H.R. 2600 would codify the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA’s) Commercial SmallSat Data Acquisition pilot program, which identifies commercial sources for acquiring remote-sensing data and imagery of the Earth. Data collected would be disseminated internally, to other federal agencies, and to researchers. The bill would require NASA to report to the Congress, within 180 days of enactment and annually thereafter, on all agreements established under the program. Based on the cost of similar activities, CBO estimates that implementing the bill’s reporting requirements would cost less than $500,000 over the 2025-2030 period. Any related spending would be subject to the availability of appropriated funds.
On August 13, 2025, CBO transmitted a cost estimate for S. 1437, the ASCEND Act, as ordered reported by the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation on April 30, 2025. The two bills are similar, and CBO’s estimates of their budgetary effects are the same.
The CBO staff contact for this estimate is Willow Latham-Proença. The estimate was reviewed by H. Samuel Papenfuss, Deputy Director of Budget Analysis.
