Sec. 302. Maintaining a national laboratory in space
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It is the sense of Congress that— the United States national laboratory in space, which currently consists of the United States segment of the ISS (designated a national laboratory under section 70905 of title 51, United States Code)— benefits the scientific community and promotes commerce in space; fosters stronger relationships among NASA and other Federal agencies, the private sector, and research groups and universities; advances science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education through utilization of the unique microgravity environment; and advances human knowledge and international cooperation; after the ISS is decommissioned, the United States should maintain a national microgravity laboratory in space; in maintaining a national microgravity laboratory described in paragraph (2), the United States should make appropriate accommodations for different types of ownership and operational structures for the ISS and future space stations; the national microgravity laboratory described in paragraph
(2)should be maintained beyond the date on which the ISS is decommissioned and, if possible, in cooperation with international space partners to the extent practicable; and NASA should continue to support fundamental science research on future platforms in low-Earth orbit and cis-lunar space, short duration suborbital flights, drop towers, and other microgravity testing environments. The Administrator of NASA shall produce, in coordination with the National Space Council and other Federal agencies as the Administrator considers relevant, a report detailing the feasibility of establishing a microgravity national laboratory Federally Funded Research and Development Center to undertake the work related to the study and utilization of in-space conditions.