are critical to maintaining the Nation’s leadership in space 
and to enhancing the United States’ innovation and com-
petitiveness agendas. 
(b) REVIEW
OF
PRINCIPAL
INVESTIGATOR-LED 
SMALL ORBITAL SCIENCE MISSIONS.—The Administrator 
shall conduct a review of the science missions described 
in subsection (a). The review shall include— 
(1) the status, capability, and availability of ex-
isting small orbital science mission programs and 
the extent to which each program enables the par-
ticipation of university scientists and students; 
(2) the opportunities such mission programs 
provide for scientific research; 
(3) the opportunities such mission programs 
provide for training and education, including sci-
entific and engineering workforce development, in-
cluding for the NASA scientific and engineering 
workforce; and 
(4) the extent to which commercial applications 
such as hosted payloads, free flyers, and data buys 
could provide measurable benefits for such mission 
programs, while preserving the principle of inde-
pendent peer review as the basis for mission selec-
tion. 
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(c) REPORT.—Not later than 270 days after the date 
of enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall transmit 
to the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of 
the House of Representatives and the Committee on Com-
merce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate a report 
on the review required under subsection (b) and on rec-
ommendations to enhance principal investigator-led small 
orbital science missions conducted by NASA in accordance 
with the results of the review under subsection (b). 
Subtitle B—Earth Science 
SEC. 311. SENSE OF CONGRESS. 
It is the sense of Congress that, as recognized in the 
National Academy of Sciences’ report, ‘‘America’s Future 
in Space’’, ‘‘the United States, as a global leader, bears 
a special responsibility to share its expertise and the 
knowledge and understanding it develops on how best to 
care for the planet’’. It is the further sense of Congress 
that the Earth’s climate and systems create vulnerabilities 
against which the United States, in cooperation with other 
countries, must develop resilience. A commitment to a 
comprehensive space-based Earth observing system is nec-
essary to provide the data to understand Earth’s changing 
climate and to predict the impacts at the regional level. 
It also the sense of Congress that NASA’s capabilities and 
skills play a critical role in carrying out Earth science ob-
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servations and conducting basic and applied research in 
coordination with other relevant Federal agencies. It is the 
further sense of Congress that NASA is being asked to 
undertake important Earth science activities in an envi-
ronment of increasingly constrained fiscal resources, and 
that any transfer of additional responsibilities to NASA, 
such as climate instrument development and measure-
ments that are currently part of the NOAA portfolio, 
should be accompanied by the provision of additional re-
sources to allow NASA to carry out the increased respon-
sibilities without adversely impacting its implementation 
of its existing Earth science programs and priorities. 
SEC. 312. COMPREHENSIVE EARTH OBSERVATION SYSTEMS 
AND RESEARCH PROGRAM. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Administrator shall continue 
to carry out a balanced Earth science program that in-
cludes Earth science research, Earth systematic missions, 
competitive Venture class missions, other missions and 
data analysis, mission operations, technology development, 
and applied sciences, consistent with the recommendations 
and priorities established in the National Academies’ 
Earth Science Decadal Survey. 
(b) COLLABORATION.—The Administrator shall col-
laborate with other Federal agencies, including NOAA, 
non-Government entities, and international partners, as 
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appropriate, in carrying out NASA’s Earth science pro-
gram. 
SEC. 313. STUDY ON SUSTAINED, LONG-TERM MEASURE-
MENTS. 
(a) STUDY.—The Administrator shall enter into an 
arrangement with the National Academies for a study to 
develop a framework for— 
(1) analyzing the needs for continuity of envi-
ronmental and climate measurements of the Earth 
from space; 
(2) establishing methodologies and metrics for 
determining whether measurements should be col-
lected for extended periods and for prioritizing those 
measurements; 
(3) determining a prioritized list of measure-
ments if appropriate; 
(4) assessing the feasibility of achieving con-
tinuity or near-continuity of measurements; and 
(5) considering issues related to the balance 
among cost, risk, and performance regarding the 
sustainment of measurements. 
(b) REPORT.—Not later than 20 months after the 
date of enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall 
transmit the results of the study to the Committee on 
Science, Space, and Technology of the House of Rep-
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resentatives and the Committee on Commerce, Science, 
and Transportation of the Senate. 
SEC. 314. ASSESSMENT. 
The Administrator shall carry out a scientific assess-
ment of NASA’s Earth science global datasets for the pur-
pose of identifying those datasets that are useful for un-
derstanding regional changes and variability, and for in-
forming the societal benefit areas identified in the Na-
tional Global Change Research Plan 2012–2021. The Ad-
ministrator shall complete and transmit the assessment to 
the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of the 
House of Representatives and the Committee on Com-
merce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate not later 
than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act. 
SEC. 315. CONTINUITY OF MODERATE RESOLUTION LAND 
IMAGING REMOTE SENSING DATA. 
(a) POLICY.—Congress reaffirms the finding in sec-
tion 2(1) of the Land Remote Sensing Policy Act of 1992 
(15 U.S.C. 5601(1)) which stated that ‘‘The continuous 
collection and utilization of land remote sensing data from 
space are of major benefit in studying and understanding 
human impacts on the global environment, in managing 
the Earth’s natural resources, in carrying out national se-
curity functions, and in planning and conducting many 
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other activities of scientific, economic, and social impor-
tance.’’. 
(b) CONTINUOUS LAND REMOTE SENSING DATA 
COLLECTION.—The Director of the Office of Science and 
Technology Policy shall take steps in consultation with 
other relevant Federal agencies to ensure, to the maximum 
extent practicable, the continuous collection of space- 
based, medium-resolution observations of the Earth’s land 
cover and to ensure that the data are made available in 
such ways as to facilitate the widest possible use. 
SEC. 316. VENTURE CLASS MISSIONS. 
It is the sense of Congress that NASA’s Venture class 
missions provide opportunities for innovation in the Earth 
sciences program, offer low-cost approaches for high-qual-
ity competitive science investigations, enable frequent 
flight opportunities to engage the Earth science and appli-
cations community, and serve as a training ground for stu-
dents and young scientists. It is further the sense of Con-
gress that NASA should seek to increase the number of 
Venture class projects to the extent practicable as part 
of a balanced Earth science program. 
TITLE IV—AERONAUTICS 
SEC. 401. SENSE OF CONGRESS. 
It is the sense of Congress that— 
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(1) aeronautics research continues to be an im-
portant core element of NASA’s mission and should 
be supported; 
(2) technologies developed by NASA help to se-
cure the leadership role of the United States in glob-
al aviation, enhance the competitiveness of the 
United States in the world economy, and improve 
the quality of life of all our citizens; 
(3) NASA’s aeronautics research should be 
guided by, and consistent with, the National Aero-
nautics Research and Development Policy; 
(4) strategic planning conducted with stake-
holder input enhances both the focus and relevancy 
of NASA’s aeronautics research; and 
(5) carrying aeronautics research to a level of 
maturity that allows NASA’s research results to be 
transitioned to the users, whether private or public 
sector, is critical to their eventual adoption. 
SEC. 402. AERONAUTICS RESEARCH GOALS. 
The Administrator shall ensure that NASA maintains 
a strong aeronautics research portfolio ranging from fun-
damental research through integrated systems research 
with specific research goals, including the following: 
(1) AIRSPACE CAPACITY.—NASA’s Aeronautics 
Research Mission Directorate shall— 
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(A) address research needs of the Next 
Generation 
Air 
Transportation 
System 
(NextGen), including the ability of the National 
Airspace System to handle up to 3 times the 
current travel demand by 2025 and safely inte-
grate the operations of autonomous vehicles; 
and 
(B) identify critical gaps in technology 
which must be bridged to enable the Federal 
Aviation Administration to implement NextGen 
so that safety and productivity improvements 
can be achieved as soon as possible. 
(2) ENVIRONMENTAL
SUSTAINABILITY.—Such 
Directorate shall consider and pursue concepts to re-
duce noise, emissions, and fuel consumption while 
maintaining high safety standards, and conduct re-
search related to the impact of alternative fuels on 
the safety, reliability, and maintainability of current 
and new air vehicles. 
(3) AVIATION SAFETY.—Such Directorate shall 
proactively address safety challenges associated with 
current and new air vehicles and with operations in 
the Nation’s current and future air transportation 
system. 
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(4) INTEGRATED
SYSTEMS
RESEARCH.—Such 
Directorate shall mature the most promising tech-
nologies to the point at which they can be dem-
onstrated in a relevant environment and shall inte-
grate individual components and technologies as ap-
propriate to ensure that they perform in an inte-
grated manner as well as they do when operated in-
dividually. 
SEC. 403. STRATEGIC PLANNING FOR AERONAUTICS RE-
SEARCH. 
In pursuing the research and development initiatives 
described in section 402, the Administrator shall ensure 
that recommendations from reviews by the National Acad-
emies on NASA’s aeronautics research-related activities 
are fully considered as NASA performs a top-down plan-
ning process supported by analyses, expert opinion, and 
community input, including input from other Federal Gov-
ernment agencies, industry, and academia. The Adminis-
trator shall continue to solicit input from the community 
on high priority research and development needs through 
periodic meetings of the National Research Council-en-
abled Aeronautics Research and Technology Roundtable. 
SEC. 404. RESEARCH PROGRAM TO DETERMINE PERCEIVED 
IMPACT OF SONIC BOOMS. 
(a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds that— 
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(1) the ability to fly commercial aircraft over 
land at supersonic speeds without adverse impacts 
on the environment or on local communities would 
open new global markets and enable new transpor-
tation capabilities; and 
(2) a research program is needed to assess the 
impact in a relevant environment of commercial su-
personic flight operations and provide the basis for 
establishing appropriate sonic boom standards for 
such flight operations. 
(b) FLIGHT DEMONSTRATIONS.—The Administrator 
shall continue NASA’s cooperative research program with 
industry and work with industry partners to design, build, 
and fly a demonstrator to collect data on the perceived 
impact of sonic booms that could enable the promulgation 
of appropriate standards for overland commercial super-
sonic flight operations. 
(c) COORDINATION.—The Administrator shall ensure 
that sonic boom research is coordinated as appropriate 
with the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Adminis-
tration. 
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