The record

LegislationLegislation· Dec 2025
S 1437 Passed Senate — in House

Sponsored by John W. Hickenlooper (D)

ASCEND Act

Authorizes NASA to buy satellite imagery from commercial vendors for Earth science research.

Tradeoff

Creates a new NASA program to acquire satellite data from private companies, preferring US vendors where practical. No new funding authorized or .

What's in it

See official bill text

Costs less than $500,000 over the 2025-2030 period.

The $500,000 is just NASA's cost to implement reporting requirements and coordinate the data-sharing program — the policy's real effect is to formalize NASA's existing pilot that sources commercial satellite imagery for federal and research use.

S. 1437, ASCEND Act · Aug 2025

Passed the Senate by on December 9, 2025 — sitting in the House.

  1. Senate

    Introduced

    (Apr 10, 2025)

  2. Senate

    Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation(Apr 10, 2025)

  3. Senate

    The Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation voted to send it to the floor

    Reported(Apr 30, 2025)

    Committee report S. Rept. 119-68.

  4. Senate

    Passage of the bill

    Passed by (Dec 9, 2025)

    No individual votes were recorded.

  5. House

    Received from the Senate

    Received(Dec 10, 2025)