Sec. 515. RADIOISOTOPE POWER SYSTEMS

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## SEC. 515 RADIOISOTOPE POWER SYSTEMS ###

(a)Sense of Congress It is the sense of Congress that— ####

(1)exploration of the outer reaches of the solar system is enabled by radioisotope power systems; ####

(2)establishing continuity in the production of the material needed for radioisotope power systems is essential to maintaining the availability of such systems for future deep space exploration missions; and ####

(3)Federal agencies supporting the Administration through the production of such material should do so in a cost effective manner so as not to impose excessive reimbursement requirements on the Administration. ###

(b)Analysis of Requirements and Risks The Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy and the Administrator, in consultation with the heads of other Federal agencies, shall conduct an analysis of— ####

(1)the requirements of the Administration for radioisotope power system material that is needed to carry out planned, high priority robotic missions in the solar system and other surface exploration activities beyond low-Earth orbit; and ####

(2)the risks to missions of the Administration in meeting those requirements, or any additional requirements, due to a lack of adequate radioisotope power system material. ###

(c)Contents of Analysis The analysis conducted under subsection

(b)shall— ####

(1)detail the Administration’s current projected mission requirements and associated timeframes for radioisotope power system material; ####

(2)explain the assumptions used to determine the Administration’s requirements for the material, including— #####

(A)the planned use of advanced thermal conversion technology such as advanced thermocouples and Stirling generators and converters; and #####

(B)the risks and implications of, and contingencies for, any delays or unanticipated technical challenges affecting or related to the Administration’s mission plans for the anticipated use of advanced thermal conversion technology; ####

(3)assess the risk to the Administration’s programs of any potential delays in achieving the schedule and milestones for planned domestic production of radioisotope power system material; ####

(4)outline a process for meeting any additional Administration requirements for the material; ####

(5)estimate the incremental costs required to increase the amount of material produced each year, if such an increase is needed to support additional Administration requirements for the material; ####

(6)detail how the Administration and other Federal agencies will manage, operate, and fund production facilities and the design and development of all radioisotope power systems used by the Administration and other Federal agencies as necessary; ####

(7)specify the steps the Administration will take, in consultation with the Department of Energy, to preserve the infrastructure and workforce necessary for production of radioisotope power systems and ensure that its reimbursements to the Department of Energy associated with such preservation are equitable and justified; and ####

(8)detail how the Administration has implemented or rejected the recommendations from the National Research Council’s 2009 report titled “Radioisotope Power Systems: An Imperative for Maintaining U.S. Leadership in Space Exploration.” ###

(d)Report to Congress Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall submit the results of the analysis to the appropriate committees of Congress.