Bill > HR2600

This bill, known as the ASCEND Act (Accessing Satellite Capabilities to Enable New Discoveries Act), requires the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Administrator to establish a formal program to identify, evaluate, acquire, and share commercial Earth remote sensing data and imagery. This program aims to meet NASA's scientific, operational, and educational needs, and potentially those of other federal agencies and researchers, by acquiring data from private companies. The bill emphasizes that the terms of these acquisitions should not prevent the publication of the data or information derived from it for scientific purposes, and that NASA should prioritize acquiring this data from United States vendors whenever possible. Furthermore, the bill mandates that NASA report annually to Congress on the details of these agreements, including vendors, license terms, and how the data is advancing scientific research.

Business and Industry

https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/2600/all-info