Passed one chamber, waiting for the other to take it up
Passed one chamber, and the other has not yet sent it to a committee or put it on its calendar.
The other chamber will hand it to a committee, place it on its calendar, or leave it where it is. Nothing has been decided, and a bill can sit here indefinitely.
Its path through Congress
- Introduced
- Passed Senate unanimous consent
- Awaiting House
The Senate by unanimous consent (no one objected, so there was no vote): no senator's position on it was recorded.
What this bill would do
The ASCEND Act requires the NASA Administrator to create the Commercial Satellite Data Acquisition Program. This program is designed to cost-effectively get and share commercial Earth observation data and imagery. The goal is to support the scientific, operational, and educational needs of NASA, other federal agencies, and scientific researchers. The act ensures that commercial data can be published in scientific articles and encourages the use of United States vendors.
Yes· 3 of 19
- Scored +4
Does this put more money into scientific research?
The bill explicitly supports the acquisition and dissemination of commercial Earth observation data to advance scientific research.
- Scored +3
Does this cut the pollution that drives climate change?
The bill's focus on Earth observation data can help monitor and understand climate change, indirectly contributing to efforts to reduce carbon emissions.
- Scored +3
Does this better protect air, water and wildlife?
The bill directly aims to better understand the Earth and the impact of human activities, thereby informing and improving environmental protections.
The opposite
No question was scored the opposite.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
- Support for Research: The program helps satisfy scientific, operational, and educational requirements for NASA, federal agencies, and researchers (Section 2(b)(a)).
- Academic Freedom: The law prevents the terms of data acquisition from stopping the publication of commercial data or derived information in scientific papers and articles (Section 2(b)(b)).
- Broader Data Access: The Administrator can set license terms to allow the widest possible use of the data by people who are not NASA-funded users (Section 2(b)(c)(1)(B)).
- Support for U.S. Businesses: The act requires that data be procured from United States vendors to the maximum extent practicable (Section 2(b)(c)(2)).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
- No negative impacts for individuals or groups are explicitly mentioned in the provided text.
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Tap or hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Would children be better off under this? — Improved understanding of the Earth and environment benefits future generations. Would students be better off under this? — The bill promotes the use of commercial Earth observation data for educational purposes. Would people in their twenties and thirties be better off under this? — The bill can lead to more jobs in Earth observation. Would business owners be better off under this? — The bill supports U.S. vendors, which includes business owners in the commercial Earth remote sensing industry. Would farmers be better off under this? — Earth observation data can assist in precision agriculture and land management. Would people in middle age be better off under this? — Provides more job stability if you are already in this sector. Would people in rural areas be better off under this? — The bill can improve rural development. Would people in cities be better off under this? — Earth observation data can aid in urban planning and environmental monitoring in cities.
- Environment Energy And Infrastructure
- Does this better protect air, water and wildlife? — The bill directly aims to better understand the Earth and the impact of human activities, thereby informing and improving environmental protections. Does this cut the pollution that drives climate change? — The bill's focus on Earth observation data can help monitor and understand climate change, indirectly contributing to efforts to reduce carbon emissions. Does this improve help for people hit by a disaster? — Improved Earth observation can aid in disaster monitoring and response efforts. Does this better protect public land such as parks and forests? — Earth observation data can contribute to better monitoring and management of public lands.
- Education And Technology
- Does this put more money into scientific research? — The bill explicitly supports the acquisition and dissemination of commercial Earth observation data to advance scientific research. Does this put more into space exploration? — The bill leverages satellite technology and data, indirectly supporting space exploration efforts.
- Economy And Finance
- Is this likely to create jobs? — The bill prioritizes procurement from US vendors, potentially boosting the domestic commercial Earth remote sensing industry and creating jobs. Does this make it easier to run a small business? — The bill could indirectly improve small business support within the Earth remote sensing data sector by prioritizing procurement from U.S. vendors.
- Governance And Ideology
- Does this protect the individual right to speak freely? — The bill protects the publication of commercial data or imagery for scientific purposes, which supports freedom of speech within the scientific community. Does this make what the government does easier for the public to see? — The bill promotes data publication and transparency regarding commercial Earth remote sensing data and imagery acquisitions.
- Healthcare
- Does this put more money into medical research? — The bill supports scientific research through the acquisition and dissemination of Earth observation data and imagery, which may lead to findings relevant to public health.
- 12/10/2025
- Message on Senate action sent to the House.
- Held at the desk.
- Received in the House.
- 12/9/2025
- Passed/agreed to in Senate: Passed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent.
- Passed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent. (consideration: CR S8581; text: CR S8581)
- 9/29/2025
- Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Reported by Senator Cruz with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. With written report No. 119-68.
- Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 173.
- 4/30/2025
- Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Ordered to be reported with an amendment in the nature of a substitute favorably.
- 4/10/2025
- Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- Introduced in Senate
John CornynRepublican · Texas