The bill aims to enhance NASA's Earth Science program by establishing a program to procure and distribute commercial Earth remote sensing data and imagery. It emphasizes the need for publication and transparency of such data for scientific purposes, while promoting the broader use of these resources. The bill prioritizes the procurement of data and imagery from U.S. vendors and requires the Administrator to submit annual reports regarding the agreements, vendors, license terms, and uses of commercial Earth remote sensing data and imagery. The bill seeks to support scientific research and applications, aligning with priorities recommended by the National Academies of Sciences.
Accessing Satellite Capabilities to Enable New Discoveries Act or the ASCEND Act
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.
