II 

113TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 1317 

To authorize the programs of the National Aeronautics and Space 

Administration for fiscal years 2014 through 2016 and for other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JULY 17, 2013 

Mr. NELSON (for himself and Mr. ROCKEFELLER) introduced the following 

bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, 

Science, and Transportation 

A BILL 

To authorize the programs of the National Aeronautics and 

Space Administration for fiscal years 2014 through 2016 

and for other purposes. 

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; TABLE OF CONTENTS. 

4 (a) SHORT TITLE.—This Act may be cited as the 

5 ‘‘National Aeronautics and Space Administration Author6 ization Act of 2013’’. 

7 (b) TABLE OF CONTENTS.—The table of contents of 

8 this Act is as follows: 

Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents. 

Sec. 2. Findings. 


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Sec. 3. Definitions. 

TITLE I—AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS 

Sec. 101. Fiscal year 2014. 

Sec. 102. Fiscal year 2015. 

Sec. 103. Fiscal year 2016. 

TITLE II—HUMAN SPACE FLIGHT EXPLORATION AND 

OPERATIONS 

Subtitle A—Exploration 

Sec. 201. Missions and destinations. 

Sec. 202. NASA processing and launch infrastructure. 

Sec. 203. Naming of the space launch system. 

Sec. 204. Report; space suit system. 

Subtitle B—Maximizing ISS Utilization 

Sec. 221. Operation and utilization of the ISS. 

Sec. 222. Research roles and responsibilities. 

Sec. 223. ISS national laboratory; property rights in inventions. 

Sec. 224. Commercial cargo and crew capabilities. 

Subtitle C—Other Matters 

Sec. 231. Safety and mission assurance in human space flight. 

Sec. 232. Launch liability provisions. 

TITLE III—SCIENCE 

Subtitle A—Earth Science 

Sec. 301. Earth science. 

Subtitle B—Space Science 

Sec. 321. Human exploration and science collaboration. 

Sec. 322. Maintaining a balanced space science portfolio. 

Sec. 323. Science mission extensions. 

Sec. 324. Planetary science. 

Sec. 325. Space weather. 

Sec. 326. James Webb space telescope. 

Sec. 327. University class science missions. 

TITLE IV—AERONAUTICS 

Sec. 401. Sense of Congress on NASA aeronautics. 

TITLE V—SPACE TECHNOLOGY 

Sec. 501. Space technology. 

TITLE VI—EDUCATION 

Sec. 601. Education and outreach activities. 

TITLE VII—OTHER MATTERS 


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Sec. 701. Sense of Congress on NASA’s cross agency support. 

Sec. 702. Space communications network. 

Sec. 703. Astronaut occupational healthcare. 

Sec. 704. Helium capture and recovery. 

Sec. 705. Information technology governance. 

Sec. 706. Improvements to baselines and cost controls breach reporting process. 

Sec. 707. Infrastructure. 

Sec. 708. Knowledge management. 

1 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

2 Congress makes the following findings: 

3 (1) A robust and balanced space program en4 hances the United States long-term national and 

5 economic security by— 

6 (A) stimulating development of advanced 

7 technologies with widespread applications; 

8 (B) increasing the United States techno9 logical competitiveness; 

10 (C) enhancing global prosperity and secu11 rity through cooperation in shared interests, 

12 such as advancement of science, understanding 

13 of Earth and the universe, and protection from 

14 space borne threats, such as asteroids; 

15 (D) opening the solar system to the full 

16 range of peaceful human activity; and 

17 (E) inspiring students to pursue disciplines 

18 in science, technology, engineering, and mathe19 matics. 

20 (2) The Nation’s space program should in21 clude— 


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1 (A) national security and civil space activi2 ties; 

3 (B) robotic and human exploration; 

4 (C) advancement of scientific knowledge 

5 and engagement of the general public; 

6 (D) U.S. Government led launch capability 

7 development, including the Space Launch Sys8 tem and the Orion multi-purpose crew vehicle, 

9 and partnerships with commercial and inter10 national entities; 

11 (E) advancement of the space frontier and 

12 stimulation of commerce; and 

13 (F) searching outward to further our un14 derstanding of the universe and observing 

15 Earth to expand knowledge of our home planet. 

16 SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS. 

17 In this Act: 

18 (1) ADMINISTRATION.—The term ‘‘Administra19 tion’’ means the National Aeronautics and Space 

20 Administration. 

21 (2) ADMINISTRATOR.—The term ‘‘Adminis22 trator’’ means the Administrator of the National 

23 Aeronautics and Space Administration. 


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1 (3) APPROPRIATE COMMITTEES OF CON2 GRESS.—The term ‘‘appropriate committees of Con3 gress’’ means— 

4 (A) the Committee on Commerce, Science, 

5 and Transportation of the Senate; and 

6 (B) the Committee on Science, Space, and 

7 Technology of the House of Representatives. 

8 (4) ISS.—The term ‘‘ISS’’ means the Inter9 national Space Station. 

10 (5) NASA.—The term ‘‘NASA’’ means the Na11 tional Aeronautics and Space Administration. 

12 (6) ORION.—The term ‘‘Orion’’ means the 

13 multi-purpose crew vehicle described under section 

14 303 of the National Aeronautics and Space Adminis15 tration Authorization Act of 2010 (42 U.S.C. 

16 18323). 

17 (7) SPACE LAUNCH SYSTEM.—The term ‘‘Space 

18 Launch System’’ has the meaning given the term 

19 under section 3 of the National Aeronautics and 

20 Space Administration Authorization Act of 2010 (42 

21 U.S.C. 18302). 


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1 TITLE I—AUTHORIZATION OF 

2 APPROPRIATIONS 

3 SEC. 101. FISCAL YEAR 2014. 

4 There are authorized to be appropriated to NASA for 

5 fiscal year 2014, $18,100,000,000, as follows: 

6 (1) For Exploration, $4,275,000,000, of 

7 which— 

8 (A) $1,600,000,000 shall be for Space 

9 Launch System; 

10 (B) $1,200,000,000 shall be for the Orion 

11 multi-purpose crew vehicle; 

12 (C) $350,000,000 shall be for Exploration 

13 Ground Systems; 

14 (D) $325,000,000 shall be for Exploration 

15 Research and Development; and 

16 (E) $800,000,000 shall be for Commercial 

17 Space Flight. 

18 (2) For Space Operations, $3,832,000,000, of 

19 which— 

20 (A) $3,000,000,000 shall be for the ISS 

21 program; and 

22 (B) $832,000,000 for Space and Flight 

23 Support. 

24 (3) For Science, $5,154,000,000, of which— 


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1 (A) $1,800,000,000 shall be for Earth 

2 Sciences; 

3 (B) $1,400,000,000 shall be for Planetary 

4 Science; 

5 (C) $642,000,000 shall be for Astro6 physics; 

7 (D) $658,000,000 shall be for the James 

8 Webb Space Telescope; and 

9 (E) $654,000,000 shall be for 

10 Heliophysics. 

11 (4) For Aeronautics, $570,000,000. 

12 (5) For Space Technology, $635,000,000. 

13 (6) For Education, $136,000,000. 

14 (7) For Cross-Agency Support Programs, 

15 $2,850,000,000. 

16 (8) For Construction and Environmental Com17 pliance and Restoration, $610,000,000. 

18 (9) For Inspector General, $38,000,000. 

19 SEC. 102. FISCAL YEAR 2015. 

20 There are authorized to be appropriated to NASA for 

21 fiscal year 2015, $18,462,000,000, as follows 

22 (1) For Exploration, $4,522,000,000, of 

23 which— 

24 (A) $1,725,000,000 shall be for Space 

25 Launch System; 


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1 (B) $1,225,000,000 shall be for the Orion 

2 multi-purpose crew vehicle; 

3 (C) $425,000,000 shall be for Exploration 

4 Ground Systems; 

5 (D) $332,000,000 shall be for Exploration 

6 Research and Development; and 

7 (E) $815,000,000 shall be for Commercial 

8 Space Flight. 

9 (2) For Space Operations, $3,948,000,000, of 

10 which— 

11 (A) $3,103,000,000 shall be for the ISS 

12 program; and 

13 (B) $845,000,000 for Space and Flight 

14 Support. 

15 (3) For Science, $5,234,400,000, of which— 

16 (A) $1,836,000,000 shall be for Earth 

17 Sciences; 

18 (B) $1,450,000,000 shall be for Planetary 

19 Science; 

20 (C) $670,000,000 shall be for Astro21 physics; 

22 (D) $645,400,000 shall be for the James 

23 Webb Space Telescope; and 

24 (E) $633,000,000 shall be for 

25 Heliophysics. 


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1 (4) For Aeronautics, $581,000,000. 

2 (5) For Space Technology, $650,000,000. 

3 (6) For Education, $139,800,000. 

4 (7) For Cross-Agency Support Programs, 

5 $2,907,000,000. 

6 (8) For Construction and Environmental Com7 pliance and Restoration, $441,000,000. 

8 (9) For Inspector General, $38,800,000. 

9 SEC. 103. FISCAL YEAR 2016. 

10 There are authorized to be appropriated to NASA for 

11 fiscal year 2016, $18,831,000,000, as follows: 

12 (1) For Exploration, $4,660,000,000, of 

13 which— 

14 (A) $1,800,000,000 shall be for Space 

15 Launch System; 

16 (B) $1,250,000,000 shall be for the Orion 

17 multi-purpose crew vehicle; 

18 (C) $435,000,000 shall be for Exploration 

19 Ground Systems; 

20 (D) $350,000,000 shall be for Exploration 

21 Research and Development; and 

22 (E) $825,000,000 shall be for Commercial 

23 Space Flight. 

24 (2) For Space Operations, $4,010,000,000, of 

25 which— 


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1 (A) $3,196,000,000 shall be for the ISS 

2 program; and 

3 (B) $814,000,000 for Space and Flight 

4 Support. 

5 (3) For Science, $5,315,800,000, of which— 

6 (A) $1,872,000,000 shall be for Earth 

7 Sciences; 

8 (B) $1,500,000,000 shall be for Planetary 

9 Science; 

10 (C) $686,800,000 shall be for Astro11 physics; 

12 (D) $620,000,000 shall be for the James 

13 Webb Space Telescope; and 

14 (E) $637,000,000 shall be for 

15 Heliophysics. 

16 (4) For Aeronautics, $593,000,000. 

17 (5) For Space Technology, $665,000,000. 

18 (6) For Education, $142,000,000. 

19 (7) For Cross-Agency Support Programs, 

20 $2,965,000,000. 

21 (8) For Construction and Environmental Com22 pliance and Restoration, $441,000,000. 

23 (9) For Inspector General, $39,200,000. 


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1 TITLE II—HUMAN SPACE FLIGHT 

2 EXPLORATION AND OPER3 ATIONS 

4 Subtitle A—Exploration 

5 SEC. 201. MISSIONS AND DESTINATIONS. 

6 (a) IN GENERAL.—Congress reaffirms that the long7 term goal of the human space flight and exploration ef8 forts of NASA shall be to expand permanent human pres9 ence beyond low-Earth orbit and to do so, where practical, 

10 in a manner involving international partners, as stated in 

11 section 202(a) of the National Aeronautics and Space Ad12 ministration Authorization Act of 2010 (42 U.S.C. 

13 18312(a)). 

14 (b) HUMAN EXPLORATION OF MARS.—Section 

15 202(b) of the National Aeronautics and Space Administra16 tion Authorization Act of 2010 (42 U.S.C. 18312(b)) is 

17 amended— 

18 (1) by striking ‘‘and’’ at the end of paragraph 

19 (3); 

20 (2) by striking the period at the end of para21 graph (4) and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 

22 (3) by adding at the end the following: 

23 ‘‘(5) to achieve human exploration of Mars, in24 cluding the establishment of a capability for human 

25 habitation on the surface of Mars.’’. 


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1 (c) DEVELOPMENT OF EXPLORATION STRATEGY.— 

2 (1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 270 days 

3 after the date of enactment of this Act, and bienni4 ally thereafter, the Administrator shall submit to the 

5 appropriate committees of Congress a strategy to 

6 achieve the objective under section 202(b)(5) of the 

7 National Aeronautics and Space Administration Au8 thorization Act of 2010, as amended (42 U.S.C. 

9 18312(b)(5)) through a series of successive, free10 standing, but complementary missions making ro11 bust utilization of cis-lunar space and employing the 

12 Space Launch System, Orion, and other capabilities 

13 provided under titles III, IV, V, and IX of that Act 

14 (42 U.S.C. 18301 et seq.). 

15 (2) STRATEGY REQUIREMENTS.—In developing 

16 the strategy under paragraph (1), the Administrator 

17 shall include— 

18 (A) the utility of an expanded human pres19 ence in cis-lunar space toward enabling mis20 sions to various lunar orbits, the lunar surface, 

21 asteroids, the Mars system, and other destina22 tions of interest for future human exploration 

23 and development; 


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1 (B) the utility of an expanded human pres2 ence in cis-lunar space for economic, scientific, 

3 and technological advances; 

4 (C) the opportunities for collaboration 

5 with— 

6 (i) international partners; 

7 (ii) private industry; and 

8 (iii) other Federal agencies, including 

9 missions relevant to national security or 

10 scientific needs; 

11 (D) the opportunities specifically afforded 

12 by the ISS to support high priority scientific 

13 and technological developments useful in ex14 panding and sustaining a human presence in 

15 cis-lunar space and beyond; 

16 (E) a range of exploration mission archi17 tectures and approaches for the missions identi18 fied under paragraph (1); and 

19 (F) standards for ensuring crew health 

20 and safety, including limits regarding radiation 

21 exposure and countermeasures necessary to 

22 meet those limits, means and methods for ad23 dressing urgent medical conditions or injuries, 

24 and other such safety, health, and medical 


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1 issues that can be anticipated in the conduct of 

2 the missions identified under paragraph (1). 

3 (3) COMPARISON OF MISSION ARCHITECTURES

4 AND APPROACHES.— 

5 (A) IN GENERAL.—The strategy shall in6 clude a comparison of mission architectures and 

7 approaches identified under paragraph (2)(E) 

8 with a primary objective of identifying the ar9 chitectures and approaches that— 

10 (i) best support the long-term goal 

11 under section 202(a) of the National Aero12 nautics and Space Administration Author13 ization Act of 2010 (42 U.S.C. 18312(a)); 

14 and 

15 (ii) are enabled by the Space Launch 

16 System, Orion, and other transportation 

17 capabilities and technologies provided 

18 under titles III, IV, V, and IX of the Na19 tional Aeronautics and Space Administra20 tion Authorization Act of 2010 (42 U.S.C. 

21 18301 et seq.) and by other capabilities 

22 that may be available commercially or 

23 internationally. 

24 (B) FACTORS.—The comparison of mission 

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1 graph (A) shall include options that assess cost, 

2 schedule, safety, sustainability, opportunities 

3 for international collaboration, the enabling of 

4 new markets and opportunities for U.S. private 

5 industry, compelling scientific opportunities or 

6 national security considerations and require7 ments, the flexibility of the architecture to ad8 just to evolving technologies, leadership, and 

9 priorities, and contributions made to U.S. tech10 nological excellence, competitiveness, and lead11 ership. 

12 (C) NATIONAL SECURITY COLLABORA13 TION.—In identifying opportunities for collabo14 ration under paragraph (2)(C)(iii), the Admin15 istrator, in collaboration with the Secretary of 

16 Defense and Director of National Intelligence, 

17 shall include a discussion of the work, cost, and 

18 schedule required to enable and utilize a cargo 

19 variant of the Space Launch System, including 

20 the 70-, 105-, and 130-metric ton configura21 tions, with both a 5-meter or 8-meter faring. 

22 (4) ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS.—The strat23 egy shall include— 


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1 (A) technical information as needed to 

2 identify interest from the scientific and national 

3 security communities; and 

4 (B) an assessment of the Space Launch 

5 System to enable and sustain near-Earth object 

6 surveillance of potentially Earth-threatening ob7 jects for the purpose of planetary protection. 

8 SEC. 202. NASA PROCESSING AND LAUNCH INFRASTRUC9 TURE. 

10 (a) POLICY.—It is the policy of the United States 

11 that the Exploration Ground Systems to process and 

12 launch the Space Launch System, Orion, and related ex13 ploration elements, and the 21st Century Space Launch 

14 Complex to enable and facilitate civil, defense, and private 

15 launches are complementary efforts to modernize infra16 structure, reduce costs, and maintain capabilities for cur17 rent and future missions. 

18 (b) DEVELOPMENT OF THE PROCESSING AND

19 LAUNCH SUPPORT INFRASTRUCTURE.—In executing the 

20 programs described under subsection (a), the Adminis21 trator, to the extent practicable— 

22 (1) may not exclude the ability of Exploration 

23 Ground Systems to support efforts under section 

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1 ministration Authorization Act of 2010 (42 U.S.C. 

2 18325(b)); 

3 (2) shall allow for cost-sharing opportunities by 

4 providing multi-use systems and capabilities to cur5 rent and future users of the 21st Century Space 

6 Launch Complex through modernization, refurbish7 ment, or development of infrastructure; and 

8 (3) shall pursue, in collaboration with local, 

9 State, or Federal agencies, or private industry, capa10 bilities and investments that support multiple enti11 ties to advance NASA’s current and future missions 

12 and benefit NASA by creating new partnerships. 

13 SEC. 203. NAMING OF THE SPACE LAUNCH SYSTEM. 

14 (a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds that education and 

15 outreach to encourage the next generation of scientists 

16 and engineers to become involved in science and space ex17 ploration is one of the Administration’s most important 

18 missions. 

19 (b) REPORT.—Not later than 30 days after the date 

20 of enactment of this Act, the Administration shall submit 

21 to the appropriate committees of Congress a plan to en22 gage the public, including science students in elementary 

23 and secondary education programs, throughout the United 

24 States in naming the Space Launch System. 


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1 SEC. 204. REPORT; SPACE SUIT SYSTEM. 

2 Not later than 90 days after the date of enactment 

3 of this Act, the Administration shall submit to the appro4 priate committees of Congress a report updating Congress 

5 on the Constellation Space Suit System. The report shall 

6 include justification as to whether another competition to 

7 award contracts for the design, development, certification, 

8 production, and sustaining engineering of this space suit 

9 system is required to meet the needs of NASA’s human 

10 exploration program. 

11 Subtitle B—Maximizing ISS 

12 Utilization 

13 SEC. 221. OPERATION AND UTILIZATION OF THE ISS. 

14 (a) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of Con15 gress that— 

16 (1) maximum utilization of partnerships, sci17 entific research, commercial applications, and explo18 ration test bed capabilities of the ISS is essential to 

19 ensuring the greatest return on investments made by 

20 the United States and its international partners in 

21 the development, assembly, and operations of that 

22 unique facility; and 

23 (2) every effort should be made to ensure that 

24 decisions regarding the service life of the ISS are 

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1 tinue providing effective and productive research and 

2 exploration test bed capabilities. 

3 (b) CONTINUATION OF THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE

4 STATION.—Congress reaffirms the policy stated in section 

5 501(a) of the National Aeronautics and Space Administra6 tion Authorization Act of 2010 (42 U.S.C. 18351(a)) that 

7 it shall be the policy of the United States, in consultation 

8 with its international partners in the ISS program, to sup9 port full and complete utilization of the ISS through at 

10 least 2020. 

11 (c) NASA ACTIONS.—In furtherance of the policy 

12 under subsection (b), the Administrator shall ensure, to 

13 the extent practicable, that the ISS, as a designated na14 tional laboratory— 

15 (1) remains viable as an element of overall ex16 ploration and partnership strategies and approaches; 

17 and 

18 (2) remains an effective, functional vehicle pro19 viding research and test bed capabilities for the 

20 United States through 2020, up to 2028, and pos21 sibly beyond. 

22 (d) REPORT.—The Administrator, in consultation 

23 with the Office of Science and Technology Policy, shall 

24 determine, through analyses and discussions with ISS 

25 partners, the feasible and preferred service life of the ISS 


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1 as a unique scientific, commercial, and exploration-related 

2 facility. Not later than 120 days after the date of enact3 ment of this Act, and triennially thereafter, the Adminis4 trator shall submit to the appropriate committees of Con5 gress a report that, at a minimum, includes— 

6 (1) an assessment of whether ISS operations 

7 can be extended to at least 2028, including— 

8 (A) a description of any activities that 

9 would be required of the international partner10 ship to ensure that safety requirements are 

11 met; 

12 (B) a general discussion of international 

13 partner capabilities and interest in extension, to 

14 include the potential for participation by addi15 tional countries; 

16 (C) a review of essential systems or equip17 ment upgrades that would be necessary for ISS 

18 extension and utilization to at least 2028; 

19 (D) an evaluation of the cost and schedule 

20 requirements associated with the development 

21 and delivery of essential systems or equipment 

22 upgrades identified under subparagraph (C); 

23 and 

24 (E) an identification of possible partner 

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1 vide the upgrades identified under subpara2 graph (C); 

3 (2) an evaluation of the potential for expanding 

4 the use of ISS facilities to accommodate the needs 

5 of researchers and other users, including changes to 

6 policies, regulations, and laws that would stimulate 

7 greater private and public involvement on the ISS; 

8 and 

9 (3) such other information as may be necessary 

10 to fully describe the justification for and feasibility 

11 of extending the service life of the ISS, including the 

12 potential scientific or technological benefits to the 

13 Federal Government or public, or to academic or 

14 commercial entities that, within the United States15 owned modules of the ISS or in partner-owned facili16 ties of the ISS allocated for United States utilization 

17 by international agreement, are or may become en18 gaged in research and testing activities sponsored, 

19 conducted, and managed by the Administration or 

20 by the ISS management entity. 

21 (e) DEFINITION OF ISS MANAGEMENT ENTITY.—In 

22 this section, the term ‘‘ISS management entity’’ means 

23 the organization with which the Administrator enters into 

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1 tional Aeronautics and Space Administration Authoriza2 tion Act of 2010 (42 U.S.C. 18354(a)). 

3 SEC. 222. RESEARCH ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES. 

4 (a) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of Con5 gress that— 

6 (1) expansion of the non-NASA utilization of 

7 the ISS is critical to maximizing the research poten8 tial of the ISS national laboratory and to facilitating 

9 expanded commercial activity in low-Earth orbit; 

10 and 

11 (2) in order to expand the non-NASA scientific 

12 utilization of ISS research capabilities and facilities, 

13 it is essential to clarify the roles and responsibilities 

14 of the entities managing research within the U.S. 

15 Segment of the ISS. 

16 (b) MANAGEMENT OF THE ISS NATIONAL LABORA17 TORY.—Section 504 of the National Aeronautics and 

18 Space Administration Authorization Act of 2010 (42 

19 U.S.C. 18354) is amended— 

20 (1) in subsection (b), by adding at the end the 

21 following: 

22 ‘‘(3) CONFLICTS OF INTEREST.—The Adminis23 trator shall ensure that the liaison function under 

24 this subsection is implemented in a manner that pre25 cludes any conflict of interest between the objectives 


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1 and activities of the entities identified under sub2 section (e).’’; 

3 (2) in subsection (d)(2)— 

4 (A) by inserting ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—’’ be5 fore ‘‘If any NASA research plan’’ and adjust6 ing the text accordingly; 

7 (B) by inserting ‘‘and subject to subpara8 graph (B)’’ after ‘‘Until September 30, 2020’’ 

9 in subparagraph (A), as redesignated; and 

10 (C) by adding at the end the following: 

11 ‘‘(B) MUTUAL AGREEMENT.—An exception 

12 under subparagraph (A) may only be granted if 

13 there is mutual agreement between the entities 

14 identified under subsection (e).’’; and 

15 (3) by adding at the end the following: 

16 ‘‘(e) CLARIFICATION OF ROLES.—The organization 

17 with which the Administrator enters into a cooperative 

18 agreement under subsection (a) for management of the 

19 ISS national laboratory shall be considered a separate and 

20 equal partner of any NASA organizational entity respon21 sible for management of the NASA research plan onboard 

22 the ISS.’’. 

23 (c) REPORT.— 

24 (1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 180 days 

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1 trator shall submit to the appropriate committees of 

2 Congress a report on the following: 

3 (A) Options for expanding the Administra4 tion’s collaboration with its ISS partners, in5 cluding— 

6 (i) providing U.S. personnel expanded 

7 access to international partner research fa8 cilities; and 

9 (ii) coordinating research efforts to 

10 minimize the duplication of effort, unless 

11 duplication is a justified element of the sci12 entific process or essential for backup or 

13 redundant capability. 

14 (B) The potential for increasing ISS crew 

15 size to maximize utilization and applications. 

16 (C) Efforts undertaken by the Administra17 tion and the ISS management entity— 

18 (i) to enhance collaborative research 

19 between the Administration and other Fed20 eral science agencies, such as the National 

21 Institutes of Health and the National 

22 Science Foundation; and 

23 (ii) to expand the use of the ISS na24 tional laboratory capabilities by Federal 

25 science agencies. 


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1 (2) DEFINITION OF ISS MANAGEMENT ENTI2 TY.—In this subsection, the term ‘‘ISS management 

3 entity’’ means the organization with which the Ad4 ministrator enters into a cooperative agreement 

5 under section 504(a) of the National Aeronautics 

6 and Space Administration Authorization Act of 2010 

7 (42 U.S.C. 18354(a)). 

8 SEC. 223. ISS NATIONAL LABORATORY; PROPERTY RIGHTS 

9 IN INVENTIONS. 

10 Section 20135 of title 51, United States Code, is 

11 amended— 

12 (1) in subsection (g), by striking ‘‘Each such 

13 waiver’’ and inserting ‘‘Except as provided under 

14 subsection (l), each such waiver’’; and 

15 (2) by adding at the end the following: 

16 ‘‘(l) WAIVER OF RIGHTS TO INVENTIONS; COMMER17 CIAL MICROGRAVITY RESEARCH.— 

18 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—With respect to any inven19 tion or class of inventions made or which may be 

20 made by any person or class of persons in the per21 formance of any non-NASA scientific utilization of 

22 the ISS national laboratory, the Administrator may 

23 waive the license reserved by the Administrator 

24 under subsection (g), in whole or in part and accord25 ing to negotiated terms and conditions, including the 


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1 terms and conditions under paragraphs (1), (2), (3), 

2 and (5) of section 202(c) of title 35, if the Adminis3 trator finds that the reservation of the license by the 

4 Administrator would substantially inhibit the com5 mercialization of an invention. 

6 ‘‘(2) CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing in this sub7 section shall be construed to affect the rights of the 

8 Federal Government under any other procurement 

9 contract, grant, understanding, arrangement, agree10 ment, or transaction.’’. 

11 SEC. 224. COMMERCIAL CARGO AND CREW CAPABILITIES. 

12 (a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds that— 

13 (1) NASA’s Commercial Orbital Transportation 

14 Services, Cargo Resupply Services, and Commercial 

15 Crew Program demonstrate the potential for pro16 curing routine, commercially provided access to the 

17 ISS and to low-Earth orbit using innovative and 

18 cost-effective development and procurement strate19 gies; 

20 (2) Federal investments in the U.S. private 

21 space industry have the ability to provide for lower 

22 cost access to space for researchers and for commer23 cial ventures; 

24 (3) commercially provided space transportation 

25 is critical to maximizing utilization of the ISS; 


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1 (4) encouraging competition among launch serv2 ice providers and maintaining multiple space trans3 portation options helps to reduce long-term costs to 

4 the Federal Government and to induce continual im5 provement in available private-sector services; and 

6 (5) consistent with section 201(b) of the Na7 tional Aeronautics and Space Administration Au8 thorization Act of 2010 (42 U.S.C. 18311(b)), main9 taining multiple launch service providers helps en10 sure uninterrupted access to the space environment 

11 should a particular provider’s services become un12 available. 

13 (b) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of Con14 gress that the Administration— 

15 (1) should continue to support the development 

16 of safe, reliable, and cost effective commercial 

17 launch capabilities for the primary purpose of secur18 ing domestic access to the ISS as quickly and safely 

19 as possible; and 

20 (2) should encourage a viable commercial mar21 ket for the capabilities under paragraph (1). 

22 (c) UNITED STATES POLICY.—It is the policy of the 

23 United States that, to foster the competitive development, 

24 operation, and improvement of private space transpor25 tation services, services for Federal Government access to 


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1 and return from the ISS, whenever feasible, shall be pro2 cured via fair and open competition for well-defined, mile3 stone-based, Federal Acquisition Regulation-based con4 tracts under section 201(a) of the National Aeronautics 

5 and Space Administration Authorization Act of 2010 (42 

6 U.S.C. 18311(a)). 

7 (d) SELECTION OF COMMERCIAL PROVIDERS.—In 

8 evaluating commercial space transportation service pro9 viders, the Administrator— 

10 (1) shall aim to minimize the life-cycle costs of 

11 obtaining transportation services; 

12 (2) shall assure compliance with all safety and 

13 mission assurance requirements; 

14 (3) shall consider contractor financial invest15 ment into the development of transportation capa16 bilities; and 

17 (4) for commercial crew transport services— 

18 (A) shall consider flexibility in design, in19 cluding sample return capabilities; and 

20 (B) shall provide a written notification and 

21 justification to the appropriate committees of 

22 Congress if the price per seat exceeds the cost 

23 negotiated by NASA for crew transport in April 

24 2013. 


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1 (5) STRATEGY FOR PROCURING COMMERCIAL

2 SERVICES.—In implementing the policy under sub3 section (c), the Administrator shall submit to the ap4 propriate committees of Congress, not later than 

5 120 days after the date of enactment of this Act, a 

6 strategy for transitioning from Space Act Agree7 ments to Federal Acquisition Regulation-based con8 tracts for the procurement of crew transportation 

9 services to and from the ISS. The strategy shall in10 clude— 

11 (A) a comparison of potential procurement 

12 strategies based on— 

13 (i) maximizing safety and mission as14 surance; 

15 (ii) the total projected costs to the 

16 Federal Government through 2020, given 

17 multiple projections of Government de18 mand for launch services; 

19 (iii) the feasibility of the procurement 

20 strategy and timeline, given projected 

21 funding availabilities; 

22 (iv) the potential for supporting the 

23 research and exploration test bed needs of 

24 the Federal Government and of the inde25 pendent entity responsible for ISS national 


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1 laboratory activities for the purposes de2 scribed under section 504(d) of the Na3 tional Aeronautics and Space Administra4 tion Authorization Act of 2010 (42 U.S.C. 

5 18354(d)); and 

6 (v) the projected impacts on devel7 oping a viable market for commercial 

8 launch services; 

9 (B) an evaluation of the costs and benefits 

10 of ensuring the availability of at least 2 U.S.- 

11 based launch service providers, considering— 

12 (i) the potential need for diversified 

13 cargo and sample return capabilities, in14 cluding a soft-landing capability as de15 scribed under section 404 of the National 

16 Aeronautics and Space Administration Au17 thorization Act of 2010 (124 Stat. 2822); 

18 and 

19 (ii) the ability of multiple cargo or 

20 crew launch service providers to meet pri21 vate or non-NASA Government mission re22 quirements and the subsequent benefit to 

23 the United States of such ability; 

24 (C) justification for the procurement strat25 egy selected from among those considered; and 


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1 (D) for the selected procurement strategy, 

2 identification of additional or modified authori3 ties, regulations, or guidelines that are nec4 essary for successful implementation. 

5 Subtitle C—Other Matters 

6 SEC. 231. SAFETY AND MISSION ASSURANCE IN HUMAN 

7 SPACE FLIGHT. 

8 (a) FINDINGS.—Congress makes the following find9 ings: 

10 (1) In the early part of the space race, the 

11 United States took over 3 years from the launch of 

12 the first American satellite, Explorer I, to the launch 

13 of the first American to space, Alan B. Shepard, Jr. 

14 (2) It was known then, as it is now, that the 

15 exploration of space by humans is an inherently dan16 gerous endeavor. 

17 (3) Access to space requires complex propulsion 

18 systems, such as the now retired Space Shuttle, 

19 which generated over 7,000,000 pounds of thrust. 

20 (4) Adding humans to the complex systems re21 quired to reach space requires additional safeguards, 

22 life support systems, and other measures to protect 

23 from the harsh environment of space in order to 

24 minimize risk to human life. 


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1 (b) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of Con2 gress that— 

3 (1) meticulousness and attention to detail helps 

4 ensure that all humans are safe and protected to the 

5 best of the abilities of all those involved in helping 

6 achieve the reaches of space; 

7 (2) those who strive to send humans into space 

8 should make every effort to ensure the success of 

9 missions and programs through independent safety 

10 and mission assurance analyses; 

11 (3) diligent oversight efforts ensure adherence 

12 to safety, reliability, and quality assurance policies 

13 and procedures for missions and programs; and 

14 (4) lessons learned from mishaps and near 

15 misses should be implemented into designs, deci16 sions, policy, and procedures to reduce the risk of 

17 future incidents that could jeopardize crew safety or 

18 mission success. 

19 SEC. 232. LAUNCH LIABILITY PROVISIONS. 

20 (a) LIABILITY EXTENSION.—Section 50915(f) of title 

21 51, United States Code, is amended by striking ‘‘Decem22 ber 31, 2013’’ and inserting ‘‘December 31, 2016’’. 

23 (b) PROTECTION FOR LAUNCH ACTIVITIES.—Sub24 chapter III of chapter 201 of title 51, United States Code 

25 is amended by inserting after section 20147 the following: 


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1 ‘‘§ 20148. Indemnification; NASA launch services 

2 ‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—Under such regulations in con3 formity with this section as the Administrator shall pre4 scribe taking into account the availability, cost, and terms 

5 of liability insurance, any contract between the Adminis6 tration and a provider may provide that the United States 

7 will indemnify a provider against claims (including reason8 able expenses of litigation or settlement) by third parties 

9 for death, bodily injury, or loss of or damage to property 

10 resulting from activities that the contract defines as un11 usually hazardous or nuclear in nature, but— 

12 ‘‘(1) only to the extent that such claims are not 

13 compensated by liability insurance of the provider; 

14 and 

15 ‘‘(2) only to the extent that such claims arise 

16 out of the direct performance of the contract. 

17 ‘‘(b) LIMITATION.—Indemnification under subsection 

18 (a) may be limited to claims resulting from other than the 

19 actual negligence or willful misconduct of the provider. 

20 ‘‘(c) TERMS OF INDEMNIFICATION.—A contract 

21 made under subsection (a) that provides indemnification 

22 shall also provide for— 

23 ‘‘(1) notice to the United States of any claim or 

24 suit against the provider for death, bodily injury, or 

25 loss of or damage to property; and 


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1 ‘‘(2) control of or assistance in the defense by 

2 the United States, at its election, of that suit or 

3 claim. 

4 ‘‘(d) LIABILITY INSURANCE OF THE PROVIDER.— 

5 Each provider that is a party to a contract made under 

6 subsection (a) shall have and maintain liability insurance 

7 in such amounts as the Administrator shall require to 

8 cover liability to third parties and loss of or damage to 

9 property. 

10 ‘‘(e) NO INDEMNIFICATION WITHOUT CROSS-WAIV11 ER.—Notwithstanding subsection (a), the Administrator 

12 may not indemnify a provider under this section unless 

13 there is a cross-waiver between the Administration and the 

14 provider as described in subsection (f). 

15 ‘‘(f) CROSS-WAIVERS.—The Administrator, on behalf 

16 of the United States, and its departments, agencies, and 

17 instrumentalities, may reciprocally waive claims with a 

18 provider under which each party to the waiver agrees to 

19 be responsible, and agrees to ensure that its own related 

20 entities are responsible, for damage or loss to its property 

21 for which it is responsible, or for losses resulting from any 

22 injury or death sustained by its own employees or agents, 

23 as a result of activities connected to the contract. 

24 ‘‘(g) CERTIFICATION OF JUST AND REASONABLE

25 AMOUNT.—No payment may be made under subsection 


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1 (a) unless the Administrator or the Administrator’s des2 ignee certifies that the amount is just and reasonable. 

3 ‘‘(h) PAYMENTS.—Upon the approval by the Admin4 istrator, payments under subsection (a) may be made, at 

5 the Administrator’s election, either from— 

6 ‘‘(1) funds obligated for the performance of the 

7 agreement concerned; 

8 ‘‘(2) funds available for research and develop9 ment not otherwise obligated; or 

10 ‘‘(3) funds appropriated for such payments. 

11 ‘‘(i) RELATIONSHIP TO OTHER LAWS.—The Admin12 istrator may not provide indemnification under this sec13 tion for an activity that requires a license or permit under 

14 chapter 509. 

15 ‘‘(j) CONSTRUCTION.—The authority to indemnify 

16 under this section shall not create any rights in third per17 sons that would not otherwise exist by law. 

18 ‘‘(k) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

19 ‘‘(1) LAUNCH SERVICES.—The term ‘launch 

20 services’ has the meaning given the term in section 

21 50902. 

22 ‘‘(2) PROVIDER.—The term ‘provider’ means a 

23 person that provides domestic launch services in sup24 port of any space activity the Government carries 

25 out for the Government.’’. 


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1 (c) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—The table of con2 tents for subchapter III of chapter 201 of title 51, United 

3 States Code, is amended by inserting after the item relat4 ing to section 20147 the following: 

‘‘20148. Indemnification; NASA launch services.’’. 

5 TITLE III—SCIENCE 

6 Subtitle A—Earth Science 

7 SEC. 301. EARTH SCIENCE. 

8 (a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds that— 

9 (1) continuous, long-term Earth observation 

10 data supports the preparation for and management 

11 of natural and human-induced disasters, benefits re12 source management and agricultural forecasting, im13 proves our understanding of climate, and encourages 

14 environmental and economic sustainability; 

15 (2) due to the scope of activities required, 

16 Earth science research and Earth observation are 

17 multi-agency endeavors requiring significant co18 operation and information sharing among govern19 ment, international, and scientific community part20 ners; 

21 (3) in developing Earth observation tech22 nologies, conducting Earth science satellite missions, 

23 and providing research products to the scientific 

24 community, NASA plays a crucial role in advancing 

25 Earth science; and 


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1 (4) the loss of observational capabilities in 

2 Earth science, as predicted by the National Research 

3 Council’s midterm update to its Earth Science 

4 Decadal Survey, risks reversing gains in weather 

5 forecast accuracy, reducing disaster response capa6 bilities, and creating an irreversible gap in Earth 

7 science data. 

8 (b) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of Con9 gress that— 

10 (1) given the importance of Earth science and 

11 Earth observation data, NASA Earth science ef12 forts— 

13 (A) should be conducted in coordination 

14 with other Federal agencies; and 

15 (B) should be cognizant of international ef16 forts and the needs of the scientific and busi17 nesses communities; and 

18 (2) whenever feasible, NASA and other Federal 

19 agencies should consider the potential for reducing 

20 costs by purchasing commercially available Earth 

21 science data and services. 

22 (c) MISSION PRIORITIZATION.— 

23 (1) NATIONAL STRATEGY FOR EARTH OBSERVA24 TION.—The Office of Science and Technology Policy, 

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1 servation and in developing a National Plan for Civil 

2 Earth Observations, shall prioritize Federal Earth 

3 science and observation investments based on— 

4 (A) its assessment of Earth science and 

5 observation data requirements; 

6 (B) the capability requirements as identi7 fied by the National Academies decadal surveys; 

8 (C) the projected costs of Earth science 

9 missions and data gathering activities; and 

10 (D) the projected and available budgets. 

11 (2) NATIONAL PLAN FOR CIVIL EARTH OBSER12 VATIONS.—The Administration, in prioritizing future 

13 Earth science and Earth observation missions and 

14 technology development under the National Plan for 

15 Civil Earth Observations and chapter 201 of title 

16 51, United States Code, shall consider potential 

17 cost-reduction opportunities, including— 

18 (A) if feasible, co-locating Earth science 

19 sensors on other satellites; and 

20 (B) purchasing commercially available 

21 Earth science data and services, including 

22 launch access to orbital and sub-orbital space. 


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1 Subtitle B—Space Science 

2 SEC. 321. HUMAN EXPLORATION AND SCIENCE COLLABO3 RATION. 

4 The Administrator shall ensure that the Science Mis5 sion Directorate and the Human Exploration and Oper6 ations Mission Directorate coordinate in researching and 

7 reducing the risks that space exploration beyond low8 Earth orbit pose to astronaut health. Not later than 90 

9 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Adminis10 trator shall provide to the appropriate committees of Con11 gress a report detailing the results of previous research 

12 in this area and identifying opportunities for future 

13 science missions to contribute to the understanding of 

14 these risks. 

15 SEC. 322. MAINTAINING A BALANCED SPACE SCIENCE 

16 PORTFOLIO. 

17 (a) IN GENERAL.—Section 803 of the National Aero18 nautics and Space Administration Authorization Act of 

19 2010 (124 Stat. 2832) is amended to read as follows: 

20 ‘‘SEC. 803. OVERALL SCIENCE PORTFOLIO; SENSE OF CON21 GRESS. 

22 ‘‘Congress reaffirms its sense that a balanced and 

23 adequately funded set of activities, consisting of research 

24 and analysis grants programs, technology development, 

25 small, medium, and large space missions, and suborbital 


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1 research activities, contributes to a robust and productive 

2 science program and serves as a catalysis for innovation 

3 and discovery. The Administrator should set science prior4 ities by following the guidance provided by the scientific 

5 community through the National Academies’ decadal sur6 veys.’’. 

7 (b) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—The item relating 

8 to section 803 in the table of contents in section 1(b) of 

9 the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Au10 thorization Act of 2010 (124 Stat. 2806) is amended by 

11 striking ‘‘Overall science portfolio-sense of the Congress’’ 

12 and inserting ‘‘Overall science portfolio; sense of Con13 gress’’. 

14 SEC. 323. SCIENCE MISSION EXTENSIONS. 

15 Section 30504 of title 51, United States Code is 

16 amended to read as follows: 

17 ‘‘§ 30504. Assessment of science mission extensions 

18 ‘‘(a) ASSESSMENT.—The Administrator shall carry 

19 out biennial reviews within each of the Science divisions 

20 to assess the cost and benefits of extending the date of 

21 the termination of data collection for those missions that 

22 have exceeded their planned mission lifetime. In con23 ducting these assessments, the Administrator shall con24 sider— 


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1 ‘‘(1) the potential continued benefit of instru2 ments on missions that are beyond their planned 

3 mission lifetime; and 

4 ‘‘(2) the cost and schedule impacts, if any, of 

5 mission extension on other NASA activities and 

6 science missions. 

7 ‘‘(b) CONSULTATION REQUIREMENT.—When decid8 ing whether to extend science missions with an operational 

9 component, the Administrator shall consult with the Na10 tional Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and any 

11 other affected Federal agency.’’. 

12 SEC. 324. PLANETARY SCIENCE. 

13 (a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds that— 

14 (1) Administration support for planetary 

15 science is critical to enabling greater understanding 

16 of the solar system and its origin; 

17 (2) the United States leads the world in plan18 etary science and can augment its success with ap19 propriate international partnerships; 

20 (3) a mix of small-, medium-, and large-plan21 etary science missions is required to sustain a steady 

22 cadence of planetary exploration; and 

23 (4) robotic planetary exploration is a key com24 ponent of preparing for future human exploration. 


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1 (b) MISSION PRIORITIES.—In accordance with the 

2 priorities established in the most recent decadal survey for 

3 planetary science, the Administrator shall ensure, to the 

4 greatest extent practicable, the completion of a balanced 

5 set of Discovery, New Frontiers, and flagship missions. 

6 The Administrator may seek, if necessary, adjustments to 

7 mission priorities, schedule, and scope in light of changing 

8 budget projections. 

9 (c) INSTRUMENTATION.—To support its science mis10 sion priorities, the Administration shall invest in a sus11 tained program to develop or mature scientific instrument 

12 capabilities, as delineated in the NASA Science Instru13 ments, Observatories, and Sensor Systems Roadmap. 

14 SEC. 325. SPACE WEATHER. 

15 (a) OSTP ROADMAP.—In coordination with NASA, 

16 the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 

17 and other relevant Federal agencies, the Director of the 

18 Office of Science and Technology Policy, not later than 

19 24 months after the date of enactment of this Act, shall 

20 deliver to the appropriate committees of Congress a road21 map for developing and deploying space weather fore22 casting technologies. The roadmap shall, at a minimum— 

23 (1) aim to relieve capability gaps identified by 

24 the National Space Weather Program Council review 

25 of space weather observing systems, as requested by 


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1 the National Aeronautics and Space Administration 

2 Authorization Act of 2010 (42 U.S.C. 18301 et 

3 seq.); and 

4 (2) consider ongoing and future requirements 

5 for space weather modeling, monitoring, and pre6 diction. 

7 (b) NASA TECHNOLOGY ROADMAPS.—The Adminis8 tration shall update and further develop its technology 

9 roadmaps as required to address mitigating a wide range 

10 of space weather effects on both satellites and spacecraft. 

11 (c) ALERT PROTOCOL.—The Director of the Office 

12 of Science and Technology Policy shall coordinate relevant 

13 Federal agencies to propose protocols for communicating 

14 and responding to space weather forecasts. Protocol as15 sessment shall consider the needs of both government and 

16 private sector entities. The Director of the Office of 

17 Science and Technology Policy shall deliver a report on 

18 proposed protocols to Congress not later than 24 months 

19 after the date of enactment of this Act. 

20 SEC. 326. JAMES WEBB SPACE TELESCOPE. 

21 It is the sense of Congress that— 

22 (1) the James Webb Space Telescope will sig23 nificantly advance our understanding of star and 

24 planet formation, improve our knowledge of the early 


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1 universe, and support U.S. leadership in astro2 physics; 

3 (2) significant progress has been made with re4 gard to overcoming the James Webb Space Tele5 scope’s technical challenges and in improving NASA 

6 management oversight; 

7 (3) the on-time and on-budget completion of the 

8 James Webb Space Telescope should remain a top 

9 NASA priority; and 

10 (4) consistent with annual Government Ac11 countability Office reviews of the James Webb Space 

12 Telescope program, the Administrator should con13 tinue to improve the James Webb Space Telescope’s 

14 cost and schedule estimates and oversight proce15 dures in order to enhance NASA’s ability to success16 fully deliver the James Webb Space Telescope on 

17 time and on budget. 

18 SEC. 327. UNIVERSITY CLASS SCIENCE MISSIONS. 

19 (a) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of Con20 gress that principal investigator-led small orbital science 

21 missions, including CubeSat, University Explorer 

22 (UNEX), Small Explorer (SMEX), and Venture class mis23 sions, offer valuable, lower-cost opportunities to advance 

24 science, train the next generation of scientists and engi25 neers, and provide opportunities for program participants 


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1 to acquire skills in systems engineering and systems inte2 gration that are critical to maintaining the Nation’s lead3 ership in space. 

4 (b) REVIEW OF PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR LED

5 SMALL ORBITAL SCIENCE MISSIONS.— 

6 (1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 120 days 

7 after the date of enactment of this Act, the Adminis8 trator shall enter into an arrangement with the Na9 tional Academy of Sciences to conduct a review of 

10 the small orbital science missions described under 

11 subsection (a). 

12 (2) REQUIREMENTS.—The review under para13 graph (1) shall include the following: 

14 (A) The status, capability, and availability 

15 of existing small orbital science mission pro16 grams in which the missions are led by prin17 cipal investigators and enable significant par18 ticipation by university scientists and students. 

19 (B) The opportunities that the small or20 bital science missions described under sub21 section (a) provide for scientific research, train22 ing, and education, including scientific and en23 gineering workforce development. 

24 (C) The use of commercial applications, 

25 such as hosted payloads, free flyers, and data 


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1 buys, as vehicles to further the goals of small 

2 orbital science missions, while preserving the 

3 principle of independent peer review as the 

4 basis for mission selection. 

5 (c) REPORT.— 

6 (1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 15 months 

7 after the date of enactment of this Act, the Adminis8 trator shall submit to the appropriate committees of 

9 Congress a report on the review required by this sec10 tion. 

11 (2) CONTENTS.—The report shall include— 

12 (A) a summary of the review under sub13 section (b); 

14 (B) the findings of the Administrator with 

15 respect to that review; and 

16 (C) recommendations regarding principal 

17 investigator led small orbital science missions 

18 conducted by the Administration. 

19 TITLE IV—AERONAUTICS 

20 SEC. 401. SENSE OF CONGRESS ON NASA AERONAUTICS. 

21 (a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds that— 

22 (1) aviation is vital to the United States econ23 omy, with the industry supporting nearly 1,000,000 

24 jobs, conducting nearly 10,000,000 commercial 

25 flights per year within the United States alone, and 


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1 contributing to the aerospace industry’s positive 

2 trade balance in 2012; 

3 (2) in helping test and mature new technologies 

4 for quiet and efficient air transportation, NASA’s 

5 Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate addresses 

6 major aviation trends, such as the rapid growth in 

7 passengers, increasing fuel costs, and the demand 

8 for faster vehicles; 

9 (3) the Directorate works closely with industry 

10 and academia to address long-term challenges to the 

11 air transportation system that require improving 

12 aviation safety, increasing the capacity of the in13 creasingly crowded national airspace system, and re14 ducing environmental impacts; 

15 (4) through its Aeronautics Test Program, the 

16 Directorate manages the flight operations and test 

17 infrastructure at 4 NASA centers, providing both 

18 NASA and its industry partners with access to crit19 ical facilities; 

20 (5) NASA’s contribution to aeronautics is evi21 denced in the use of its technologies in almost every 

22 modern aircraft; and 

23 (6) the Directorate has identified otherwise un24 known safety issues and helped optimize aircraft 


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1 routes, yielding millions of dollars in potential sav2 ings to airlines and benefitting passengers. 

3 (b) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of Con4 gress that— 

5 (1) the Aeronautics Research Mission Direc6 torate builds on the successful legacy of NASA’s 

7 predecessor, the National Advisory Committee for 

8 Aeronautics, which worked closely with industry 

9 partners to advance both military and civil aviation 

10 until its dissolution in 1958; 

11 (2) NASA aeronautics research, development, 

12 and test activities, including investments into com13 posite structures, new fuels, and innovative aircraft 

14 concepts, must continue in order to support U.S. 

15 leadership in aviation; 

16 (3) the Directorate’s efforts to collaborate with 

17 the aviation industry to gather and analyze data and 

18 to prototype and test algorithms that optimize flight 

19 routes, manage air traffic, and account for weather 

20 impacts are critical to supporting the safe use of the 

21 national airspace; and 

22 (4) continued cooperation between NASA’s Aer23 onautics Research Mission Directorate and the Fed24 eral Aviation Administration is vital to providing the 

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1 tional airspace and to ensure that new technologies 

2 are effectively tested and acquire timely regulatory 

3 approval. 

4 TITLE V—SPACE TECHNOLOGY 

5 SEC. 501. SPACE TECHNOLOGY. 

6 (a) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of the Con7 gress that— 

8 (1) previous investments in space technologies 

9 have not only enabled space exploration and research 

10 missions, but also have improved the quality of life 

11 on Earth; 

12 (2) by improving affordability, reliability, and 

13 operational capability, continued space technology 

14 developments will enable NASA missions that other15 wise would be unachievable; 

16 (3) investments in space technology engage the 

17 talent of the Administration and of the Nation’s aca18 demic and business enterprises; and 

19 (4) space technology roadmaps serve as a useful 

20 framework for NASA, academic, and industry devel21 opment efforts. 

22 (b) SPACE TECHNOLOGY DIRECTIVE.—To advance 

23 NASA’s space exploration and space research goals, the 

24 Administrator shall continue a program with responsibility 

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1 ties. To the greatest extent possible, the Administrator 

2 shall synergize all NASA space technology investments, 

3 encourage collaboration in space technology development 

4 with academia and industry, and minimize duplication of 

5 space technology development efforts across the Adminis6 tration and the private sector unless duplication is re7 quired to maintain mission safety, security, or backup ca8 pability. 

9 (c) SPACE TECHNOLOGY ROADMAP REPORT.—In 

10 carrying out the policy under subsection (b), the Adminis11 trator shall submit to the appropriate committees of Con12 gress, not later than 24 months after the date of enact13 ment of this Act, a progress report on the development, 

14 testing, and demonstration of the 14 technological areas 

15 of the Space Technology Roadmaps. 

16 TITLE VI—EDUCATION 

17 SEC. 601. EDUCATION AND OUTREACH ACTIVITIES. 

18 (a) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of Con19 gress that— 

20 (1) the Administration is uniquely recognized in 

21 the educational and global communities for its aero22 space knowledge, passionate workforce, and unique 

23 capabilities and facilities; 

24 (2) U.S. competitiveness in aerospace requires 

25 engaging the science, technology, engineering, and 


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1 mathematics (STEM) talent in all States and juris2 dictions; 

3 (3) the Administration’s education and outreach 

4 programs, including the Experimental Program to 

5 Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) and the 

6 Space Grant College and Fellowship Program, re7 flect the Administration’s successful commitment to 

8 growing and diversifying the national science and 

9 engineering workforce; 

10 (4) the Administration’s outreach efforts to 

11 underrepresented and underserved communities, by 

12 helping minorities to pursue higher education in 

13 STEM fields and to attain STEM careers, benefit 

14 the overall national workforce; and 

15 (5) the Administration’s efforts to improve the 

16 management and execution of its education portfolio 

17 and to evaluate program success using evidence18 based approaches should continue. 

19 (b) IN GENERAL.—The Administration shall— 

20 (1) continue to execute its educational and out21 reach programs, including providing a wide range of 

22 academic research opportunities and engaging the 

23 public interest in science, technology, engineering 

24 and mathematics; 


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1 (2) continue to collaborate with minority insti2 tutions to increase student participation in science, 

3 technology, engineering, and mathematics; and 

4 (3) seek partnerships with industry, academia, 

5 and with other communities to best respond to the 

6 Nation’s aerospace-related educational and work7 force needs. 

8 (c) SPACE GRANT.—To enhance the United States 

9 STEM education and workforce, the Administrator shall 

10 continue to operate the National Space Grant College and 

11 Fellowship program through a national network of re12 gional consortia. The program shall provide hands-on re13 search, training, and education programs, use measurable 

14 outcomes to gauge success, and allow States flexibility in 

15 its execution. 

16 TITLE VII—OTHER MATTERS 

17 SEC. 701. SENSE OF CONGRESS ON NASA’S CROSS AGENCY 

18 SUPPORT. 

19 (a) FINDINGS.—Congress makes the following find20 ings: 

21 (1) Cross Agency Support operates and main22 tains the Administration’s centers and facilities, in23 cluding headquarters, enabling the accomplishment 

24 of the Administration’s missions while protecting 

25 human health and the environment. 


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1 (2) Cross Agency Support provides for the 

2 unique facilities, skilled personnel, and administra3 tive support that NASA programs, research, and de4 velopment activities require at the centers. 

5 (3) Cross Agency Support provides the Admin6 istration with the capability to improve mission suc7 cess by supplying safety and mission assurance, en8 gineering technical authority, and health and med9 ical oversight across all of NASA’s programs, re10 search, and operations. 

11 (4) The Orbital Debris Program Office is lo12 cated in Cross Agency Support and leads the Ad13 ministration’s effort in addressing the orbital debris 

14 issue, which is an issue resulting from over 50 years 

15 of spaceflight. 

16 (5) Cross Agency Support delivers the informa17 tion technology services used throughout the Admin18 istration that allow its workforce to work and com19 municate efficiently and effectively, not only internal 

20 to the Administration, but with the citizens of the 

21 world which provides them the opportunity to be in22 cluded and participate in the Administration’s ac23 complishments. 

24 (6) The Administration’s public affairs, located 

25 in Cross Agency Support, provided worldwide live 


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1 coverage of the Curiosity Rover’s landing on Mars, 

2 the largest rover ever sent to Mars, in August of 

3 2012. 

4 (7) The authority and execution of the Admin5 istration’s offices responsible for finance, budget, ac6 quisition, external relations, legislative affairs, train7 ing, security, and human capital management are 

8 performed under Cross Agency Support. 

9 (b) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of Con10 gress that— 

11 (1) Cross Agency Support represents a variety 

12 of functions vital to the strength and success of the 

13 Administration and is essential to the Administra14 tion’s vision; 

15 (2) the centers and facilities in the Administra16 tion are a vital part of the many advances in science 

17 and technology the Administration has provided and 

18 continues to provide to this Nation and the world 

19 since the Administration was created in 1958; 

20 (3) at the Administration’s core is safety and 

21 mission success that, through Cross Agency Support, 

22 is carried out by the highly talented and dedicated 

23 workforce at the Administration’s centers and facili24 ties; 


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1 (4) as the Administration looks to continue 

2 international, interagency, and industry cooperation 

3 and partnerships, Cross Agency Support will con4 tinue to provide the overseeing and execution of 

5 these efforts; and 

6 (5) Cross Agency Support be given the nec7 essary resources to keep the Administration capable 

8 of meeting the goals set forth by Congress and con9 tinue to be a global leader in space and aeronautics. 

10 SEC. 702. SPACE COMMUNICATIONS NETWORK. 

11 (a) PLAN.—The Administrator shall prepare an up12 dated plan for NASA’s near-Earth, space, and deep space 

13 communications network and infrastructure. The plan 

14 shall— 

15 (1) identify steps to sustain the existing net16 work and infrastructure; 

17 (2) assess the capabilities, including any up18 grades, needed to support NASA’s programs; 

19 (3) identify priorities for how resources should 

20 be used to implement the plan; and 

21 (4) assess the impact on missions if resources 

22 are not secured at the level needed. 

23 (b) TRANSMITTAL.—Not later than 270 days after 

24 the date of enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall 


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1 transmit the plan to the appropriate committees of Con2 gress. 

3 SEC. 703. ASTRONAUT OCCUPATIONAL HEALTHCARE. 

4 (a) IN GENERAL.—Chapter 313 of title 51, United 

5 States Code, is amended by adding at the end the fol6 lowing: 

7 ‘‘§ 31303. Astronaut occupational healthcare 

8 ‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—Notwithstanding any other pro9 vision of law, the Administrator, as the Administrator con10 siders necessary, may provide for the medical monitoring, 

11 diagnosis, and treatment of a crewmember for conditions 

12 that the Administrator considers associated with human 

13 space flight, including scientific and medical tests for psy14 chological and medical conditions. 

15 ‘‘(b) RECORDS.—Consistent with applicable Federal 

16 privacy laws, the Administration shall retain access to all 

17 medical records and other health data from the provision 

18 of healthcare under subsection (a). 

19 ‘‘(c) DEFINITION OF CREWMEMBER.—In this section, 

20 the term ‘crewmember’ means— 

21 ‘‘(1) a former NASA astronaut/payload spe22 cialist who has flown on at least 1 space mission; 

23 ‘‘(2) a management NASA astronaut who has 

24 flown at least 1 space mission and is currently em25 ployed by the U.S. Government; or 


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1 ‘‘(3) an active NASA astronaut/payload spe2 cialist assigned, waiting assignment, or training for 

3 an assignment to a NASA human space flight.’’. 

4 (b) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—The table of con5 tents for chapter 313 of title 51, United States Code, is 

6 amended by adding after the item relating to section 

7 31302 the following: 

‘‘31303. Astronaut occupational healthcare.’’. 

8 SEC. 704. HELIUM CAPTURE AND RECOVERY. 

9 (a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 180 days after the 

10 date of enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall sub11 mit to the appropriate committees of Congress an agency12 wide plan to recover and recycle helium, whenever possible, 

13 that the Administration uses or will use in current, 

14 planned, and future experimentation, tests, launches, and 

15 operations. 

16 (b) CONSIDERATIONS.—In developing the plan under 

17 subsection (a), the Administrator shall consider how modi18 fications, updates, or new lifecycle designs for engines, bal19 loons, airships, or other future programs can be designed 

20 or operated to recover and recycle helium. 

21 SEC. 705. INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY GOVERNANCE. 

22 (a) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of Con23 gress that effective information technology governance is 

24 critical to ensuring information security, decreased costs, 

25 and overall mission assurance. The June 5, 2013, NASA 


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1 Office of Inspector General audit, ‘‘NASA’s Information 

2 Technology Governance,’’ found that the NASA Chief In3 formation Officer has limited oversight and control over 

4 a majority of the Administration’s information technology 

5 assets and cannot enforce security measures across the 

6 agency’s computer networks. For nearly 2 decades, the 

7 Administration has operated under a decentralized infor8 mation technology governance structure that has resulted 

9 in increased costs and inadequate security. At the same 

10 time, centralization of information technology governance 

11 has resulted in increased security and lower operating 

12 costs at other agencies. 

13 (b) INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY GOVERNANCE.— 

14 The Administrator shall, in consultation with Mission Di15 rectorate and NASA Center Chief Information Officers— 

16 (1) ensure the Agency Chief Information Offi17 cer has the appropriate resources and visibility to 

18 oversee agency-wide information technology oper19 ations and investments; 

20 (2) establish a direct line of report between the 

21 Agency Chief Information Officer and the Adminis22 trator; 

23 (3) establish a minimum monetary threshold for 

24 all agency information technology investments over 


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1 which the Agency Chief Information Officer shall 

2 have final approval; and 

3 (4) consider appropriate revisions to the char4 ters of information technology boards and councils 

5 that inform information technology investment and 

6 operation decisions. 

7 SEC. 706. IMPROVEMENTS TO BASELINES AND COST CON8 TROLS BREACH REPORTING PROCESS. 

9 Section 30104 of title 51, United States Code is 

10 amended— 

11 (1) in subsection (d)(3)— 

12 (A) by striking ‘‘the notification’’; and 

13 (B) by inserting ‘‘the notification and a 

14 timeline by which the Administrator intends to 

15 make the determination, report, and analysis 

16 under subsection (e)’’ before the period at the 

17 end; 

18 (2) in subsection (e)(1), by striking ‘‘Not later 

19 than 30 days after receiving a written notification 

20 under subsection (d)(2)’’ and inserting ‘‘In accord21 ance with the timeline under subsection (d)(3)’’; 

22 (3) in subsection (e)(1)(A), by striking ‘‘not 

23 later than 15 days after making the determination’’ 

24 and inserting ‘‘in accordance with the timeline under 

25 subsection (d)(3)’’; 


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1 (4) in subsection (e)(2), by striking ‘‘not later 

2 than 6 months after the Administrator makes a de3 termination under this subsection’’ and inserting ‘‘in 

4 accordance with the timeline under subsection 

5 (d)(3)’’; and 

6 (5) in subsection (f), by inserting ‘‘or an annual 

7 budget request that reflects this growth’’ after ‘‘a 

8 report under subsection (e)(1)(A)’’. 

9 SEC. 707. INFRASTRUCTURE. 

10 (a) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of Con11 gress that— 

12 (1) the Administration has a role in providing 

13 access to unique or specialized laboratory capabilities 

14 that are not economically viable for purchase by 

15 commercial entities and therefore are not available 

16 outside of NASA; 

17 (2) the deteriorating condition of the Adminis18 tration’s facilities and other infrastructure is ham19 pering the research effectiveness and efficiency per20 formed at those facilities by both the Administration 

21 and industry participants; 

22 (3) the Administration must improve the condi23 tion of its facilities and infrastructure to maintain 

24 the competitiveness of the U.S. aerospace industry; 


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1 (4) to ensure continued researcher access to re2 liable and efficient world-class facilities, the Admin3 istration should seek to establish strategic partner4 ships with other Federal agencies, academic institu5 tions, and industry, as appropriate; and 

6 (5) decisions regarding whether to dispose of, 

7 maintain, or modernize existing facilities and other 

8 infrastructure must be made in the context of meet9 ing the future laboratory needs of the Administra10 tion and other Federal agencies. 

11 (b) PLAN.—Not later than 1 year after the date of 

12 enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall submit to 

13 the appropriate committees of Congress a plan for retain14 ing or acquiring the facilities, laboratories, equipment, test 

15 capabilities, and other infrastructure necessary to meet 

16 the Administration’s mandates and its current and future 

17 missions. The plan shall— 

18 (1) identify the Administration’s future infra19 structure needs, including facilities, laboratories, 

20 equipment, and test capabilities; 

21 (2) include a strategy for identifying and re22 moving unnecessary or duplicative infrastructure 

23 consistent with the national strategic direction under 

24 the National Space Policy, the National Aeronautics 

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1 structure Plan, the National Aeronautics and Space 

2 Administration Authorization Act of 2010, title 51 

3 of the United States Code, and other Administra4 tion-related law; 

5 (3) include a strategy for the maintenance, re6 pair, upgrading, and modernization of the Adminis7 tration’s facilities, laboratories, equipment, and 

8 other infrastructure; 

9 (4) recommend criteria for prioritizing deferred 

10 maintenance tasks and for upgrading or modernizing 

11 facilities, laboratories, equipment, and other infra12 structure; 

13 (5) include an assessment of modifications 

14 needed to maximize the use of facilities, laboratories, 

15 equipment, and other infrastructure that offer 

16 unique and highly specialized benefits to the aero17 space industry and the public; and 

18 (6) include recommendations for implementa19 tion, including a timeline, milestones, and an esti20 mate of the resources required for carrying out the 

21 plan. 

22 (c) ESTABLISHMENT OF CAPITAL FUNDS.—The Ad23 ministrator shall establish a capital fund at each of 

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1 cordance with the plan under subsection (b). The Adminis2 trator shall ensure, to the greatest extent practicable, that 

3 any financial savings achieved by closing an outdated or 

4 surplus facility at a NASA field center is made available 

5 to that field center’s capital fund for the purpose of mod6 ernizing that field center’s facilities, laboratories, equip7 ment, and other infrastructure in accordance with the plan 

8 under subsection (b). 

9 SEC. 708. KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT. 

10 (a) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of the Con11 gress that— 

12 (1) the Administration’s success relies heavily 

13 on the accumulated technical knowledge of its skilled 

14 civil servant and contractor workforce; 

15 (2) in light of an aging workforce, it is impera16 tive that the Administration preserve, to the max17 imum extent possible, both critical technical skills 

18 and all knowledge valuable to future mission plan19 ning and operation; and 

20 (3) exercising best practice knowledge manage21 ment systems within the Administration will benefit 

22 the future NASA workforce and help ensure future 

23 mission successes. 

24 (b) KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM.—The Ad25 ministrator shall establish an Administration-wide knowlVerDate Mar 15 2010 03:30 Jul 18, 2013 Jkt 029200 PO 00000 Frm 00063 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S1317.IS S1317

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1 edge management system and implement industry-stand2 ard best practices for capturing, archiving, and retrieving 

3 heritage and future information. The information under 

4 this subsection shall be accessible to all Administration 

5 employees unless otherwise prohibited because of the clas6 sified or sensitive nature of the information. 

7 (c) REPORT.—Not later than 12 months after the 

8 date of enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall sub9 mit to the appropriate committees of Congress a report 

10 that, at a minimum, includes— 

11 (1) a description of any actions necessary to 

12 create or modify an Administration-wide knowledge 

13 management system; 

14 (2) a plan for implementing the knowledge 

15 management system, including employee training 

16 and the provision of secure access to information, as 

17 required for all personnel working on Administration 

18 programs, projects, and research; 

19 (3) a summary of implementation costs for the 

20 knowledge management system; and 

21 (4) a timeline and progress report for imple22 mentation. 

23 (d) WORKFORCE STABILIZATION AND CRITICAL

24 SKILLS PRESERVATION.—Section 1105 of the National 

25 Aeronautics and Space Administration Authorization Act 


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1 of 2010 (42 U.S.C. 18431) is amended by striking ‘‘2013’’ 

2 and inserting ‘‘2016’’. 

Æ 


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