ASCEND Act

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to express my gratitude to the Speaker's Office, the majority leader, Chairman Lucas, and my colleagues for their collaborative efforts in addressing the urgency of passing my bill, H.R. 6219, the Accessing Satellite Data to Enable New Discoveries Act, the ASCEND Act.

I also extend my appreciation to Representative Bonamici for co- leading the ASCEND Act, which will establish a program through which NASA can procure satellite imagery and data from commercially operated satellites to support and complement its science objectives.

Space, once dominated by government actors, is now home to a growing variety of commercial operators. This commercial space industry includes commercial operators of small satellite constellations that produce remote sensing imagery and data. NASA could obtain cost- effective imagery and data for its science missions by purchasing such products from these commercial providers as one of their many customers.

In 2017, NASA established a pilot program called the Commercial SmallSat Data Acquisition, CSDA, Program to identify and to evaluate commercial capabilities that could add value to NASA research. The program also established new processes to acquire and use such products.

The CSDA pilot program proved to be a great success, with participating scientists finding commercial datasets to be both reliable and highly valuable for a wide range of research applications.

The ASCEND Act seeks to build upon the success of the pilot program and to permanently authorize the CSDA Program within NASA, thus ensuring the program's continued growth and longevity.

This bill directs the NASA Administrator to establish a commercial satellite data acquisition program within NASA's Science Mission Directorate, allowing scientists and agencies to access cost-effective commercial satellite data products.

The bill also allows the Administrator to both obtain commercial Earth remote sensing imagery and data needed by agencies and scientists and to also encourage growth of private-sector space entities.

Additionally, this legislation requires the Administrator to submit a report to Congress describing the implementation of the program, including the types of data acquired, the sources of that data, its uses within NASA, and any impacts.

Not only does this program benefit NASA scientists, but it also supports federally funded and accredited researchers across various agencies, such as NOAA, USDA, or DOI, as well as Federal grantees, including the National Science Foundation and other agencies.

By utilizing a diverse set of capabilities and data sources, and leveraging advancements in the private sector, we are ensuring that America remains at the forefront of scientific discovery and technological advancements for generations to come.

Now is an important time for Congress to reaffirm our support for this program by enacting it into statute, thus ensuring its continued growth and success for the Federal scientific community.

Access to such timely, high-quality satellite data is essential for improving our understanding of natural disasters, enhancing response capabilities, and mitigating impacts, especially for flood-prone coastal areas like New Jersey. This data will help protect our communities by informing more accurate predictions and better preparation efforts.

The ASCEND Act demonstrates a strong commitment to advancing our scientific capabilities, such as by providing data that would enhance disaster preparedness and response efforts and by supporting commercial space efforts.

This bipartisan legislation reinforces our dedication to promoting sound research and innovation in space exploration and ensuring NASA remains at the forefront of scientific discovery and public service.

Again, I thank the Speaker's Office, the majority leader, and Chairman Lucas for helping advance this impactful legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to support this legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 6219) to require the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration to establish a program to identify, evaluate, acquire, and disseminate commercial Earth remote sensing data and imagery in order to satisfy the scientific, operational, and educational requirements of the Administration, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 6219, the bill now under consideration.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise in support of the ASCEND Act, led by my colleague, Mr. Kean of New Jersey.

The ASCEND Act creates a permanent commercial satellite data acquisition program within NASA's Science Mission Directorate.

As the global space sector rapidly evolves, it is critical for NASA to have access to the very best tools and research our Nation has to offer, ensuring its continued leadership as the world's premier space agency.

This bill supports those efforts by enabling NASA to procure remote sensing data from commercial providers under the new acquisition program. By taking this step, researchers will have access to cutting- edge datasets and imagery obtained from the commercial space sector. These resources will play a significant role in advancing research and development in vital areas, such as precision agriculture and natural disaster monitoring.

By utilizing industry data, our NASA researchers can obtain valuable insights that enhance their already innovative work. The more knowledge we acquire, the better we can lead in this field.

The bill also requires the NASA Administrator to submit an annual report to Congress on the uses and impact of commercial data products and licensing agreements. This information will be valuable for us as we monitor and support the program's efforts.

As we look forward to the future, maintaining our leadership in the space sector will depend on various factors, including our collaborative efforts between the public and private sectors. Allowing NASA to expand its commercial data procurement program through the ASCEND Act will only help achieve the agency's current and long-term goals.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Representative Kean and Representative Bonamici for working together to get this bill to the floor today. I urge all of my colleagues to support this legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Kean), to speak on his bill.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.

Again, I thank Representatives Kean and Bonamici for their bipartisan efforts.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I stand in support of the ASCEND Act, which is sponsored by Representatives Kean and Bonamici. Their bill would codify the existing program, the Commercial Satellite Data Acquisition program, after NASA successfully demonstrated the viability of purchasing commercial small-satellite data to support NASA's Earth system science programs.

During evaluation of the initial pilot project, the data acquisitions were shown to complement the suite of Earth observations taken by NASA's fleet of satellites and instruments. NASA has continued the activities as the Commercial SmallSat Data Acquisition Program. This bill capitalizes on the accomplishments of the initial pilot by authorizing the program.

It also authorizes the Administrator, in carrying out the program, to procure commercial Earth remote sensing data and imagery from commercial vendors and to establish or modify end-use license terms and conditions to allow for the use of the procured data and imagery by individuals other than NASA-funded users.

The bill includes measures to support data publication and transparency, reporting to Congress on the program, and the widest possible use of the data procured under the program consistent with program goals.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the bill's sponsors for their work on the ASCEND Act, and I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting it. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers to speak on this bill, and I am prepared to close.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.