51 U.S.C. § 50115 — Sources of Earth science data

The Administrator^* shall, to the extent possible and while satisfying the scientific or educational requirements of the Administration^*, and where appropriate, of other Federal agencies and scientific researchers, acquire, where cost-effective, space-based and airborne Earth remote sensing data, services, distribution, and applications from a commercial provider^*.

Acquisitions by the Administrator of the data, services, distribution, and applications referred to in subsection (a) shall be carried out in accordance with applicable acquisition laws and regulations (including applicable provisions of chapters 201 through 285, 341 through 343, and 363 of title 10). For purposes of such law and regulations, such data, services, distribution, and applications shall be considered to be a commercial product or commercial service. Nothing in this subsection shall be construed to preclude the United States from acquiring, through contracts with commercial providers, sufficient rights in data to meet the needs of the scientific and educational community or the needs of other government activities.

Nothing in this section shall be construed to prohibit the Federal Government from requiring compliance with applicable safety standards.

This section shall be carried out as part of the Commercial Remote Sensing Program at the Stennis Space Center.