Overview
Title
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.
ELI5 AI
NASA wants to buy pictures and data about Earth from companies and share them to help with their science projects. They plan to use companies in the USA mostly, to make sure everyone can use and see the data safely.
Summary AI
H. R. 2600 requires NASA's Administrator to set up a program to acquire and share commercial Earth remote sensing data and imagery. This program aims to support NASA's scientific, operational, and educational goals using cost-effective commercial sources. The bill encourages procurement from U.S. vendors and ensures transparency and broad usage of the data. Regular reports will be made to Congress, detailing the agreements and their impact on scientific research and applications.
Published
Keywords AI
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AnalysisAI
Overview of the Bill
The bill, titled the "Accessing Satellite Capabilities to Enable New Discoveries Act" or the "ASCEND Act," is designed to improve the acquisition and use of commercial Earth remote sensing data and imagery by NASA. It emphasizes the importance of using commercial satellite data to fulfill NASA's scientific, operational, and educational needs. Moreover, it mandates the creation of a program that NASA's Earth Science Division will oversee, focusing on expanding access to this data, particularly from U.S. vendors. Additionally, the bill sets forth the requirement for annual reports to Congress detailing the program's agreements and its impact on scientific research.
Significant Issues
A few notable issues arise from the bill's provisions:
Ambiguity in Vendor Selection: There's a lack of clarity around what constitutes a "United States vendor," which could lead to confusion and disputes in the vendor selection process. This ambiguity might also create legal challenges regarding eligibility and potential bias.
Vague Language on Procurement: The phrasing "to the maximum extent practicable" concerning procuring data from U.S. vendors is unclear. This may lead to inconsistent interpretations about when it's acceptable to obtain data from international vendors.
Budgetary Uncertainty: The bill does not specify a particular budget for the data acquisition program, which could lead to challenges in fiscal oversight and potential financial inefficiencies.
Lack of Defined Oversight: There is no explicit mechanism to monitor fair treatment among commercial vendors, which risks biased or discriminatory procurement practices.
Incomplete Reporting Guidelines: The requirements for the annual reports to Congress lack specificity, which could lead to variability in the quality and detail of the reports.
Impacts on the Public and Stakeholders
The bill's impact on the general public can be both positive and negative. On the one hand, improving access to high-quality Earth observational data may lead to enhanced scientific research, benefiting areas like climate change analysis and natural resource management. This could indirectly benefit the public through better-informed policy-making and educational initiatives.
For specific stakeholders, NASA stands to benefit from enhanced and cost-effective access to a broader range of satellite data, arguably leading to more significant scientific advancements. The commercial satellite industry, especially U.S. vendors, could see increased business opportunities and growth as potential suppliers for this program.
However, there are potential downsides. International vendors might feel disadvantaged by the emphasis on U.S. vendors, impacting global partnerships and data sharing. Additionally, the absence of a detailed budget and oversight mechanism might lead to inefficient resource allocation or favoritism in vendor selection. Ultimately, these ambiguities and oversight gaps could pose risks to achieving the bill's objectives of broadening and democratizing access to satellite data for scientific and educational endeavors.
Issues
The inclusion of 'United States vendors' without a clear definition may lead to ambiguity about eligibility and preference in procurement processes, possibly resulting in legal challenges or biased vendor selection. This is particularly pertinent to Section 60307(d).
The language regarding the procurement of data from United States vendors 'to the maximum extent practicable' is vague, which may lead to differing interpretations about when it's allowable to acquire data from non-U.S. vendors. This is a concern noted in Section 60307(d).
The lack of a specified budget for the commercial Earth remote sensing data acquisition could result in unclear spending and oversight, leading to potential financial inefficiencies or disputes over resource allocation. This issue is tied to Section 60307.
The program's effectiveness and cost-effectiveness are mentioned without supporting financial data or metrics, potentially making it difficult to prevent wasteful spending. This is particularly relevant to Sections 2 and 60307.
There is no explicit mechanism or oversight for ensuring fair treatment of commercial vendors, which might lead to biased vendor selection or discrimination. This concern is associated with Sections 2 and 60307.
The amendment process and criteria for establishing or modifying end-use license terms are not clearly defined, which could lead to inconsistent data use and access practices. This issue relates to Section 60307(c)(2).
The role and involvement of international partners in data acquisition is not clearly addressed, leading to possible confusion around international collaboration and data sharing. This is relevant for global data usage, particularly noted in Section 60307(a).
The report requirements lack specificity in the level of detail needed; this could impact the comprehensiveness and uniformity of reports submitted to Congress. This issue pertains to Section 60307(c).
Sections
Sections are presented as they are annotated in the original legislative text. Any missing headers, numbers, or non-consecutive order is due to the original text.
1. Short title Read Opens in new tab
Summary AI
The first section of the bill specifies that it can be called the “Accessing Satellite Capabilities to Enable New Discoveries Act” or the “ASCEND Act” for short.
2. Commercial satellite data Read Opens in new tab
Summary AI
Congress is mandating that NASA set up a program to buy data and images of Earth from commercial satellites, which will help with scientific and educational goals. The program should prioritize buying data from U.S. vendors and ensure that the information can be openly used for research and other purposes, while also reporting yearly on how these agreements are benefiting science and access to data.
60307. Commercial satellite data acquisition program Read Opens in new tab
Summary AI
The section establishes a program within NASA's Earth Science Division to buy and share commercial Earth remote sensing data and imagery to support scientific, operational, and educational needs. It ensures this data can be published for scientific purposes and aims to get most of this data from U.S. vendors, with the Administrator required to report annually to Congress on the program's agreements and impact on research.