I 
108TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 3057
To restore a vision for the United States human space flight program by 
instituting a series of incremental goals that will facilitate the scientific 
exploration of the solar system and aid in the search for life elsewhere 
in the universe, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
SEPTEMBER 10, 2003
Mr. LAMPSON (for himself, Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas, Mr. BELL, Mr. 
HONDA, Mr. GREEN of Texas, Mr. ORTIZ, Mr. EVANS, Ms. LINDA T. 
SA´NCHEZ of California, Mr. PASCRELL, Mr. HALL, Mr. REYES, Mr. 
ISRAEL, Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas, Mr. EDWARDS, Mr. 
COSTELLO, Mr. LIPINSKI, Mr. GORDON, Mr. UDALL of Colorado, Mr. 
LARSON of Connecticut, Mr. MILLER of North Carolina, Mr. FROST, Mr. 
SANDLIN, Mr. TURNER of Texas, Mr. WU, Mr. KUCINICH, Ms. ESHOO, 
and Ms. MCCARTHY of Missouri) introduced the following bill; which was 
referred to the Committee on Science 
A BILL 
To restore a vision for the United States human space flight 
program by instituting a series of incremental goals that 
will facilitate the scientific exploration of the solar system 
and aid in the search for life elsewhere in the universe, 
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. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Space Exploration Act 
of 2003’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
The Congress finds the following: 
(1) It is in the national interest of the United 
States to have a vigorous, outward-looking program 
of space exploration, encompassing both robotic 
spacecraft missions and human space flight. 
(2) The United States has achieved major ac-
complishments in its human space flight program 
over the last 4 decades, including the first crewed 
lunar landing, the first reusable crewed Space Shut-
tle, and the first truly international Space Station. 
(3) There currently is no commitment to the ac-
complishment of any challenging goals in human 
space flight after the completion of the International 
Space Station. 
(4) While a significant amount of scientific re-
search can and should be accomplished by robotic 
means, a comprehensive plan of scientific exploration 
of the solar system and search for life beyond Earth 
will require both robotic spacecraft missions and 
human space flight to achieve its goals. 
(5) Properly coordinated, the Nation’s human 
space flight program does not compete with robotic
exploration but instead complements it and provides 
additional capabilities for scientific research. 
(6) The successful repair and servicing of the 
Hubble Space Telescope demonstrates the potential 
for the productive participation of the human space 
flight program in advancing the goals of scientific 
exploration. 
(7) There have been numerous commissions and 
study panels over the last 30 years that have articu-
lated goals for the future of human space flight, and 
additional studies to establish goals are not needed 
at this time. 
(8) While there are significant technical and 
programmatic hurdles to be overcome in carrying 
out human space flight activities beyond low Earth 
orbit, the main hurdle to be overcome is the lack of 
a national commitment to such activities. 
(9) In the absence of a commitment to specific 
and challenging human space flight goals, programs 
to develop generic technological capabilities for 
human space flight are likely to be unfocused, ineffi-
cient, and short-lived. 
(10) It is in the national interest of the United 
States to commit to a challenging set of incremental 
goals for the Nation’s human space flight program
in order to facilitate the scientific exploration of the 
solar system and aid in the search for life beyond 
Earth and to commit to the attainment of those 
goals. 
(11) While the ultimate goal of human space 
flight in the inner solar system is the exploration of 
the planet Mars, there are other important goals for 
exploration of the inner solar system that will ad-
vance our scientific understanding and allow the 
United States to develop and demonstrate capabili-
ties that will be needed for the scientific exploration 
and eventual settlement of Mars. 
(12) A bold and sustained human space flight 
initiative of scientific exploration should contain pro-
gressively more challenging objectives, including mis-
sions to the Earth-Sun libration points, Earth-orbit 
crossing asteroids, the lunar surface, the satellites of 
Mars, and the surface of Mars. 
(13) A human space flight initiative with incre-
mental goals and milestones will allow a continuing 
series of accomplishments to be achieved throughout 
the duration of the initiative, permit the ‘‘lessons 
learned’’ and capabilities acquired from previous im-
plementation steps to be incorporated into subse-
quent phases of the initiative, and allow adjustments
to be made to the implementation of the initiative as 
new opportunities or challenges arise. 
(14) The National Aeronautics and Space Ad-
ministration should develop a roadmap and imple-
mentation plan for a progressive program of human 
space flight beyond low Earth orbit in support of the 
scientific exploration of the solar system and the 
search for life beyond Earth. 
(15) This new initiative in space exploration 
should not come at the expense of existing and 
planned investments in the National Aeronautics 
and Space Administration’s human space flight and 
space transportation programs, which all should be 
leveraged to help advance the goals of the human 
space flight initiative while avoiding duplication of 
effort. 
(16) The President should ensure that suffi-
cient resources are provided to the National Aero-
nautics and Space Administration and that appro-
priate financial management controls are in place to 
ensure that the implementation plan can be carried 
out in a timely and cost-effective manner. 
(17) The United States captured the imagina-
tion of the peoples of the world and inspired a gen-
eration of young people to enter careers in science
and engineering when it successfully landed humans 
on the surface of the Moon in the years 1969 
through 1972. 
(18) A bold and sustained human space explo-
ration initiative has the potential to inspire a new 
generation of young people in the same way as the 
Apollo program did. 
(19) Properly constructed, a bold and sustained 
human space exploration initiative has the potential 
to engage the international community in peaceful 
cooperation in space. 
(20) Completion of the International Space Sta-
tion with a full crew complement of 7 astronauts 
and robust research capabilities is essential if the 
United States is to carry out successfully a com-
prehensive initiative of scientific exploration of the 
solar system that involves human space flight. 
SEC. 3. DEFINITION. 
For purposes of this Act the term ‘‘Administrator’’ 
means the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and 
Space Administration. 
SEC. 4. HUMAN SPACE FLIGHT INITIATIVE. 
(a) GOALS.—The Administrator shall set the fol-
lowing goals for the future activities of the National Aero-
nautics and Space Administration’s human space flight 
program: 
(1) Within 8 years after the date of enactment 
of this Act, the development and flight demonstra-
tion of a reusable space vehicle capable of carrying 
humans from low Earth orbit to the L 1 and L 2 
Earth-Sun libration points and back for the pur-
poses of assembling large-scale space structures such 
as would be required for scientific observatories, to 
the Earth-Moon libration points and back, and to 
lunar orbit and back. 
(2) Within 10 years after the date of enactment 
of this Act, the development and flight demonstra-
tion of a reusable space vehicle capable of carrying 
humans from low Earth orbit to and from an Earth-
orbit crossing asteroid and rendezvousing with it. 
(3) Within 15 years after the date of enactment 
of this Act, the development and flight demonstra-
tion of a reusable space vehicle capable of carrying 
humans from lunar orbit to the surface of the Moon 
and back, as well as the development and deploy-
ment of a human-tended habitation and research fa-
cility on the lunar surface. 
(4) Within 20 years after the date of enactment 
of this Act, the development and flight demonstra-
tion of a reusable space vehicle capable of carrying 
humans from low Earth orbit to and from Martian 
orbit, the development and deployment of a human-
tended habitation and research facility on the sur-
face of one of the moons of Mars, and the develop-
ment and flight demonstration of a reusable space 
vehicle capable of carrying humans from Martian 
orbit to the surface of Mars and back. 
(b) OFFICE OF EXPLORATION.—
(1) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Administrator shall 
establish an Office of Exploration, which shall be 
headed by an Associate Administrator reporting di-
rectly to the Administrator. 
(2) FUNCTIONS.—The Office of Exploration 
shall, in coordination with the Office of Space 
Flight, the Office of Space Science, and all other rel-
evant Offices, be responsible for planning, budg-
eting, and managing activities undertaken by the 
National Aeronautics and Space Administration to 
accomplish the goals stated in subsection (a). 
(c) IMPLEMENTATION.—
(1) COMPETITIONS.—The Administrator shall 
establish a process for conducting competitions for 
innovative, cost-efficient mission concepts to accom-
plish each of the goals stated in subsection (a). The
competitions shall be open to entities or consortia 
from industry, academia, nongovernmental research 
organizations, National Aeronautics and Space Ad-
ministration Centers, and other governmental orga-
nizations. Mission concepts may include the provi-
sion of a commercial item or service sufficient to ac-
complish all or part of the relevant goal. Mission 
concepts that include international participation and 
cost-sharing shall be encouraged. The Administrator 
shall solicit proposals for the competition with re-
spect to the goal stated in subsection (a)(1) not later 
than 180 days after the date of the enactment of 
this Act, and shall determine when it is appropriate 
to conduct competitions with respect to each of the 
other goals stated in subsection (a). 
(2) INDEPENDENT REVIEW OF PROPOSALS.—
The Administrator shall establish an independent 
panel to conduct a merit-based competitive review of 
the proposals submitted under each competition con-
ducted under this subsection, and to submit a rank-
ordered evaluation of the proposals to the Adminis-
trator. 
(3) CONTENTS.—Each proposal submitted as 
part of a competition under this subsection shall
contain a proposed implementation plan that in-
cludes—
(A) the mission concept; 
(B) a cost estimate; 
(C) a funding profile; 
(D) a schedule; and 
(E) a technological risk reduction roadmap 
for any required technologies not currently 
available for use in the proposed mission con-
cept. 
(4) REVIEW OF COST ESTIMATE AND FUNDING 
PROFILE.—The Administrator shall provide for the 
completion of an independent external review of the 
cost estimate and funding profile of the competi-
tively selected proposal for each of the competitions 
conducted under this subsection within 60 days after 
the completion of the competitive selection process. 
(5) REPORT TO CONGRESS.—The Administrator 
shall provide to the Committee on Science of the 
House of Representatives and to the Committee on 
Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Sen-
ate the implementation plan of the competitively se-
lected proposal, along with the results of the inde-
pendent external review under paragraph (4), for 
each competition conducted under this subsection,