New ASCEND Act Creates Permanent NASA Program to Buy Satellite Data, Boosting US Vendors and Scientific Access

The newly proposed Accessing Satellite Capabilities to Enable New Discoveries Act (ASCEND Act) establishes a permanent, systematic program within NASA’s Earth Science Division dedicated to buying commercial Earth observation data and imagery. Think of it like NASA getting a permanent subscription service for high-tech satellite photos and environmental data, but instead of buying from one big provider, they’re buying from multiple private companies.

This program’s main goal, laid out in Section 2, is to cost-effectively acquire this data and then share it widely. It’s not just for NASA scientists; the bill explicitly allows NASA to set up license terms that let other federal agencies, scientific researchers, and even the public use the data as much as possible. This is a big deal for anyone in environmental science, agriculture, or urban planning who needs up-to-the-minute, high-resolution imagery.

Who Gets the Contract?

One key provision is the strong preference for domestic companies. The ASCEND Act states that, "to the maximum extent practicable," NASA must procure this data from United States vendors—meaning commercial or nonprofit entities incorporated in the U.S. This is a clear signal that the government wants to use its massive purchasing power to support and grow the domestic commercial space industry. For U.S.-based satellite startups, this bill creates a reliable, permanent federal customer, which is a huge boost to their business models and innovation.

However, this preference also raises a practical question: what happens when the best or cheapest data for a specific scientific need comes from a foreign vendor? The language “to the maximum extent practicable” gives NASA some wiggle room, but the intent is clearly to favor U.S. firms. While great for American business, it could potentially limit scientists' access to the absolute best data available globally if foreign options are excluded.

Data Sharing and the Academic Firewall

If you're a scientist or researcher, this bill is designed to make your life easier. Commercial data often comes with restrictive licensing terms—you can buy it, but you might not be allowed to share it widely or publish the raw images. The ASCEND Act tackles this head-on by mandating that the terms of data acquisitions cannot prevent the publication of the commercial data or any information derived from it in academic articles, papers, or similar publications for scientific purposes (SEC. 2).

This is the bill’s way of saying, “We bought the data for science, so science gets to use it and publish the results.” For example, if a university researcher uses this commercial satellite data to track changes in a specific glacier, the vendor can’t stop them from publishing the raw imagery or the resulting maps in a peer-reviewed journal. This protection is crucial for maintaining the integrity of the scientific process, which relies on transparency and peer review.

Keeping Tabs on the Spending

The bill isn't just about handing out contracts; it also mandates transparency. NASA is required to report annually to key Congressional committees—the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation and the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology. These reports must list every vendor NASA is buying data from, describe the license terms for that data, and explain exactly how that data is advancing scientific research, particularly in line with national priorities.

This reporting requirement (SEC. 2) is the public's check on the program. It ensures that NASA can’t just buy data willy-nilly; they have to justify the purchases and show the scientific return on investment. For the average taxpayer, this means there’s a mechanism to verify that the money spent on commercial satellite data is actually being used to advance knowledge, not just prop up favored companies.