Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise in support of the ASCEND Act, led by my colleague, Mr. Kean of New Jersey. The ASCEND Act creates a permanent commercial satellite data acquisition program within NASA's Science Mission Directorate. As the global space sector rapidly evolves, it is critical for NASA to have access to the very best tools and research our Nation has to offer, ensuring its continued leadership as the world's premier space agency. This bill supports those efforts by enabling NASA to procure remote sensing data from commercial providers under the new acquisition program. By taking this step, researchers will have access to cutting- edge datasets and imagery obtained from the commercial space sector. These resources will play a significant role in advancing research and development in vital areas, such as precision agriculture and natural disaster monitoring. By utilizing industry data, our NASA researchers can obtain valuable insights that enhance their already innovative work. The more knowledge we acquire, the better we can lead in this field. The bill also requires the NASA Administrator to submit an annual report to Congress on the uses and impact of commercial data products and licensing agreements. This information will be valuable for us as we monitor and support the program's efforts.…”