I 
114TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 4945 
To permanently secure the United States as the preeminent spacefaring 
nation, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
APRIL 14, 2016 
Mr. BRIDENSTINE (for himself and Mr. LAMBORN) introduced the following 
bill; which was referred to the Committee on Science, Space, and Tech-
nology, and in addition to the Committees on Armed Services, Select In-
telligence (Permanent Select), Rules, Ways and Means, Transportation 
and Infrastructure, Energy and Commerce, and Foreign Affairs, for a pe-
riod to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for con-
sideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the com-
mittee concerned 
A BILL 
To permanently secure the United States as the preeminent 
spacefaring nation, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS. 
(a) SHORT TITLE.—This Act may be cited as the 
‘‘American Space Renaissance Act’’. 
(b) TABLE OF CONTENTS.—The table of contents for 
this Act is as follows: 
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Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents. 
TITLE I—NATIONAL SECURITY 
Sec. 101. Space doctrine, organization, acquisition, and architecture develop-
ment. 
Sec. 102. Satellite communications. 
Sec. 103. Positioning, navigation, and timing. 
Sec. 104. Weather. 
Sec. 105. Space situational awareness. 
Sec. 106. Launch services. 
Sec. 107. Air Force Satellite Control Network. 
Sec. 108. Remote sensing. 
Sec. 109. Congressional defense committees defined. 
TITLE II—CIVIL 
Sec. 201. Definitions. 
Sec. 202. National Aeronautics and Space Administration. 
Sec. 203. Human mission to Mars. 
Sec. 204. Human presence in low-Earth orbit. 
Sec. 205. Space debris remediation. 
Sec. 206. GAO report on insuring NASA Class C and Class D payloads and 
cargo. 
TITLE III—COMMERCIAL 
Sec. 301. Office of Commercial Space Transportation. 
Sec. 302. Office of Spaceports. 
Sec. 303. Situational awareness of objects in Earth orbit. 
Sec. 304. Space traffic management. 
Sec. 305. Space-based data. 
Sec. 306. Department of Commerce space-related activities. 
Sec. 307. Commercial remote sensing licensing reform. 
Sec. 308. Weather. 
Sec. 309. American space competitiveness. 
Sec. 310. Space training aircraft. 
Sec. 311. Workforce enhancement. 
TITLE I—NATIONAL SECURITY 
SEC. 101. SPACE DOCTRINE, ORGANIZATION, ACQUISITION, 
AND ARCHITECTURE DEVELOPMENT. 
(a) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of Con-
gress that— 
(1) national security space capabilities play a 
critical strategic role to help ensure economic pros-
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perity, military deterrence, and power projection; 
and 
(2) civil and commercial space capabilities are 
critical for, and increasingly contribute to, national 
security missions. 
(b) NATIONAL SECURITY DOCTRINE ON SPACE.— 
Not later than one year after the date of the enactment 
of this Act, the President, in consultation with the Sec-
retary of Defense and the Director of National Intel-
ligence, shall develop— 
(1) doctrine for the Armed Forces and the in-
telligence community (as defined in section 3 of the 
National Security Act of 1947 (50 U.S.C. 3001)) 
governing the response of the United States to ef-
forts by state and nonstate actors to deliberately— 
(A) deny the United States or allies or 
partners of the United States access to space or 
space operations; or 
(B) degrade or destroy Government or 
commercial space assets of the United States or 
allies or partners of the United States; and 
(2) doctrine for the Armed Forces with respect 
to the rules of engagement for space forces. 
(c) PRINCIPAL DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE SPACE 
ADVISOR.— 
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(1) IN GENERAL.—Chapter 135 of title 10 is 
amended by adding at the end the following new sec-
tion: 
‘‘§ 2279d. Principal Defense Space Advisor 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Defense shall 
designate an official of the Department to be the Principal 
Defense Space Advisor, who, in addition to the other du-
ties of such official, shall act as the principal advisor to 
the Secretary on all space matters. 
‘‘(b) RESPONSIBILITIES.—The Principal Defense 
Space Advisor shall be responsible for the following: 
‘‘(1) Serving as the principal advisor to the Sec-
retary of Defense, the Deputy Secretary of Defense, 
the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the Joint Requirements 
Oversight Council, the Deputy’s Management Action 
Group, and the Defense Acquisition Board on all 
space matters. 
‘‘(2) Serving as the Principal Advisor on Space 
Control under section 2279a of this title. 
‘‘(3) Overseeing the entire space enterprise of 
the Department of Defense by reviewing all policies, 
strategies, plans, programming, and architecture as-
sessments relating to space. 
‘‘(4) Conducting annual Defense-wide space 
strategic portfolio reviews in coordination with the 
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Defense Space Council and the Director of Cost As-
sessment and Program Evaluation. 
‘‘(5) Chairing the Defense Space Council. 
‘‘(6) Providing the Deputy’s Management Ac-
tion Group with independent assessments and rec-
ommendations, as requested by the Deputy Sec-
retary, in cases where members of the Defense 
Space Council are unable to reach consensus.’’. 
(2) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sec-
tions at the beginning of such chapter is amended 
by inserting after the item relating to section 2279c 
the following new item: 
‘‘2279d. Principal Defense Space Advisor.’’. 
(3) REPLACEMENT
OF
EXECUTIVE
AGENT.— 
The position in the Department of Defense of the 
Principal Defense Space Advisor designated under 
section 2279d of title 10, United States Code, as 
added by paragraph (1), supersedes the position in 
the Department of Defense Executive Agent for 
Space. 
(4) CONFORMING
AMENDMENTS.—Title 10, 
United States Code, is amended— 
(A) in section 2279a(a), by striking ‘‘The 
Secretary of Defense’’ and all that follows 
through ‘‘such senior official,’’ and inserting 
‘‘The Principal Defense Space Advisor estab-
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lished by section 2279d of this title shall also 
serve as the Principal Advisor on Space Control 
and’’; and 
(B) by striking ‘‘Department of Defense 
Executive Agent for Space’’ and inserting 
‘‘Principal Defense Space Advisor’’ each place it 
appears. 
(d) SHARING OF CYBER AND SPACE SITUATIONAL 
AWARENESS INFORMATION.— 
(1) STRATEGY.—Not later than 180 days after 
the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary 
of Defense shall develop and commence the imple-
mentation of a strategy to increase interoperability 
between systems that electronically share cyberspace 
situational awareness and space situational aware-
ness data and information across the space and 
cyberspace enterprises of the Department of De-
fense, including among space, cyberspace, and air 
operations centers. 
(2) SUBMISSION OF STRATEGY.—Not later than 
180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, 
the Secretary shall submit to the congressional de-
fense committees the strategy developed under para-
graph (1), including— 
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(A) a plan to carry out the increased oper-
ability between space systems described in such 
paragraph; 
(B) a description of current and future ini-
tiatives to increase automated data transfer; 
(C) cost estimates for developing, pro-
curing, installing and sustaining the systems 
described in such paragraph; and 
(D) a description of any regulatory or leg-
islative actions required to fully implement the 
strategy. 
(e) INTEGRATED MAJOR SPACE PROGRAM ACQUISI-
TION.— 
(1) LIMITATION.—Of the funds authorized to 
be appropriated or otherwise made available for fis-
cal year 2017 for the Under Secretary of Defense 
for Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics, not more 
than 50 percent may be obligated or expended until 
the date on which the Under Secretary certifies to 
the congressional defense committees that the Under 
Secretary is compliant with the assessment, report-
ing, and notification requirements under section 
2275 of title 10, United States Code. 
(2) ANNUAL CERTIFICATIONS.—Section 2275 of 
title 10, United States Code, is amended— 
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(A) by redesignating subsection (g) as sub-
section (h); 
(B) by inserting after subsection (f) the 
following new subsection (g): 
‘‘(g) CERTIFICATION OF INTEGRATED PROGRAMS.— 
(1) During each of fiscal years 2018 through 2027, the 
Secretary of Defense shall certify to the congressional de-
fense committees that each major satellite acquisition pro-
gram that has received Milestone B approval is an inte-
grated program with respect to acquisition and delivery 
of segments of the program. 
‘‘(2) A major satellite acquisition program may not 
receive Milestone C approval if the Secretary has not made 
a certification under paragraph (1) with respect to such 
program. 
‘‘(3) For each major satellite acquisition program 
that the Secretary does not make a certification under 
paragraph (1), the Secretary shall provide the congres-
sional defense committees a briefing explaining why such 
certification may not be made, including a discussion of 
the matters described in subsection (e)(2).’’; and 
(C) in subsection (h), as redesignated by 
subparagraph (A), by adding at the end the fol-
lowing new paragraph: 
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‘‘(5) MILESTONE
C
APPROVAL.—The term 
‘Milestone C approval’ has the meaning given that 
term in section 2366(e) of this title.’’. 
(f) HOSTED PAYLOADS.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—Section 2273 of title 10, 
United States Code, is amended by adding at the 
end the following new subsection: 
‘‘(d) HOSTED PAYLOADS.—(1) To the extent prac-
tical, the Secretary shall ensure that any space architec-
ture of the Department of Defense uses hosted payloads. 
‘‘(2) Beginning January 1, 2026, the Secretary shall 
give preference to launching hosted payloads on launch ve-
hicles owned and operated by companies domiciled in the 
United States. 
‘‘(3) For each space program of the Department re-
quiring the launch of assets into space, the Secretary shall 
ensure that any analysis of alternatives conducted for the 
program considers alternatives with hosted payloads and 
commercial services.’’. 
(2) PLAN.—Not later than 180 days after the 
date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of 
Defense, in consultation with the Director of the 
Space and Missile Systems Center and the Principal 
Defense Space Advisor designated under section 
2279d of title 10, United States Code, as added by 
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subsection (c)(1), shall submit to the congressional 
defense committees a plan to increase the use of 
hosted payloads. The plan shall include the following 
elements: 
(A) An analysis of how the Secretary can 
increase the use of the Hosted Payload Solu-
tions 
program, 
including 
identification 
of 
planned missions over the next five fiscal years 
which may use hosted payloads. 
(B) Criteria and standards necessary for 
new entrants to qualify for Hosted Payload So-
lutions program certification. 
(g) PROTECTION CAPABILITIES.— 
(1) ASSESSMENT.—Not later than one year 
after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Sec-
retary of Defense, in consultation with the Principal 
Defense Space Advisor designated under section 
2279d of title 10, United States Code, as added by 
subsection (c)(1), shall submit to the congressional 
defense committees an assessment of desirable pro-
tection capabilities that would enhance the integra-
tion of commercial space systems into national secu-
rity space architectures. 
(2) ELEMENTS.—The assessment under para-
graph (1) shall include the following: 
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(A) A prioritized list by space mission area 
of protection capabilities that could improve the 
resilience of commercial space systems. 
(B) The estimated costs for commercial 
operators to integrate the highest priority pro-
tection capabilities into commercial systems. 
(C) An examination of any issues associ-
ated with the quality, integrity, security, reli-
ability, and continuity of commercial space 
data. 
(3) CONSULTATION.—Before submitting the as-
sessment under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall 
consult with appropriate representatives from the 
commercial space industry with respect to the initial 
findings and recommendations of the Secretary de-
veloped under such paragraph. 
(h) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of Con-
gress that— 
(1) the Department of Defense should thor-
oughly examine the opportunities offered by high- 
volume satellite manufacturing as the capability for 
such manufacturing emerges; and 
(2) high-volume satellite manufacturing could 
dramatically lower costs through leveraging econo-
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mies of scale and also contribute to resiliency 
through proliferated constellations. 
SEC. 102. SATELLITE COMMUNICATIONS. 
(a) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of Con-
gress that— 
(1) current and future satellite communications 
architectures of the Department of Defense should 
be resilient and integrated; and 
(2) to achieve these goals, such architectures 
should include an enterprise-level situational aware-
ness network and capabilities to dynamically, effi-
ciently, and seamlessly allocate satellite communica-
tions capacity and shift between frequencies and lev-
els of protection. 
(b) ANALYSIS OF ALTERNATIVES.— 
(1) MATTERS
CONSIDERED.—Section 1611(a) 
of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal 
Year 2016 (Public Law 114–92) is amended by add-
ing at the end the following new sentences: ‘‘Such 
analysis of alternatives shall provide detailed as-
sumptions with respect to a comparison between the 
full life-cycle associated costs for military and com-
mercial satellite communications, including estimates 
for military and personnel costs associated with op-
erating and maintaining Government-owned, Govern-
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ment-operated systems and other costs, including 
with respect to military construction. Such analysis 
of alternatives shall also consider technology develop-
ment of commercial satellite communications, includ-
ing high throughput capacity satellites, commercial 
investment, technology insertion plans, and up-
grades. Such analysis of alternatives shall also in-
clude available data and the results of the Path-
finder program of the Air Force Space and Missile 
Systems Center and the Defense Information Sys-
tems Agency.’’. 
(2) INDEPENDENT
REVIEW.—Such section is 
further amended by adding at the end the following 
new subsection: 
‘‘(c) INDEPENDENT REVIEW.— 
‘‘(1) COMPTROLLER GENERAL.—Not later than 
90 days after the date on which the Secretary com-
pletes the analysis of alternatives under subsection 
(a), and prior to submitting the report under sub-
section (b), the Comptroller General of the United 
States shall review such analysis. In addition to any 
other matters the Comptroller considers appropriate, 
the review shall assess whether such analysis meets 
the requirements of subsection (a). 
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‘‘(2) SUBMISSION.—The Secretary shall submit 
to the congressional defense committees the review 
required under paragraph (1) along with the anal-
ysis of alternatives conducted under section 1611(a) 
of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal 
Year 2016 (Public Law 114–92).’’. 
(c) TERMINALS.— 
(1) MULTIBAND.—With respect to any satellite 
communications terminal acquisition program of the 
Department beginning on or after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense shall 
ensure that— 
(A) such program will field multiband ter-
minals; 
(B) any requirements developed in support 
of such program, including through the Joint 
Requirements Oversight Council or the Require-
ments Oversight Councils of the military de-
partments, take into consideration the terminal 
user preferences. the ease of platform integra-
tion into space system design requirements, and 
the 
total 
cost 
of 
ownership, 
including 
sustainment costs; and 
(C) the Secretary— 
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