ASCEND Act

Sponsor: Jeff Hurd (Republican-CO)April 2, 2025

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Introduced

In Committee

Passed One Chamber

Passed Both Chambers

Signed into Law

Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 428.

Scientists and educators would get wider access to commercial satellite images of Earth

This bill would make it easier for scientists and educators to use commercial satellite images of Earth. It would require NASA to set up a formal program to buy and share this data. This means more information to study our planet and how human activities affect it.

What Would Change

Today, NASA runs a successful pilot program to buy commercial satellite data. This bill would make that pilot program a permanent, formal program. This means there would be clear rules for how NASA buys and shares this data. These rules would ensure the data can be widely used by scientists and educators, and they would require regular reports to Congress.

Key Provisions

Requires NASA to create a formal Commercial Satellite Data Acquisition Program.
Ensures that the terms for buying commercial satellite data would not stop scientists from publishing their research.
Allows NASA to set up license agreements that let more people, beyond just NASA-funded users, access and use the purchased satellite data.
Requires NASA to prioritize buying commercial Earth remote sensing data from United States companies when possible.
Requires NASA to send reports to Congress every year about the program's agreements, vendors, license terms, and how the data is being used.

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HR 2600 · 119th Congress · April 2, 2025 · AI Summary by gemini-2.5-flash · 9/10

Lobbying Activity

7 filings mentioned this bill

Top Lobbying Clients

VANTOR PARENT INC

3 filings

AEROSPACE INDUSTRIES ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA INC

2 filings

PLANET LABS PBC

2 filings

Top Lobbying Firms

1.VANTOR PARENT INC3 filings

2.AEROSPACE INDUSTRIES ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA, INC.2 filings

3.PLANET LABS PBC2 filings

Amounts reflect total quarterly lobbying spend reported to the Senate, not bill-specific spending. Source: Senate LDA filings.

7 filings mentioned this bill

Top Lobbying Clients

VANTOR PARENT INC

3 filings

AEROSPACE INDUSTRIES ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA INC

2 filings

PLANET LABS PBC

2 filings

Top Lobbying Firms

1.VANTOR PARENT INC3 filings

2.AEROSPACE INDUSTRIES ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA, INC.2 filings

3.PLANET LABS PBC2 filings

Amounts reflect total quarterly lobbying spend reported to the Senate, not bill-specific spending. Source: Senate LDA filings.