Sec. 433. Strategic framework for human spaceflight and exploration
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It is the sense of Congress that— expanding human presence beyond low-Earth orbit and advancing toward human missions to Mars in the 2030s requires early planning and timely decisions to be made in the near-term on the necessary courses of action for commitments to achieve short-term and long-term goals and objectives; for strong and sustained United States leadership, a need exists to advance a strategic framework, addressing exploration objectives in collaboration with international, academic, and industry partners; an approach that incrementally advances toward a long-term goal is one in which nearer-term developments and implementation would influence future development and implementation; and a strategic framework should begin with low-Earth orbit, then address progress beyond low-Earth orbit to cis-lunar space in greater detail than future missions ultimately aimed at human arrival and activities on or near Mars.
The Administrator shall develop a strategic framework, including, a critical decision plan, to expand human presence beyond low-Earth orbit, including to cis-lunar space, the moons of Mars, the surface of Mars, and beyond. The strategic framework shall include— an integrated set of exploration, science, and other goals and objectives of a United States human space exploration program with the long-term goal of human missions near to or on the surface of Mars in the 2030s; opportunities for international, academic, and industry partnerships for exploration-related systems, services, research, and technology if those opportunities provide cost-savings, accelerate program schedules, or otherwise benefit the exploration objectives developed under subparagraph (A); precursor missions in cis-lunar space and other missions or activities necessary to meet the exploration objectives developed under subparagraph (A); capabilities and technologies, including the Space Launch System, Orion, a deep space habitat, and other capabilities, that enable the exploration objectives developed under subparagraph (A); a description of how cis-lunar elements, objectives, and activities advance the human exploration of Mars; an assessment of potential human health and other risks, including radiation exposure; and mitigation plans, whenever possible, to address the risks identified in subparagraph (F).
In developing the strategic framework, the Administrator shall consider— using key exploration capabilities, namely the Space Launch System and Orion; using existing commercially available technologies and capabilities or those technologies and capabilities being developed by industry for commercial purposes; an organizational approach to ensure collaboration and coordination among NASA's Mission Directorates under section 621, when appropriate; building upon the initial uncrewed mission, EM–1, and first crewed mission, EM–2, of the Space Launch System and Orion to establish a sustainable cadence of missions extending human exploration missions into cis-lunar space; developing the precursor missions and activities that will demonstrate, test, and develop key technologies and capabilities essential for achieving human missions to Mars, including long-duration human operations beyond low-Earth orbit, space suits, solar electric propulsion, deep space habitats, environmental control life support systems, Mars lander and ascent vehicle, entry, descent, landing, ascent, Mars surface systems, and in-situ resource utilization; demonstrating and testing one or more habitat modules in cis-lunar space to prepare for Mars missions; using public-private, firm fixed-price partnerships, where practicable; collaborating with international, academic, and industry partners, when appropriate; risks to human health and sensitive onboard technologies, including radiation exposure; evaluating the risks identified through research outcomes under the NASA Human Research Program's Behavioral Health Element; and the recommendations and ideas of several independently developed reports or concepts that describe potential Mars architectures or concepts and identify Mars as the long-term goal for human space exploration, including the reports described under section 432(8).
As part of the strategic framework, the Administrator shall include a critical decision plan— identifying and defining key decisions guiding human space exploration priorities and plans that need to be made before June 30, 2020, including decisions that may guide human space exploration capability development, precursor missions, long-term missions, and activities; and defining decisions needed to maximize efficiencies and resources for reaching the near, intermediate, and long-term goals and objectives of human space exploration.
The Administrator shall submit an initial strategic framework, including a critical decision plan, to the appropriate committee of Congress before December 31, 2017, and an updated strategic framework biennially thereafter.