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, commercial partners, and other not-for-profit 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, commercial collaborations, and other not-for-profit collaborations in pursuit of such program, but the absence of such partnerships 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 or public-private partnership provider that the Administrator has determined to meet safety requirements established by NASA for the transport of its astronauts 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. Not later than 90 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall transmit to the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate a report on current and continuing efforts by the Administration to seek and encourage, to the maximum extent possible, the fullest commercial use of space, as described in section 20102(c) of title 51, United States Code. The report required under subsection
(a)shall include— an assessment of the Administration’s efforts to comply with the policy; an explanation of criteria used to define compliance; a description of programs, policies, and activities the Administration is using, and will continue to use, to ensure compliance; an explanation of how the Administration could expand on the efforts to comply; and a summary of all current and planned activities pursuant to this policy. Not later than 90 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall transmit to the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate a report on current and continuing efforts by the Administration to reduce impediments, bureaucracy, redundancy, and burdens to ensure the fullest commercial use of space as required in section 20102(c) of title 51, United States Code.
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