#aaith ,,congress  #ast ,session  ,s4   
#adcg  ,,an ,,act  ,to require the      
,administrator of the ,national         
,aeronautics and ,space ,administration 
to establish a program to identify1     
evaluate1 acquire1 and disseminate      
commercial ,earth remote sensing data   
and imagery in order to satisfy the     
scientific1 operational1 and educational
 requirements of the ,administration1   
and for other purposes4  #a4 ,short     
title ,this ,act may be cited as the    
,accessing ,satellite ,capabilities to  
,enable ,new ,discoveries ,act or the   
,,ascend ,act4  #b4 ,commercial         
satellite data  7a7 ,findings ,congress 
makes the following findings3 7#a7      
,section #fjeja of title #ea1 ,united   
,states ,code1 states that the goal for 
the ,earth ,science program of the      
,national ,aeronautics and ,space       
,administration 7referred to in this    
section as ,,nasa7 shall be to pursue a 
program of ,earth observations1         
research1 and applications activities to

 better understand the ,earth1 how it   
supports life1 and how human activities 
affect its ability to do so in the      
future4  7#b7 ,section #ejaae of title  
#ea1 ,united ,states ,code1 states that 
the ,administrator of ,,nasa shall1 to  
the extent possible and while satisfying
 the scientific or educational          
requirements of ,,nasa1 and where       
appropriate1 of other ,federal agencies 
and scientific researchers1 acquire1    
where cost effective1 space-based and   
airborne commercial ,earth remote       
sensing data1 services1 distribution1   
and applications from a commercial      
provider4  7#c7 ,after the completion of
 the ,private-,sector ,small            
,constellation ,satellite ,data ,product
 ,pilot launch in #bjag1 the            
,administrator of ,,nasa established the
 ,commercial ,small,sat ,data           
,acquisition ,pilot ,program in #bjai to
 identify1 evaluate1 validate1 and      
acquire from commercial sources data    
that support the ,earth science research

 and application goals4  7#d7 ,the      
,administrator of ,,nasa has-- 7,a7     
determined that the pilot program       
described in paragraph 7#c7 has been a  
success1 as described in the final      
evaluation entitled ,commercial         
,small,sat ,data ,acquisition ,program  
,pilot ,evaluation ,report issued in    
#bjbj2  7,b7 established a formal       
process for evaluating and onboarding   
new commercial vendors in such pilot    
program2  7,c7 increased the number of  
commercial vendors and commercial data  
products available through such pilot   
program2 and  7,d7 expanded procurement 
arrangements with commercial vendors to 
broaden user access to provide ,earth   
remote sensing data and imagery to      
federally funded researchers4  7b7      
,commercial ,satellite ,data            
,acquisition ,program  7#a7 ,in general 
,chapter #fjc of title #ea1 ,united     
,states ,code1 is amended by adding at  
the end the following3  #fjcjg4         
,commercial ,satellite ,data            

,acquisition ,program  7a7 ,in general  
,the ,administrator shall establish     
within the ,earth ,science ,division of 
the ,science ,mission ,directorate a    
program1 to be known as the ,commercial 
,satellite ,data ,acquisition ,program1 
to cost-effectively acquire and         
disseminate commercial ,earth           
observation data and imagery in order to
 complement the scientific1 operational1
 and educational requirements of the    
,administration1 and where appropriate1 
of other ,federal agencies and          
scientific researchers4  7b7 ,data      
publication and accessibility ,the terms
 and conditions of commercial ,earth    
remote sensing data and imagery         
acquisitions under the program described
 in subsection 7a7 shall not prevent--  
7#a7 the publication of commercial data 
or imagery in academic or scientific    
articles1 papers1 or other similar      
publications for scientific purposes2 or
  7#b7 the publication1 in academic or  
scientific articles1 papers1 or other   

similar publications1 of information    
that is derived from1 incorporates1 or  
enhances the original commercial data or
 imagery of a vendor4  7c7              
,authorization  7#a7 ,in general ,in    
carrying out the program under this     
section1 the ,administrator may-- 7,a7  
procure commercial ,earth remote sensing
 data and imagery from commercial       
vendors to advance scientific research  
and applications for the purpose set    
forth in subsection 7a72 and  7,b7      
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 users1 consistent with the
 goals of the program4  7#b7            
,acquisition from ,united ,states       
vendors ,the commercial ,earth remote   
sensing data and imagery procured under 
this subsection shall be procured1 to   
the maximum extent practicable1 from    
,united ,states vendors4  7d7 ,report   

,not later than #ahj days after the date
 of the enactment of this section1 and  
annually thereafter1 the ,administrator 
shall submit to the ,committee on       
,commerce1 ,science1 and ,transportation
 of the ,senate and the ,committee on   
,science1 ,space1 and ,technology of the
 ,house of ,representatives a report    
that includes the following3 7#a7 7,a7  
,in the case of the initial report1 a   
list of all vendors that are providing  
commercial ,earth remote sensing data   
and imagery to ,,nasa as of the date of 
the report4  7,b7 ,for each subsequent  
report1 a list of all vendors that have 
provided commercial ,earth remote       
sensing data and imagery to ,,nasa      
during the reporting period4  7#b7 ,a   
description of the end-use license terms
 and conditions for each such vendor4   
7#c7 ,a description of the manner in    
which each such vendor is advancing     
scientific research and applications1   
including priorities recommended by the 
,national ,academies of ,sciences1      

,engineering1 and ,medicine decadal     
surveys4  7#d7 ,information specifying  
whether the ,administrator has entered  
into an agreement with a commercial     
vendor or a ,federal agency that permits
 the use of data and imagery by ,federal
 ,government employees1 contractors1 or 
non-,federal users4  7e7 ,definition of 
,united ,states vendor ,in this section1
 the term ,united ,states vendor means a
 commercial or nonprofit entity         
incorporated in the ,united ,states4  4 
7#b7 ,clerical amendment ,the table of  
contents for chapter #fjc of title #ea1 
,united ,states ,code1 is amended by    
adding at the end the following new     
item3  #fjcjg4 ,commercial ,satellite   
,data ,acquisition ,program4  4  ,passed
 the ,senate ,december #i1              
#bjbe4,secretary