Sec. 201. Space exploration policy
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Congress finds the following: Congress supports a human exploration program that is not critically dependent on the achievement of milestones by fixed dates and an exploration technology development program to enable lunar human and robotic operations, as described in paragraphs
(1)and
(2)of section 70502 of title 51, United States Code. Congress supports the expansion of permanent human presence beyond low-Earth orbit, in a manner involving international partners where practical. Congress remains committed to ensuring that authorized budgets for the human space flight program should allow the Administration to maintain high safety standards. Exploration deeper into the solar system should be the core mission of the Administration. Congress strongly supports the development of the Space Launch System and the Orion crew capsule as the enabling elements for human exploration, advanced scientific missions, and national security priorities beyond low-Earth orbit. It is the policy of the United States that the development of capabilities and technologies necessary for human missions to lunar orbit, the surface of the Moon, the surface of Mars, and beyond shall be the goal of the Administration’s human space flight program. Section 20302 of title 51, United States Code, is amended— by striking subsection
(a)and inserting the following: The Administrator shall establish a program to develop a sustained human presence on the Moon and the surface of Mars, including a robust precursor program that follows the stepping stone plan required in section 70504 to promote exploration, science, commerce, and United States preeminence in space. The Administrator is further authorized to develop and conduct appropriate international collaborations in pursuit of such program, but the absence of an international partner may not be justification for failure to pursue such program in a timely manner. ; in subsection (b)— by striking paragraph
(1)and inserting the following: Returning Americans to the Moon. ; by striking paragraph
(2)and inserting the following: Launching the first crewed mission of the fully integrated Orion crew capsule with the Space Launch System as close to 2020 as possible. ; and in paragraph (4), by striking from Mars and and inserting from the Moon, Mars, and ; and by adding at the end the following: In this section: The term Orion crew capsule refers to the multipurpose crew vehicle described in section 303 of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Authorization Act of 2010 ( 42 U.S.C. 18323 ). The term Space Launch System refers to the follow-on Government-owned civil launch system developed, managed, and operated by the Administration to serve as a key component to expand human presence beyond low-Earth orbit, as described in section 302 of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Authorization Act of 2010 (42 U.S.C. 18322). . Section 202(b) of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Authorization Act of 2010 ( 42 U.S.C. 18312(b) ) is amended— in paragraph (3), by striking and after the semicolon; in paragraph (4), by striking the period at the end and inserting ; and ; and by adding at the end the following: to accelerate the development of capabilities to enable a human exploration mission to the surface of Mars and beyond through the prioritization of those technologies and capabilities best suited for such a mission in accordance with the Mars Human Exploration Roadmap under section 70504 of title 51, United States Code. . Section 201(a) of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Authorization Act of 2010 ( 42 U.S.C. 18311(a) ) is amended to read as follows: NASA may not obtain non-United States human space flight capabilities unless no domestic commercial provider is available to provide such capabilities. For purposes of this subsection, the term domestic commercial provider means a person providing space transportation services or other space-related activities, the majority control of which is held by persons other than a Federal, State, local, or foreign government, foreign company, or foreign national. . Section 203 of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Authorization Act of 2010 ( 42 U.S.C. 18313 ) is amended— by striking subsection (b); in subsection (d), by striking subsection
(c)and inserting subsection
(b); and by redesignating subsections
(c)and
(d)as subsections
(b)and (c), respectively.
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