space
Administration to establish a program to identify, evaluate, acquire,
and disseminate commercial Earth remote sensing data and imagery in
order to satisfy the scientific, operational, and educational
requirements of the Administration, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
April 10, 2025
Mr. Hickenlooper (for himself and Mr. Cornyn) introduced the following
bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce,
Science, and Transportation
September 29, 2025
Reported by Mr. Cruz, with an amendment
[Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed
in italic]
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To require the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space
Administration to establish a program to identify, evaluate, acquire,
and disseminate commercial Earth remote sensing data and imagery in
order to satisfy the scientific, operational, and educational
requirements of the Administration, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
<DELETED>SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.</DELETED>
<DELETED> This Act may be cited as the ``Accessing Satellite
Capabilities to Enable New Discoveries Act'' or the ``ASCEND
Act''.</DELETED>
<DELETED>SEC. 2. COMMERCIAL SATELLITE DATA.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (a) Findings.--Congress makes the following
findings:</DELETED>
<DELETED> (1) Section 60501 of title 51, United States Code,
states that the goal for the Earth Science program of the
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (referred to in
this section as ``NASA'') shall be to pursue a program of Earth
observations, research, and applications activities to better
understand the Earth, how it supports life, and how human
activities affect its ability to do so in the future.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (2) Section 50115 of title 51, United States Code,
states that the Administrator of NASA shall, to the extent
possible and while satisfying the scientific or educational
requirements of NASA, and where appropriate, of other Federal
agencies and scientific researchers, acquire, where cost
effective, space-based and airborne commercial Earth remote
sensing data, services, distribution, and applications from a
commercial provider.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (3) The Administrator of NASA established the
Commercial SmallSat Data Acquisition Pilot Program in 2019 to
identify, validate, and acquire from commercial sources data
that support the Earth science research and application
goals.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (4) The Administrator of NASA has--</DELETED>
<DELETED> (A) determined that the pilot program
described in paragraph (3) has been a success, as
described in the final evaluation entitled ``Commercial
SmallSat Data Acquisition Program Pilot Evaluation
Report'' issued in 2020;</DELETED>
<DELETED> (B) established a formal process for
evaluating and onboarding new commercial vendors in
such pilot program;</DELETED>
<DELETED> (C) increased the number of commercial
vendors and commercial data products available through
such pilot program; and</DELETED>
<DELETED> (D) expanded procurement arrangements with
commercial vendors to broaden user access to provide
Earth remote sensing data and imagery to federally
funded researchers.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (b) Commercial Satellite Data Acquisition Program.--
</DELETED>
<DELETED> (1) In general.--Chapter 603 of title 51, United
States Code, is amended by adding at the end the
following:</DELETED>
<DELETED>``Sec. 60307. Commercial Satellite Data Acquisition
Program</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(a) In General.--The Administrator shall establish
within the Earth Science Division of the Science Mission Directorate a
program to acquire and disseminate commercial Earth observation data
and imagery in order to satisfy the scientific, operational, and
educational requirements of the Administration, and where appropriate,
of other Federal agencies and scientific researchers.</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(b) Data Publication and Transparency.--The terms and
conditions of commercial Earth remote sensing data and imagery
acquisitions under the program described in subsection (a) shall not
prevent--</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(1) the publication of commercial data or
imagery for scientific purposes; or</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(2) the publication of information that is
derived from, incorporates, or enhances the original commercial
data or imagery of a vendor.</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(c) Authorization.--</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(1) In general.--In carrying out the program
under this section, the Administrator may--</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(A) procure commercial Earth remote
sensing data and imagery from commercial vendors to
advance scientific research and applications for the
purpose set forth in subsection (a); and</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(B) establish or modify end-use license
terms and conditions to allow for the widest possible
use of procured commercial Earth remote sensing data
and imagery by individuals other than NASA-funded
users, consistent with the goals of the
program.</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(2) Acquisition from united states vendors.--The
commercial Earth remote sensing data and imagery procured under
this subsection shall be procured, to the maximum extent
practicable, from United States vendors.</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(d) Report.--Not later than 180 days after the date of
the enactment of this section, and annually thereafter, the
Administrator shall submit to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and
Transportation of the Senate and the Committee on Science, Space, and
Technology of the House of Representatives a report that includes the
following:</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(1)(A) In the case of the initial report, a list
of all vendors that are providing commercial Earth remote
sensing data and imagery to NASA as of the date of the
report.</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(B) For each subsequent report, a list of all
vendors that have provided commercial Earth remote sensing data
and imagery to NASA during the reporting period.</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(2) A description of the end-use license terms
and conditions for each such vendor.</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(3) A description of the manner in which each
such vendor is advancing scientific research and applications,
including priorities recommended by the National Academies of
Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine decadal surveys.</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(4) Information specifying whether the
Administrator has entered into an agreement with a commercial
vendor or a Federal agency that permits the use of data and
imagery by Federal Government employees, contractors, or non-
Federal users.</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(e) Definition of United States Vendor.--In this
section, the term `United States vendor' means a commercial or
nonprofit entity incorporated in the United States.''.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (2) Clerical amendment.--The table of contents for
chapter 603 of title 51, United States Code, is amended by
adding at the end the following new item:</DELETED>
<DELETED>``60307. Commercial Satellite Data Acquisition Program.''.
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Accessing Satellite Capabilities to
Enable New Discoveries Act'' or the ``ASCEND Act''.
SEC. 2. COMMERCIAL SATELLITE DATA.
(a) Findings.--Congress makes the following findings:
(1) Section 60501 of title 51, United States Code, states
that the goal for the Earth Science program of the National
Aeronautics and Space Administration (referred to in this
section as ``NASA'') shall be to pursue a program of Earth
observations, research, and applications activities to better
understand the Earth, how it supports life, and how human
activities affect its ability to do so in the future.
(2) Section 50115 of title 51, United States Code, states
that the Administrator of NASA shall, to the extent possible
and while satisfying the scientific or educational requirements
of NASA, and where appropriate, of other Federal agencies and
scientific researchers, acquire, where cost effective, space-
based and airborne commercial Earth remote sensing data,
services, distribution, and applications from a commercial
provider.
(3) After the completion of the Private-Sector Small
Constellation Satellite Data Product Pilot launch in 2017, the
Administrator of NASA established the Commercial SmallSat Data
Acquisition Pilot Program in 2019 to identify, evaluate,
validate, and acquire from commercial sources data that support
the Earth science research and application goals.
(4) The Administrator of NASA has--
(A) determined that the pilot program described in
paragraph (3) has been a success, as described in the
final evaluation entitled ``Commercial SmallSat Data
Acquisition Program Pilot Evaluation Report'' issued in
2020;
(B) established a formal process for evaluating and
onboarding new commercial vendors in such pilot
program;
(C) increased the number of commercial vendors and
commercial data products available through such pilot
program; and
(D) expanded procurement arrangements with
commercial vendors to broaden user access to provide
Earth remote sensing data and imagery to federally
funded researchers.
(b) Commercial Satellite Data Acquisition Program.--
(1) In general.--Chapter 603 of title 51, United States
Code, is amended by adding at the end the following:
``Sec. 60307. Commercial Satellite Data Acquisition Program
``(a) In General.--The Administrator shall establish within the
Earth Science Division of the Science Mission Directorate a program, to
be known as the `Commercial Satellite Data Acquisition Program', to
cost-effectively acquire and disseminate commercial Earth observation
data and imagery in order to complement the scientific, operational,
and educational requirements of the Administration, and where
appropriate, of other Federal agencies and scientific researchers.
``(b) Data Publication and Accessibility.--The terms and conditions
of commercial Earth remote sensing data and imagery acquisitions under
the program described in subsection (a) shall not prevent--
``(1) the publication of commercial data or imagery in
academic or scientific articles, papers, or other similar
publications for scientific purposes; or
``(2) the publication, in academic or scientific articles,
papers, or other similar publications, of information that is
derived from, incorporates, or enhances the original commercial
data or imagery of a vendor.
``(c) Authorization.--
``(1) In general.--In carrying out the program under this
section, the Administrator may--
``(A) procure commercial Earth remote sensing data
and imagery from commercial vendors to advance
scientific research and applications for the purpose
set forth in subsection (a); and
``(B) establish or modify end-use license terms and
conditions to allow for the widest possible use of
procured commercial Earth remote sensing data and
imagery by individuals other than NASA-funded users,
consistent with the goals of the program.
``(2) Acquisition from united states vendors.--The
commercial Earth remote sensing data and imagery procured under
this subsection shall be procured, to the maximum extent
practicable, from United States vendors.
``(d) Report.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the
enactment of this section, and annually thereafter, the Administrator
shall submit to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation
of the Senate and the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of
the House of Representatives a report that includes the following:
``(1)(A) In the case of the initial report, a list of all
vendors that are providing commercial Earth remote sensing data
and imagery to NASA as of the date of the report.
``(B) For each subsequent report, a list of all vendors
that have provided commercial Earth remote sensing data and
imagery to NASA during the reporting period.
``(2) A description of the end-use license terms and
conditions for each such vendor.
``(3) A description of the manner in which each such vendor
is advancing scientific research and applications, including
priorities recommended by the National Academies of Sciences,
Engineering, and Medicine decadal surveys.
``(4) Information specifying whether the Administrator has
entered into an agreement with a commercial vendor or a Federal
agency that permits the use of data and imagery by Federal
Government employees, contractors, or non-Federal users.
``(e) Definition of United States Vendor.--In this section, the
term `United States vendor' means a commercial or nonprofit entity
incorporated in the United States.''.
(2) Clerical amendment.--The table of contents for chapter
603 of title 51, United States Code, is amended by adding at
the end the following new item:
``60307. Commercial Satellite Data Acquisition Program.''.
Calendar No. 173
119th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 1437
[Report No. 119-68]
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To require the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space
Administration to establish a program to identify, evaluate, acquire,
and disseminate commercial Earth remote sensing data and imagery in
order to satisfy the scientific, operational, and educational
requirements of the Administration, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
September 29, 2025
Reported with an amendment