(A) any governmental organization of a for-
eign country of concern; or 
(B) any other entity that is— 
(i) known to be owned or controlled by 
any governmental organization of a foreign 
country of concern; or 
(ii) organized under, or otherwise sub-
ject to, the laws of a foreign country of con-
cern. 
(3) FOREIGN COUNTRY OF CONCERN.—The term 
‘‘foreign country of concern’’ has the meaning given 
such term in section 9901 of title XCIX of division 
H of the William M. (Mac) Thornberry National De-
fense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021 (15 
U.S.C. 4651). 
(4) HIGH-SPEED
AIRCRAFT.—The term ‘‘high- 
speed aircraft’’ has the meaning given such term in 
section 1009 of the Federal Aviation Reauthorization 
Act of 2024 (Public Law 118–63). 
TITLE VI—SCIENCE 
SEC. 601. MAINTAINING A BALANCED SCIENCE PORTFOLIO. 
(a) SENSE
OF CONGRESS.—Congress reaffirms the 
sense of Congress that— 
(1) a balanced and adequately funded set of ac-
tivities consisting of research and analysis grant pro-
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grams, technology development, suborbital research 
activities, and small, medium, and large space mis-
sions, contributes to a robust and productive science 
program and serves as a catalyst for innovation and 
discovery; and 
(2) the Administrator should set science prior-
ities by following the recommendations and guidance 
provided by the scientific community through the Na-
tional Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medi-
cine decadal surveys. 
(b) POLICY REAFFIRMATION.—Congress reaffirms the 
policy of the United States set forth in section 501(c) of 
the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Tran-
sition Authorization Act of 2017 (Public Law 115–10; 51 
U.S.C. 20302 note), which states, ‘‘It is the policy of the 
United States to ensure, to the extent practicable, a steady 
cadence of large, medium, and small science missions’’. 
SEC. 602. IMPLEMENTATION OF SCIENCE MISSION COST- 
CAPS. 
(a) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of Congress 
that— 
(1) NASA science missions address compelling 
scientific questions prioritized by the National Acad-
emies decadal surveys, and often such missions exceed 
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expectations in terms of performance, longevity, and 
scientific impact; 
(2) the Administrator should continue to pursue 
an ambitious science program while also seeking to 
avoid excessive cost growth that has the potential to 
affect the balance across the Science portfolio and 
within the Science Divisions; 
(3) audits by the NASA Inspector General and 
the Government Accountability Office have reported 
that early cost estimates for missions in the prelimi-
nary phases of conception and development are im-
mature and unreliable, and the cost of a mission 
typically is not well-understood until the project is 
further along in the development process; 
(4) cost growth of a mission beyond its early cost 
estimates is a challenge for budget planning and has 
the potential to affect other missions in the Science 
Mission Directorate portfolio, including through 
delays to future mission solicitations; and 
(5) relying on early cost estimates made prior to 
preliminary design review for science missions which 
then experience such cost growth may disincentivize 
program and cost discipline moving forward. 
(b) REPORT.—Not later than 12 months after the date 
of the enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General shall 
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transmit to the appropriate committees of Congress a re-
view of NASA practices related to establishment of and com-
pliance with cost caps of competitively-selected, principal 
investigator-led science missions. The review shall— 
(1) assess current cost cap values and determine 
whether existing cost-cap amounts are appropriate for 
different classes of missions; 
(2) consider the effectiveness of cost caps in 
maintaining a varied and balanced portfolio of mis-
sion types within the Science Mission Directorate; 
(3) describe the information NASA requires as 
part of a proposal submission related to project cost 
estimates and proposal compliance with cost caps, 
and assess whether such required information pro-
vides sufficient insight or confidence in the estimates; 
(4) consider NASA processes for assessing pro-
posed cost estimates and the accuracy of such assess-
ments for past competitively-selected, principal inves-
tigator-led science missions; and 
(5) for the period starting on January 1, 2000 
and ending on the date of the enactment of this Act— 
(A) a list of— 
(i) competitively-selected, principal in-
vestigator-led science missions for which 
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costs have exceeded the associated cost cap; 
and 
(ii) reason the mission costs exceeded 
the cost-cap; 
(B) an assessment of NASA’s role in pre-
dicting, preventing, or managing competitively- 
selected, principal investigator-led science mis-
sion cost increases; and 
(C) a description of the impact of increased 
competitively-selected, principal investigator-led 
science mission costs beyond the cost caps on— 
(i) the missions for which the cost cap 
has been breached; and 
(ii) other missions within the applica-
ble division and within the Science Mission 
Directorate. 
SEC. 603. REEXAMINATION OF DECADAL SURVEYS. 
Title 51, United States Code, is amended in section 
20305(c) by inserting ‘‘, significant changes to the NASA 
budget’’ after ‘‘growth’’. 
SEC. 604. LANDSAT. 
Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment 
of this Act, the Administrator shall transmit a report to 
the appropriate committees of Congress describing— 
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(1) the Administrator’s efforts to comply with 
section 60134 of title 51, United States Code; 
(2) aspects of Landsat NEXT or any other 
Landsat observations that— 
(A) could be provided by private sector 
data-buys or service procurements; and 
(B) could— 
(i) meet associated science require-
ments while maintaining or exceeding the 
quality, integrity, and continuity of the 
Landsat observational capabilities and per-
formance, including requirements necessary 
to ensure high-quality calibrated data con-
tinuity and traceability with the 50-year 
Landsat data record; and 
(ii) comply with nondiscriminatory 
availability of unenhanced data and public 
archiving of data pursuant to section 60141 
and 60142 of title 51, United States Code, 
and all other relevant federal laws, regula-
tions, and policies related to open science 
and data accessibility; 
(3) any potential tradeoffs or other impacts of 
subparagraphs (A) or (B) that could reduce the ben-
efit of Landsat data for scientific and applied uses or 
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reduce the Federal Government’s ability to make such 
data available for the widest possible use; and 
(4) recommendations and opportunities for the 
Federal Government to mitigate potential tradeoffs or 
impacts identified under paragraph (3) or to other-
wise facilitate private sector data-buys or service pro-
curements. 
SEC. 605. PRIVATE EARTH OBSERVATION DATA. 
(a) AMENDMENTS.—Section 702 of the National Aero-
nautics and Space Administration Authorization Act of 
2010 (42 U.S.C. 18371) is amended— 
(1) by striking ‘‘The Director of OSTP’’ and in-
serting the following: 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Director of OSTP’’; and 
(2) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(b) CONSIDERATIONS.—In updating the civil Earth 
observation strategic implementation plan pursuant to sub-
section (a), the Director of the Office of Science and Tech-
nology Policy shall consider commercial Earth observation 
data, as appropriate, that can be purchased or accessed by 
the Federal Government to meet Earth observation require-
ments.’’. 
(b) GOVERNMENT
ACCOUNTABILITY
OFFICE
RE-
PORT.—Not later than 12 months after the release of the 
next civil Earth observation strategic implementation plan 
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update under section 702(a) of the National Aeronautics 
and Space Administration Authorization Act of 2010 (42 
U.S.C. 18371(a)), the Comptroller General shall report to 
the appropriate committees of Congress an assessment of the 
Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy’s 
implementation of section 702(b) of the National Aero-
nautics and Space Administration Authorization Act of 
2010 (42 U.S.C. 18371(b)), as amended. 
SEC. 606. 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 pro-
gram of 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 ap-
propriate, of other Federal agencies and scientific re-
searchers, acquire, where cost effective, space-based 
and airborne commercial Earth remote sensing data, 
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services, distribution, and applications from a com-
mercial provider. 
(3) The Administrator of NASA established the 
Commercial SmallSat Data Acquisition Pilot Pro-
gram in 2019 to identify, 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 de-
scribed in paragraph (3) has been a success, as 
described in the final evaluation entitled ‘‘Com-
mercial SmallSat Data Acquisition Program 
Pilot Evaluation Report’’ issued in 2020; 
(B) established a formal process for evalu-
ating 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 commercial Earth remote sensing 
data and imagery to federally funded research-
ers. 
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(b) COMMERCIAL SATELLITE DATA ACQUISITION PRO-
GRAM.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—Chapter 603 of title 51, 
United States Code, is amended by adding at the end 
the following: 
‘‘§ 60307. Commercial satellite data acquisition pro-
gram 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Administrator shall establish 
within the Earth Science Division of the Science Mission 
Directorate a program to acquire and disseminate cost-ef-
fective and appropriate commercial Earth remote sensing 
data and imagery in order to satisfy the scientific, oper-
ational, and educational requirements of the Administra-
tion, and where appropriate, of other Federal agencies and 
scientific researchers to augment or complement the suite 
of Earth observations acquired by the Administration, other 
United States Government agencies, and international 
partners. 
‘‘(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— 
‘‘(1) the publication of commercial data or im-
agery for scientific purposes; or 
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‘‘(2) the publication of information that is de-
rived from, incorporates, or enhances the original 
commercial data or imagery of a vendor. 
‘‘(c) AUTHORIZATION.—In carrying out the program 
under this section, the Administrator may— 
‘‘(1) procure the commercial Earth remote sens-
ing data and imagery from commercial vendors to 
advance scientific research and applications in ac-
cordance with subsection (a); and 
‘‘(2) 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. 
‘‘(d) UNITED STATES VENDORS.—Commercial Earth 
remote sensing data and imagery referred to in subsections 
(a) and (c) shall, to the maximum extent practicable, be 
procured from United States vendors. 
‘‘(e) 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 Com-
mittee on Science, Space, and Technology of the House of 
Representatives a report that includes the following infor-
mation regarding the agreements, vendors, license terms, 
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