Study on commercial space weather data

(a) Study The Administrator, in consultation with the Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, shall conduct a study of the extent to which commercially-available data could advance space weather research, including the relevant space weather research priorities of the most recent decadal survey on solar and space physics. (b) Contents The study shall include— (1) an assessment of commercial capabilities and commercial data that meets or exceeds the science and technical standards and requirements of the Administration, which may include— (A) data that is or could be generated by commercial providers; (B) commercially-available small spacecraft; (C) opportunities for hosted NASA payloads on commercial spacecraft; and (D) commercial solutions for data processing applicable to space weather science; (2) recommendations and opportunities for the Federal Government to facilitate the use of commercially available options for space weather data relevant to advancing the Administration’s space weather research and development activities consistent with the most recent National Academies decadal survey, without reducing quality of data; and (3) options, where appropriate, for potential partnerships or use of NASA prize authority and competitions, as appropriate and practicable, to obtain access to such data identified in paragraph (1) that— (A) meets or exceeds the science and technical standards and requirements of the Administration; and (B) are not duplicative of activities conducted pursuant to chapter 606 of title 51, United States Code. (c) Report Not later than 270 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall submit a report to the appropriate committees of Congress containing the results of the study provided under subsection (a).