Sec. 203. Space Launch System
850 words·~4 min read·
/bill/113/hr/4412/unknown/section-203A research copy — for the controlling text, always check the official state or federal source. Not legal advice.
Congress finds that— the Space Launch System is the most practical approach to reaching the Moon, Mars, and beyond, and Congress reaffirms the policy and minimum capability requirements for the Space Launch System contained in section 302 of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Authorization Act of 2010 ( 42 U.S.C. 18322 ); the primary goal for the design of the fully integrated Space Launch System, including an upper stage needed to go beyond low-Earth orbit, is to safely carry a total payload to enable human space exploration of the Moon, Mars, and beyond over the course of the next century as required in section 302(c) of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Authorization Act of 2010 ( 42 U.S.C. 18322(c) ); and In order to promote safety and reduce programmatic risk, the Administrator shall budget for and undertake a robust ground test and uncrewed and crewed flight test and demonstration program for the Space Launch System and the Orion crew capsule and shall budget for an operational flight rate sufficient to maintain safety and operational readiness.
It is the sense of Congress that the President’s annual budget requests for the Space Launch System and Orion crew capsule development, test, and operational phases should strive to accurately reflect the resource requirements of each of those phases, consistent with the policy established in section 201(a) of this Act. Given the critical importance of a heavy-lift launch vehicle and crewed spacecraft to enable the achievement of the goal established in section 201(a) of this Act, as well as the accomplishment of intermediate exploration milestones and the provision of a backup capability to transfer crew and cargo to the International Space Station, the Administrator shall make the expeditious development, test, and achievement of operational readiness of the Space Launch System and the Orion crew capsule the highest priority of the exploration program.
Not later than 270 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General 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 the Administration’s acquisition of ground systems in support of the Space Launch System. The report shall assess the extent to which ground systems acquired in support of the Space Launch System are focused on the direct support of the Space Launch System and shall identify any ground support projects or activities that the Administration is undertaking that do not solely or primarily support the Space Launch System.
The Administrator, in consultation with the Secretary of Defense and the Director of National Intelligence, shall prepare a report that addresses the effort and budget required to enable and utilize a cargo variant of the 130-ton Space Launch System configuration described in section 302(c) of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Authorization Act of 2010 ( 42 U.S.C. 18322(c) ). This report shall also include consideration of the technical requirements of the scientific and national security communities related to such Space Launch System and shall directly assess the utility and estimated cost savings obtained by using such Space Launch System for national security and space science missions.
The Administrator shall transmit such report to the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act. Beginning not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act and concluding not later than 1 year after such date of enactment, the Administrator shall conduct a well-publicized competition among students in elementary and secondary schools to name the elements of the Administration’s exploration program, including— a name for the deep space human exploration program as a whole, which includes the Space Launch System, the Orion crew capsule, and future missions; and a name for the Space Launch System.
Not later than 90 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Associate Administrator of the Administration 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 that— describes the estimated total development cost of an advanced booster for the Space Launch System; details any reductions or increases to the development cost of the Space Launch System which may result from conducting a competition for an advanced booster; and outlines any potential schedule delay to the Space Launch System 2017 Exploration Mission–1 launch as a result of increased costs associated with conducting a competition for an advanced booster.
If the Associate Administrator reports reductions pursuant to paragraph (1)(B), and no adverse schedule impact pursuant to paragraph (1)(C), then the Administration shall conduct a full and open competition for an advanced booster for the Space Launch System to meet the requirements described in section 302(c) of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Authorization Act of 2010 ( 42 U.S.C. 18322(c) ), to begin as soon as practicable after the development of the upper stage has been initiated.
Connectionstraces to 1
Traces to 1 document
Citation graph
cites case law
Sec. 203
Space Launch System
Cites 1Cited by 0 across 0 sources