Dark and Quiet Skies Act of 2025

This bill would have the head of the National Institute of Standards and Technology award a competitive grant to an eligible group, such as a university, nonprofit, federal lab, Native entity, or observatory, to set up a Center of Excellence for Dark and Quiet Skies. The Center would work with the satellite industry and astronomers to study and reduce light and radio interference from satellites with federally funded sky observations, and to develop voluntary guidelines and best practices. The Center could run for 5 years and would publish its research in a public repository. The bill authorizes $20 million for fiscal years 2026 through 2030 and requires yearly reports to Congress on the Center's progress.

Full text and official record on Congress.gov

Sponsors

• John W. Hickenlooper Democrat sponsor
• 1 cosponsors