SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Accessing Satellite 
Data to Enable New Discoveries Act’’ or the ‘‘ASCEND 
Act’’. 
SEC. 2. COMMERCIAL SATELLITE DATA. 
(a) FINDINGS.—Congress makes the following find-
ings: 
(1) Section 60501 of title 51, United States 
Code, states that the goal for the Earth Science pro-
gram of the National Aeronautics and Space Admin-
istration (referred to in this section as ‘‘NASA’’) 
shall be to pursue a program of Earth observations, 
research, and applications activities to better under-
stand the Earth, how it supports life, and how 
human activities affect its ability to do so in the fu-
ture. 
(2) Section 50115 of title 51, United States 
Code, states that the Administrator of NASA shall, 
to the extent possible and while satisfying the sci-
entific 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. 
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(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. 
(b) COMMERCIAL SATELLITE DATA ACQUISITION 
PROGRAM.— 
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(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 estab-
lish within the Earth Science Division of the Science Mis-
sion Directorate a program to acquire and disseminate 
cost-effective and appropriate commercial Earth remote 
sensing data and imagery in order to satisfy the scientific, 
operational, and educational requirements of the Adminis-
tration, and where appropriate, of other Federal agencies 
and scientific researchers to augment or complement the 
suite of Earth observations acquired by the Administra-
tion, other United States Government agencies, and inter-
national partners. 
‘‘(b) DATA PUBLICATION AND TRANSPARENCY.—The 
terms and conditions of commercial Earth remote sensing 
data and imagery acquisitions under the program de-
scribed in subsection (a) shall not prevent— 
‘‘(1) the publication of commercial data or im-
agery for scientific purposes; or 
‘‘(2) the publication of information that is de-
rived from, incorporates, or enhances the original 
commercial data or imagery of a vendor. 
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‘‘(c) AUTHORIZATION.—In carrying out the program 
under this section, the Administrator may— 
‘‘(1) procure the commercial Earth remote 
sensing data and imagery from commercial vendors 
to advance scientific research and applications in ac-
cordance with subsection (a); 
‘‘(2) establish or modify end-use license terms 
and conditions to allow for the use of procured com-
mercial Earth remote sensing data and imagery by 
individuals other than NASA-funded users, con-
sistent with the goals of the program; and 
‘‘(3) as practicable, procure commercial Earth 
remote sensing data and imagery from commercial 
vendors to support— 
‘‘(A) nonscientific applications; and 
‘‘(B) nonmilitary activities of Federal 
agencies. 
‘‘(d) REPORT.—Not later than 180 days after the 
date of the enactment of this section and annually there-
after, 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 fol-
lowing: 
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‘‘(1)(A) In the case of the initial report, a list 
of all agreements 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 
agreements that have provided commercial Earth re-
mote 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 agreement 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 Admin-
istrator has entered into an agreement with a com-
mercial vendor or a Federal agency that permits the 
use of data and imagery by Federal Government em-
ployees, contractors, or non-Federal users.’’. 
(2) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of con-
tents 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.’’. 
Æ 
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