II 

115TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 212 

To provide for the development of a United States strategy for greater 

human space exploration, and for other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JANUARY 24, 2017 

Mr. CORNYN introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred 

to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation 

A BILL 

To provide for the development of a United States strategy 

for greater human space exploration, 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. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Mapping a New and 

5 Innovative Focus on Our Exploration Strategy for Human 

6 Spaceflight Act of 2017’’ or the ‘‘MANIFEST for Human 

7 Spaceflight Act of 2017’’. 

8 SEC. 2. REAFFIRMATION OF POLICY AND FINDINGS. 

9 (a) REAFFIRMATION OF POLICY.—Congress reaf10 firms that the long-term goal of the human space flight 


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1 and exploration efforts of the National Aeronautics and 

2 Space Administration shall be to expand permanent 

3 human presence beyond low-Earth orbit and to do so, 

4 where practical, in a manner involving international part5 ners, as stated in section 202(a) of the National Aero6 nautics and Space Administration Authorization Act of 

7 2010 (42 U.S.C. 18312(a)). 

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

10 (1) In accordance with section 204 of the Na11 tional Aeronautics and Space Administration Au12 thorization Act of 2010 (Public Law 111–267; 124 

13 Stat. 2813), the National Academy of Sciences, 

14 through its Committee on Human Spaceflight, con15 ducted a review of the goals, core capabilities, and 

16 direction of human space flight, and published the 

17 findings and recommendations in a 2014 report enti18 tled ‘‘Pathways to Exploration: Rationales and Ap19 proaches for a U.S. Program of Human Space Ex20 ploration’’. 

21 (2) The Committee on Human Spaceflight in22 cluded leaders from the aerospace, scientific, secu23 rity, and policy communities. With input from the 

24 public, the Committee on Human Spaceflight con25 cluded that many practical and aspirational rationVerDate Sep 11 2014 22:02 Feb 01, 2017 Jkt 069200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S212.IS S212

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1 ales together constitute a compelling case for human 

2 space exploration. These rationales include economic 

3 benefits, national security, national prestige, inspir4 ing students and other citizens, scientific discovery, 

5 human survival, and a sense of shared destiny. 

6 (3) The Committee on Human Spaceflight af7 firmed that Mars is the appropriate long-term goal 

8 for the human space flight program. 

9 (4) The Committee on Human Spaceflight rec10 ommended that the National Aeronautics and Space 

11 Administration define a series of sustainable steps 

12 and conduct mission planning and technology devel13 opment as needed to achieve the long-term goal of 

14 placing humans on the surface of Mars. 

15 SEC. 3. HUMAN EXPLORATION STRATEGY. 

16 (a) HUMAN EXPLORATION OF MARS.—Section 

17 202(b) of the National Aeronautics and Space Administra18 tion Authorization Act of 2010 (42 U.S.C. 18312(b)) is 

19 amended— 

20 (1) in paragraph (3), by striking ‘‘and’’ at the 

21 end; 

22 (2) in paragraph (4), by striking the period at 

23 the end and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 

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


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1 ‘‘(5) to achieve human exploration of Mars, in2 cluding the establishment of a capability to extend 

3 human presence to the surface of Mars.’’. 

4 (b) EXPLORATION STRATEGY.— 

5 (1) IN GENERAL.—In accordance with this sub6 section, the Administrator of the National Aero7 nautics and Space Administration shall submit an 

8 interim report and final report setting forth a strat9 egy to achieve the objective in paragraph (5) of sec10 tion 202(b) of the National Aeronautics and Space 

11 Administration Authorization Act of 2010, as 

12 amended by subsection (a) of this section, through 

13 a series of successive, sustainable, free-standing, but 

14 complementary missions making robust utilization of 

15 cis-lunar space and employing the Space Launch 

16 System, Orion crew capsule, and other capabilities 

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

18 (42 U.S.C. 18301 et seq.). 

19 (2) STRATEGY REQUIREMENTS.—In developing 

20 the strategy under paragraph (1), the Administrator 

21 shall include— 

22 (A) the utility of an expanded human pres23 ence in cis-lunar space toward enabling mis24 sions to various lunar orbits, the lunar surface, 

25 asteroids, Mars, the moons of Mars, and other 


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1 destinations of interest for future human explo2 ration and development; 

3 (B) the utility of an expanded human pres4 ence in cis-lunar space for economic, scientific, 

5 and technological advances; 

6 (C) the opportunities for collaboration 

7 with— 

8 (i) international partners; 

9 (ii) private industry; and 

10 (iii) other Federal agencies, including 

11 missions relevant to national security or 

12 scientific needs; 

13 (D) the opportunities specifically afforded 

14 by the International Space Station (ISS) to 

15 support high priority scientific research and 

16 technological developments useful in expanding 

17 and sustaining a human presence in cis-lunar 

18 space and beyond; 

19 (E) a range of exploration mission archi20 tectures and approaches for the missions identi21 fied under paragraph (1), including capabilities 

22 for the Orion crew capsule and the Space 

23 Launch System; 

24 (F) a comparison of architectures and ap25 proaches based on— 


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1 (i) assessed value of factors including 

2 cost effectiveness, schedule resiliency, safe3 ty, sustainability, and opportunities for 

4 international collaboration; 

5 (ii) the extent to which certain archi6 tectures and approaches may enable new 

7 markets and opportunities for United 

8 States private industry, provide compelling 

9 opportunities for scientific discovery and 

10 technological excellence, sustain United 

11 States competitiveness and leadership, and 

12 address critical national security consider13 ations and requirements; and 

14 (iii) the flexibility of such architec15 tures and approaches to adjust to evolving 

16 technologies, partners, priorities, and 

17 budget projections and constraints; 

18 (G) measures for setting standards for en19 suring crew health and safety, including limits 

20 regarding radiation exposure and counter21 measures necessary to meet those limits, means 

22 and methods for addressing urgent medical con23 ditions or injuries, and other such safety, 

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1 pated in the conduct of the missions identified 

2 under paragraph (1); 

3 (H) a description of crew training needs 

4 and capabilities (including space suits and life 

5 support systems) necessary to support the con6 duct of missions identified under paragraph (1); 

7 (I) a detailed plan for prioritizing and 

8 phasing near-term intermediate destinations 

9 and missions identified under paragraph (1); 

10 (J) an assessment of the recommendations 

11 of the report prepared in compliance with sec12 tion 204 of the National Aeronautics and Space 

13 Administration Authorization Act of 2010 

14 (Public Law 111–267; 124 Stat. 2813), includ15 ing a detailed explanation of how the Adminis16 trator has ensured such recommendations have 

17 been, to the extent practicable, incorporated 

18 into the strategy under paragraph (1); and 

19 (K) technical information as needed to 

20 identify interest from potential stakeholder or 

21 partner communities. 

22 (3) INDEPENDENT REVIEW.— 

23 (A) IN GENERAL.—The Administrator 

24 shall enter into an arrangement with the Na25 tional Academy of Sciences to review and comVerDate Sep 11 2014 22:02 Feb 01, 2017 Jkt 069200 PO 00000 Frm 00007 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S212.IS S212

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1 ment on each interim report pursuant to para2 graph (1). Under the arrangement, the Na3 tional Academy of Sciences shall review each in4 terim report on the strategy described in para5 graph (1) and identify the following: 

6 (i) Matters in such interim report 

7 agreed upon by the National Academy of 

8 Sciences. 

9 (ii) Matters in such interim report 

10 raising concerns for the National Academy 

11 of Sciences. 

12 (iii) Such further recommendations 

13 with respect to matters covered by such in14 terim report as the National Academy of 

15 Sciences considers appropriate. 

16 (B) TIMING OF REVIEW AND COMMENT.— 

17 The Administrator shall ensure that the review 

18 and comment on an interim report provided for 

19 pursuant to subparagraph (A) is conducted in 

20 a timely manner to comply with the require21 ments of this subsection and, to the maximum 

22 extent practicable, to facilitate the incorporation 

23 of the comments of the National Academy of 

24 Sciences pursuant to subparagraph (A) into the 


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1 applicable final report required by this sub2 section. 

3 (4) DEADLINES.— 

4 (A) INTERIM REPORTS.—Not later than 90 

5 days after the date of the enactment of this 

6 Act, and not less than every five years there7 after, the Administrator shall submit to the Na8 tional Academy of Sciences an interim report 

9 on the strategy required by paragraph (1) in 

10 order to facilitate the independent review and 

11 comment on the strategy as provided for by 

12 paragraph (3). 

13 (B) FINAL REPORTS.—Not later than one 

14 year after the date of the enactment of this Act, 

15 and not less than every five years thereafter, 

16 the Administrator shall submit to Congress a 

17 final report on the strategy required by para18 graph (1), which shall include and incorporate 

19 the response of the National Academy of 

20 Sciences to the most recent interim report pur21 suant to paragraph (3). 

Æ 


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