I 

110TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 2500 

To require the Secretary of the Treasury to mint coins in commemoration 

of the 50th anniversary of the establishment of the National Aeronautics 

and Space Administration and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MAY 24, 2007 

Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas (for herself and Mr. CULBERSON) introduced the 

following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Financial Services 

A BILL 

To require the Secretary of the Treasury to mint coins 

in commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the establishment of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘NASA and JPL 50th 

5 Anniversary Commemorative Coin Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

7 The Congress finds as follows: 


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1 (1) The National Aeronautics and Space Ad2 ministration began operation on October 1, 1958, 

3 with about 8,000 employees and an annual budget 

4 of $100,000,000. 

5 (2) Over the next 50 years, the National Aero6 nautics and Space Administration and the Jet Pro7 pulsion Laboratory have been involved in many de8 fining events which have shaped the course of 

9 human history and demonstrated to the world the 

10 character of the people of the United States. 

11 (3) Among the many firsts by the National Aer12 onautics and Space Administration are the following: 

13 (A) On December 6, 1958, the United 

14 States launched Pioneer 3, the first United 

15 States satellite to ascend to an altitude of 

16 63,580 miles. 

17 (B) On March 3, 1959, the United States 

18 sent Pioneer 4 to the Moon, successfully mak19 ing the first United States lunar flyby. 

20 (C) On April 1, 1960, the United States 

21 launched TIROS 1, the first successful mete22 orological satellite, observing Earth’s weather. 

23 (D) On May 5, 1961, Freedom 7, carrying 

24 Astronaut Alan B. Shepard, Jr., was the first 

25 American space flight involving human beings. 


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1 (E) On February 20, 1962, John Glenn 

2 became the first American to circle the Earth, 

3 making three orbits in his Friendship 7 Mer4 cury spacecraft. 

5 (F) On December 14, 1962, Mariner 2 be6 came the first spacecraft to commit a successful 

7 planetary flyby (Venus). 

8 (G) On April 6, 1965, the United States 

9 launched Intelsat I, the first commercial sat10 ellite (communications), into geostationary 

11 orbit. 

12 (H) On June 3–7, 1965, the second piloted 

13 Gemini mission, Gemini IV, stayed aloft for 4 

14 days and astronaut Edward H. White II per15 formed the first EVA or spacewalk by an Amer16 ican. 

17 (I) On June 2, 1966, Surveyor 1 became 

18 the first American spacecraft to soft-land on 

19 the Moon. 

20 (J) On November 13, 1971, the United 

21 States launched Mariner 9, the first mission to 

22 orbit another planet (Mars). 

23 (K) On April 12, 1981, the National Aero24 nautics and Space Administration launched the 


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1 Space Shuttle Columbia on the first flight of 

2 the Space Transportation System (STS–1). 

3 (L) On June 18–24, 1983, the National 

4 Aeronautics and Space Administration launched 

5 Space Shuttle Challenger (STS–7) carrying 3 

6 mission specialists, including Sally K. Ride, the 

7 first woman astronaut. 

8 (M) In another historic mission, 2 months 

9 later the National Aeronautics and Space Ad10 ministration launched STS–8 carrying the first 

11 black American astronaut, Guion S. Bluford. 

12 (N) On July 22, 1999, the Space Shuttle 

13 Columbia’s 26th flight was led by Air Force 

14 Col. Eileen Collins, the first woman to com15 mand a Shuttle mission. 

16 (4) On April 9, 1959, the National Aeronautics 

17 and Space Administration unveiled the Mercury as18 tronaut corps, 7 men with ‘‘the right stuff’’: John 

19 H. Glenn, Jr., Walter M. Schirra, Jr., Alan B. 

20 Shepard, Jr., M. Scott Carpenter, L. Gordon Coo21 per, Virgil I. ‘‘Gus’’ Grissom, and Donald K. 

22 ‘‘Deke’’ Slayton. 

23 (5) On May 25, 1961, President John F. Ken24 nedy, reflecting the highest aspirations of the Amer25 ican people, proclaimed: ‘‘I believe this Nation 


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1 should commit itself to achieving the goal, before 

2 this decade is out, of landing a man on the Moon 

3 and returning him safely to Earth. No single space 

4 project in this period will be more impressive to 

5 mankind, or more important in the long-range explo6 ration of space; and none will be so difficult or ex7 pensive to accomplish.’’ 

8 (6) On September 19, 1961, the National Aero9 nautics and Space Administration announced that 

10 the National Aeronautics and Space Administration 

11 center dedicated to human space flight would be 

12 built in Houston, Texas. 

13 (7) In 1973, the Manned Spacecraft Center in 

14 Houston, was renamed the Lyndon B. Johnson 

15 Space Center. 

16 (8) On December 21, 1968, Apollo 8 took off 

17 atop a Saturn V booster from the Kennedy Space 

18 Center for a historic mission to orbit the Moon. 

19 (9) As Apollo 8 traveled outward, the crew fo20 cused a portable television camera on Earth and for 

21 the first time humanity saw its home from afar, a 

22 tiny, lovely, and fragile ‘‘blue marble’’ hanging in 

23 the blackness of space. 

24 (10) This transmission and viewing of Earth 

25 from a distance was an enormously significant acVerDate Aug 31 2005 18:28 May 31, 2007 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H2500.IH H2500

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1 complishment and united the Nation at a time when 

2 American society was in crisis over Vietnam, race re3 lations, urban problems, and a host of other difficul4 ties. 

5 (11) On July 20, 1969, Apollo 11 astronauts 

6 Neil A. Armstrong and Edwin E. Aldrin made the 

7 first lunar landing mission while Michael Collins or8 bited overhead in the Apollo command module. 

9 (12) Armstrong set foot on the surface, telling 

10 the millions of listeners that it was ‘‘one small step 

11 for man, one giant leap for mankind’’; Aldrin soon 

12 followed and planted an American flag, but omitted 

13 claiming the land for the United States as had rou14 tinely been done during European exploration of the 

15 Americas. 

16 (13) The 2 Moon walkers left behind an Amer17 ican flag and a plaque bearing the inscription: 

18 ‘‘Here Men From Planet Earth First Set Foot Upon 

19 the Moon. Jul. 1969 A.D. We came in Peace for All 

20 Mankind.’’ 

21 (14) On July 4, 1997, the Mars Pathfinder 

22 landed on Mars and on January 29, 1998, an Inter23 national Space Station agreement among 15 coun24 tries met in Washington, D.C., to sign agreements 

25 to establish the framework for cooperation among 


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1 the partners on the design, development, operation, 

2 and utilization of the Space Station. 

3 (15) The National Aeronautics and Space Ad4 ministration’s stunning achievements over the last 

5 50 years have been won for all mankind at great 

6 cost and sacrifice; in the quest to explore the uni7 verse, many National Aeronautics and Space Admin8 istration employees have lost their lives, including 

9 the crews of Apollo 6, the Space Shuttle Challenger, 

10 and the Space Shuttle Columbia. 

11 (16) The United States should pay tribute to 

12 the National Aeronautics and Space Administration 

13 and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory by minting and 

14 issuing a commemorative silver dollar coin. 

15 (17) The surcharge proceeds from the sale of a 

16 commemorative coin would generate valuable fund17 ing for the National Aeronautics and Space Admin18 istration Families Assistance Fund for the purposes 

19 of providing need-based financial assistance to the 

20 families of the National Aeronautics and Space Ad21 ministration personnel who die as a result of injuries 

22 suffered in the performance of their official duties. 

23 SEC. 3. COIN SPECIFICATIONS. 

24 (a) DENOMINATIONS.—In commemoration of the 

25 50th anniversary of the establishment of the National AerVerDate Aug 31 2005 22:03 May 29, 2007 Jkt 059196 PO 00000 Frm 00007 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H2500.IH H2500

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1 onautics and Space Administration and the Jet Propulsion 

2 Laboratory, the Secretary of the Treasury (hereafter in 

3 this Act referred to as the ‘‘Secretary’’) shall mint and 

4 issue the following coins: 

5 (1) $50 GOLD COINS.—Not more than 50,000 

6 $50 gold coins which shall— 

7 (A) weigh 33.931 grams; 

8 (B) have a diameter of 32.7 millimeters; 

9 and 

10 (C) contain 1 troy ounce of fine gold. 

11 (2) $1 SILVER COINS.—Not more than 300,000 

12 $1 coins of each of the 9 designs specified in section 

13 3(a)(3)(B), which shall— 

14 (A) weigh 26.73 grams; 

15 (B) have a diameter of 1.500 inches; and 

16 (C) contain 90 percent silver and 10 per17 cent copper. 

18 (b) LEGAL TENDER.—The coins minted under this 

19 Act shall be legal tender, as provided in section 5103 of 

20 title 31, United States Code. 

21 (c) NUMISMATIC ITEMS.—For purposes of section 

22 5134 of title 31, United States Code, all coins minted 

23 under this Act shall be considered to be numismatic items. 

24 (d) MINTAGE LEVEL LIMIT.—Notwithstanding the 

25 mintage level limit described under section 


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1 5112(m)(2)(A)(ii) of title 31, United States Code, the Sec2 retary of the Treasury may mint and issue not more than 

3 300,000 of each of the 9 $1 coins authorized to be minted 

4 under this Act. 

5 SEC. 4. DESIGN OF COINS. 

6 (a) DESIGN REQUIREMENTS.— 

7 (1) IN GENERAL.—The design of the coins 

8 minted under this Act shall be emblematic of the 50 

9 years of exemplary and unparalleled achievements of 

10 the National Aeronautics and Space Administration 

11 and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. 

12 (2) DESIGNATION AND INSCRIPTIONS.—On 

13 each coin minted under this Act there shall be— 

14 (A) a designation of the value of the coin; 

15 (B) an inscription of the year ‘‘2008’’; and 

16 (C) inscriptions of the words ‘‘Liberty’’, 

17 ‘‘In God We Trust’’, ‘‘United States of Amer18 ica’’, and ‘‘E Pluribus Unum’’, and such other 

19 inscriptions as the Secretary may determine to 

20 be appropriate for the designs of the coins. 

21 (3) COIN IMAGES.— 

22 (A) $50 COINS.— 

23 (i) OBVERSE.—The obverse of the 

24 $50 coins issued under this Act shall bear 

25 an image of the sun. 


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1 (ii) REVERSE.—The reverse of the 

2 $50 coins issued under this Act shall bear 

3 a design emblematic of the sacrifice of the 

4 United States astronauts who lost their 

5 lives in the line of duty over the course of 

6 the space program. 

7 (iii) HIGH RELIEF.—The design and 

8 inscriptions on the obverse and reverse of 

9 the $50 coins issued under this Act shall 

10 be in high relief. 

11 (B) $1 COINS.— 

12 (i) OBVERSE.—The obverse of the $1 

13 coins issued under this Act shall bear 9 

14 different designs each of which shall con15 sist of an image of 1 of the 9 planets of 

16 the solar system, including Earth. 

17 (ii) REVERSE.—The reverse of the $1 

18 coins issued under this Act shall bear dif19 ferent designs each of which shall be em20 blematic of discoveries and missions of the 

21 Jet Propulsion Laboratory to the planet 

22 depicted on the obverse of the coin, subject 

23 to the following requirements: 

24 (I) EARTH COIN.—The reverse of 

25 the $1 coins issued under this Act 


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1 which bear an image of the Earth on 

2 the obverse shall bear images emblem3 atic of, and honoring, the discoveries 

4 and missions of the National Aero5 nautics and Space Administration, the 

6 Mercury, Gemini and Space Shuttle 

7 missions and other manned Earth-or8 biting missions, and the Apollo mis9 sions to the Moon. 

10 (II) JUPITER COIN.—The reverse 

11 of the $1 coins issued under this Act 

12 which bear an image of the planet Ju13 piter on the obverse shall include a 

14 scientifically accurate depiction of the 

15 Galilean moon Europa and depict 

16 both a past and future mission to Eu17 ropa. 

18 (III) SATURN COIN.—The reverse 

19 of the $1 coins issued under this Act 

20 which bear an image of the planet 

21 Saturn on the obverse shall include a 

22 scientifically accurate depiction of the 

23 moon Titan and depict both a past 

24 and a future mission to Titan. 


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1 (IV) PLUTO (AND OTHER DWARF

2 PLANETS) COIN.—The reverse of the 

3 $1 coins issued under this Act which 

4 bear an image of the planet Pluto on 

5 the obverse shall include a design that 

6 is emblematic of telescopic exploration 

7 of deep space by the National Aero8 nautics and Space Administration and 

9 the ongoing search for Earth-like 

10 planets orbiting other stars. 

11 (4) REALISTIC AND SCIENTIFICALLY ACCURATE

12 DEPICTIONS.—The images for the designs of coins 

13 issued under this Act shall be selected on the basis 

14 of the realism and scientific accuracy of the images 

15 and on the extent to which the images are reminis16 cent of the dramatic and beautiful artwork on coins 

17 of the so-called ‘‘Golden Age of Coinage’’ in the 

18 United States, at the beginning of the Twentieth 

19 Century, with the participation of such noted sculp20 tors and medallic artists as James Earle Fraser, Au21 gustus Saint-Gaudens, Victor David Brenner, Ad22 olph A. Weinman, Charles E. Barber, and George T. 

23 Morgan. 

24 (b) SELECTION.—The design for the coins minted 

25 under this Act shall be— 


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1 (1) selected by the Secretary after consultation 

2 with the Administrator of the National Aeronautics 

3 and Space Administration, the Director of the Jet 

4 Propulsion Laboratory, and the Commission of Fine 

5 Arts; and 

6 (2) reviewed by the Citizens Coin Advisory 

7 Committee. 

8 SEC. 5. ISSUANCE OF COINS. 

9 (a) QUALITY OF COINS.—Coins minted under this 

10 Act shall be issued in proof quality only. 

11 (b) MINT FACILITY.—Only 1 facility of the United 

12 States Mint may be used to strike any particular combina13 tion of denomination and quality of the coins minted under 

14 this Act. 

15 (c) COMMENCEMENT OF ISSUANCE.—The Secretary 

16 may issue coins minted under this Act beginning January 

17 1, 2008. 

18 (d) TERMINATION OF MINTING AUTHORITY.—No 

19 coins may be minted under this Act after December 31, 

20 2008. 

21 (e) ISSUANCE OF GOLD COINS.—Each gold coin 

22 minted under this Act may be issued only as part of a 

23 complete set with 1 of each of the 9 $1 coins minted under 

24 this Act. 


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1 SEC. 6. SALE OF COINS. 

2 (a) SALE PRICE.—The coins issued under this Act 

3 shall be sold by the Secretary at a price equal to the sum 

4 of— 

5 (1) the face value of the coins; 

6 (2) the surcharge provided in section 7(a) with 

7 respect to such coins; and 

8 (3) the cost of designing and issuing the coins 

9 (including labor, materials, dies, use of machinery, 

10 overhead expenses, marketing, and shipping). 

11 (b) PREPAID ORDERS.— 

12 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall accept 

13 prepaid orders for the coins minted under this Act 

14 before the issuance of such coins. 

15 (2) DISCOUNT.—Sale prices with respect to pre16 paid orders under paragraph (1) shall be at a rea17 sonable discount. 

18 (c) PRESENTATION.—In addition to the issuance of 

19 coins under this Act in such other methods of presentation 

20 as the Secretary of the Treasury determines to be appro21 priate, the Secretary shall provide, as a sale option, a pres22 entation case which displays the $50 gold coin in the cen23 ter surrounded by the $1 silver coins in elliptical orbits. 

24 All such presentation cases shall bear a plaque with appro25 priate inscriptions that include the names and dates of the 

26 spacecraft missions on which United States astronauts 


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1 lost their lives over the course of the space program and 

2 the names of such astronauts. 

3 SEC. 7. SURCHARGES. 

4 (a) IN GENERAL.—All sales of coins minted under 

5 this Act shall include a surcharge as follows: 

6 (1) A surcharge of $50 per coin for the $50 

7 coin. 

8 (2) A surcharge of $10 per coin for the $1 coin. 

9 (b) DISTRIBUTION.—Subject to section 5134(f) of 

10 title 31, United States Code, all surcharges received by 

11 the Secretary from the sale of coins issued under this Act 

12 shall be promptly distributed as follows: 

13 (1) The first $4,000,000 available for distribu14 tion under this section, to the NASA Family Assist15 ance Fund for the purposes of providing need-based 

16 financial assistance to the families of NASA per17 sonnel who die as a result of injuries suffered in the 

18 performance of their official duties. 

19 (2) Of amounts available for distribution after 

the payment under paragraph (1), 1 20 ⁄2 of the next 

21 $1,000,000 to each of the following: 

22 (A) The Dr. Ronald E. McNair Edu23 cational (D.R.E.M.E.) Science Literacy Foun24 dation for the purposes of improving and 

25 strengthening the process of teaching and 


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1 learning science, math, and technology at all 

2 educational levels, elementary thru college 

3 through the promotion of innovative educational 

4 programs. 

5 (B) The Dorothy Jemison Foundation for 

6 Excellence for the purposes of supporting the 

7 work of the Foundation in building critical 

8 thinking skills, experiential teaching methods, 

9 science literacy, and integrated approaches to 

10 learning and individual responsibility in achiev11 ing excellence. 

12 (3) The reminder of the amounts available for 

13 distribution after the payments under paragraphs 

14 (1) and (2), to the Save America’s Treasures at the 

15 National Trust for Historic Preservation to be used 

16 for the preservation and display, at all appropriate 

17 sites, of vehicles flown as part of the United States 

18 space program, particularly of surviving space shut19 tle vehicles and artifacts, and of associated equip20 ment. 

21 (c) AUDITS.—The NASA Family Assistance Fund, 

22 the Dr. Ronald E. McNair Educational Science Literacy 

23 Foundation, the Dorothy Jemison Foundation for Excel24 lence, and the Save America’s Treasures at the National 

25 Trust for Historic Preservation shall be subject to the 


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1 audit requirements of section 5134(f)(2) of title 31, 

2 United States Code, with regard to the amounts received 

3 under subsection (b). 

4 SEC. 8. BRONZE DUPLICATES. 

5 The Secretary may strike and sell bronze duplicates 

6 of the $50 gold coins authorized under this Act, at a price 

7 the Secretary determines to be appropriate. Such dupli8 cates shall not be considered to be United States coins 

9 and shall not be legal tender. 

Æ 


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