I 

115TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 5345 

To designate the Marshall Space Flight Center of the National Aeronautics 

and Space Administration to provide leadership for the U.S. rocket 

propulsion industrial base, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MARCH 20, 2018 

Mr. BROOKS of Alabama (for himself and Mr. SMITH of Texas) introduced 

the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Science, Space, 

and Technology 

A BILL 

To designate the Marshall Space Flight Center of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration to provide 

leadership for the U.S. rocket propulsion industrial base, 

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 ‘‘American Leadership 

5 in Space Technology and Advanced Rocketry Act’’ or the 

6 ‘‘ALSTAR Act’’. 

7 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

8 Congress finds the following: 


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1 (1) Rocket propulsion is an enabling technology 

2 for our Nation’s future prosperous way of life. 

3 (2) Rocket propulsion technologies are critical 

4 to national security, intelligence gathering, commu5 nications, weather forecasting, navigation, commu6 nications, entertainment, land use, Earth observa7 tion, and scientific exploration. 

8 (3) The rocket propulsion industry is a source 

9 of high-quality jobs. 

10 (4) Multiple Federal agencies and companies 

11 are involved in rocket propulsion research, develop12 ment, and manufacturing. 

13 (5) Integration, coordination, and cooperation 

14 would strengthen the United States rocket propul15 sion industrial base. 

16 (6) Erosion of the rocket propulsion industrial 

17 base would seriously impact national security, space 

18 exploration potential, and economic growth. 

19 (7) The Marshall Space Flight Center has dec20 ades of experience working with other Government 

21 agencies and industry partners to study and coordi22 nate these capabilities. 

23 (8) The Marshall Space Flight Center has made 

24 historic and unique contributions— 


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1 (A) by bringing stakeholders together to 

2 work on rocket propulsion industrial base 

3 sustainment; 

4 (B) of technical expertise to key studies 

5 and review boards; and 

6 (C) by consistently participating in inter7 agency working groups to address rocket pro8 pulsion issues. 

9 SEC. 3. ROCKET PROPULSION LEADERSHIP. 

10 (a) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of Con11 gress that the Marshall Space Flight Center is the Na12 tional Aeronautics and Space Administration’s lead center 

13 for rocket propulsion and is essential to sustaining and 

14 promoting U.S. leadership in rocket propulsion and devel15 oping the next generation of rocket propulsion capabilities. 

16 (b) LEADERSHIP IN ROCKET PROPULSION.—The 

17 Marshall Space Flight Center shall provide national lead18 ership in rocket propulsion by— 

19 (1) contributing to interagency coordination for 

20 the preservation of critical national rocket propul21 sion capabilities; 

22 (2) collaborating with industry, academia, and 

23 professional organizations to most effectively use na24 tional capabilities and resources; 


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1 (3) monitoring public- and private-sector rocket 

2 propulsion activities to develop and promote a 

3 strong, healthy rocket propulsion industrial base; 

4 (4) facilitating technical solutions for existing 

5 and emerging rocket propulsion challenges; 

6 (5) supporting the development and refinement 

7 of rocket propulsion for small satellites; 

8 (6) evaluating and recommending, as appro9 priate, new rocket propulsion technologies for fur10 ther development; and 

11 (7) providing information required by national 

12 decisionmakers so that policies and other instru13 ments of the Government support the development 

14 and strengthening of the Nation’s rocket propulsion 

15 capabilities throughout the 21st century. 

Æ 


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