Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of my legislation, H.R. 2600, the Accessing Satellite Capabilities to Enable New Discoveries Act, the ASCEND Act. This bill builds on a model that already works. In 2017, NASA launched the Commercial Small Satellite Data Acquisition Pilot Program to test whether commercially available Earth observation data could support NASA's scientific missions. The results were clear: Participating scientists found the data reliable, valuable, and highly effective across a broad range of research applications.
H.R. 2600: ASCEND Act
Introduced Apr 2, 20256 cosponsors
Sponsor
Jeff Hurd
Republican · CO-3
Bill Progress
IntroducedApr 2
Committee
Pass HouseFeb 23
Pass Senate
Signed
Law
Latest Action · Feb 24, 2026
1/3
Passed the House, received in Senate
Congress wants NASA buying satellite data, not building it
3 min readLast updated June 5, 2026
Why it matters
NASA has quietly run a program since 2019 that buys Earth imagery from commercial satellite companies instead of launching its own. H.R. 2600 writes that program into permanent law, locks in that the data can be published freely for science, and gives U.S. companies first crack at the contracts. The CBO pegs the cost at under $500,000 over five years. The House passed it by voice vote in February 2026, and it now sits in the Senate.
Since 2019, NASA has run a pilot called the Commercial SmallSat Data Acquisition program. The idea is simple: rather than design, build, and launch a satellite for every kind of Earth observation it needs, NASA buys data and imagery from the growing fleet of commercial satellites already in orbit.
H.R. 2600, the ASCEND Act, turns that pilot into a permanent program written into federal law. It directs NASA to keep identifying, evaluating, buying, and sharing commercial Earth imagery to support its science, its day-to-day operations, and its educational work, and to fill gaps that its own satellites and international partners don't cover.
The bill builds in a transparency rule. The contracts NASA signs can't stop scientists from publishing the imagery, or from publishing research built on top of it. When NASA buys the data, it can also widen the licensing so people outside NASA, including other federal agencies and outside researchers, can use it.
Where it can, NASA has to buy from U.S. vendors. And every year it has to report to Congress on which companies it's working with, the license terms, and who is allowed to use the data.
H.R. 2600 Bill Summary
What H.R. 2600 actually does.
1
NASA's satellite-buying pilot becomes permanent law
Writes the Commercial SmallSat Data Acquisition program, run as a pilot since 2019, into permanent federal law inside NASA's Earth Science Division.
2
Scientists can publish the data freely
NASA's purchase contracts cannot bar the publication of commercial imagery for scientific purposes, or of research derived from it.
3
U.S. companies get first claim on the contracts
Directs NASA to buy commercial Earth imagery from United States vendors to the maximum extent practicable.
4
Other agencies and researchers can tap the same data
Lets NASA widen license terms so people beyond NASA-funded users, including other federal agencies and outside researchers, can use the imagery it buys.
5
Annual reporting to Congress
Requires a report within 180 days and every year after on the vendors, license terms, and who is permitted to use the data.
Who benefits from H.R. 2600?
Climate and Earth scientists
Gain a steady, publishable stream of commercial imagery to track droughts, deforestation, sea ice, and storms.
U.S. commercial satellite companies
Get a permanent government customer and the legal preference to win NASA's data contracts over foreign competitors.
Other federal agencies and outside researchers
Can use the same imagery NASA buys, instead of negotiating their own separate licenses.
Emergency managers and disaster teams
Stand to get fresher, more detailed imagery for mapping wildfires, floods, and other fast-moving events.
Who is affected by H.R. 2600?
NASA's Earth Science Division
Has to formally stand up the program, manage the vendor contracts, and file the annual reports to Congress.
Foreign satellite vendors
Are deprioritized, since NASA must buy from U.S. companies wherever practicable.
NASA's in-house satellite programs
The bill positions commercial data to augment and complement NASA's own satellites rather than replace them.
Federal appropriators
Decide the actual funding; the bill creates the program but leaves the spending level to future budgets.
On the Record
What Congress Is Saying
H.R. 2600 has come up 11 times in the Congressional Record so far.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 2600, the ASCEND Act, sponsored by Representatives Hurd and Bonamici. Commercial remote sensing is an increasingly important part of the growing space economy. In recent years, technological advancements and lower launch costs have enabled American companies to expand their remote sensing capabilities and to deliver innovative, high-quality satellite data at competitive prices. Recognizing this potential, NASA established a pilot program in 2017 to assess how the agency could leverage commercial satellite data to support mission objectives.
H.R. 2600 also appeared in 4 routine cosponsor filings.
HR2600 Legislative Journey
Sent to Senate
Feb 24, 2026
Received in the Senate. Read twice. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 344.
House: Vote: 2242-2243
Feb 23, 2026
On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote. (text: CR H2242-2243)
House: Committee Action
Feb 20, 2026
Reported by the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology. H. Rept. 119-502.
House: Vote Held
Apr 29, 2025
Ordered to be Reported by Voice Vote.
House: Committee Action
Apr 2, 2025
Referred to the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology.
About the Sponsor
Jeff Hurd
Republican, Colorado's 3rd congressional district · 1 years in Congress
Committees: Science, Space, and Technology, Natural Resources, Transportation and Infrastructure
View full profile →
Cosponsors (6)
No new cosponsors in 321 days — momentum stalled
This bill has 6 cosponsors: 4 Democrats, 2 Republicans, reflecting bipartisan support. Cosponsors represent 5 states: Colorado, New Jersey, New York, and 2 more.
4Democrats2Republicans·5 statesBipartisan
Committee Sponsors
Science, Space, and Technology Committee
18D21R
|4 signed35 not yet4 of 39 committee members cosponsored
21 Republicans across this committee haven't cosponsored yet. Mobilize their constituents
H.R. 2600 Quick Facts
Cosponsors
6
- Committee
- Science, Space, and Technology
- Chamber
- House
- Policy
- Science, Technology, Communications
- Introduced
- Apr 2, 2025
Passed the House, received in Senate
Feb 24, 2026
Official Sources
H.R. 2600 on Congress.gov
Official bill text, cosponsors, and legislative history for the ASCEND Act
NASA CSDA Program
The Commercial SmallSat Data Acquisition program this bill codifies into permanent law
NASA Earth Science Division
The division within NASA's Science Mission Directorate where this program is housed
CBO Cost Estimate for H.R. 2600
Congressional Budget Office estimate projecting less than $500,000 in costs over 2025-2030
NASA Satellite Data Explorer
The public data portal where researchers can search and access commercial satellite data acquired through CSDA
National Academies Earth Science Decadal Survey
The decadal survey priorities referenced in the bill's reporting requirements for advancing scientific research
51 USC § 60501 — NASA Earth Science Program Goal
The existing federal statute establishing NASA's Earth observation mission that this bill builds on
51 USC § 50115 — Acquisition of Commercial Earth Remote Sensing Data
The existing statute, cited in the bill's findings, directing NASA to acquire cost-effective commercial Earth remote sensing data
H.R. 2600 Common Questions
What does the ASCEND Act actually do?
It writes NASA's Commercial SmallSat Data Acquisition program, run as a pilot since 2019, into permanent federal law. The program lets NASA buy Earth imagery from commercial satellites instead of building its own for every need.
Does this mean NASA stops building its own satellites?
No. The bill says commercial data should augment and complement NASA's own satellites and those of international partners, filling gaps rather than replacing NASA's fleet.
Can scientists publish the satellite data, or is it locked behind contracts?
They can publish it. The bill says NASA's purchase contracts cannot block the publication of commercial imagery for scientific purposes, or of research that's derived from or built on top of it.
Does the ASCEND Act require NASA to buy from American companies?
Where it can, yes. The bill directs NASA to buy commercial Earth imagery from United States vendors to the maximum extent practicable.
Can agencies other than NASA use the data?
Yes. NASA can widen the license terms so people beyond NASA-funded users, including other federal agencies and outside researchers, can use the imagery it buys.
How much does the ASCEND Act cost taxpayers?
Almost nothing on its own. The CBO estimates under $500,000 over 2025-2030, because the bill mostly codifies a program NASA already runs. Actual funding depends on future appropriations to NASA.
Has the ASCEND Act passed?
The House passed H.R. 2600 by voice vote on February 23, 2026. It's now in the Senate, placed on the legislative calendar as Calendar No. 344, awaiting floor time.
How often does NASA have to report on these data deals?
NASA has to submit a first report within 180 days of the bill becoming law, then a report every year, listing the vendors, the license terms, and whether non-federal users can access the data.
Based on H.R. 2600 bill text
H.R. 2600 Bill Text
“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.”
Source: U.S. Government Publishing Office
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