meets NASA human-rating and certification require-
ments in the event challenges referred to in paragraph 
(3)(A) cannot be overcome or the timeline specified in 
paragraph (3)(B) cannot be met. 
SEC. 205. ADVANCED SPACESUIT CAPABILITIES. 
(a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds the following: 
(1) Space suits and associated extravehicular ac-
tivity (EVA) technologies are critical exploration 
technologies that are necessary for future human deep 
space exploration efforts, including crewed missions to 
the Moon. 
(2) The NASA civil service workforce at the 
Johnson Space Center provides unique capabilities to 
design, integrate, and validate Space Suits and asso-
ciated EVA technologies. 
(3) Maintaining a strong NASA core competency 
in the design, development, manufacture, and oper-
ation of space suits and related technologies allows 
NASA to be an informed purchaser of competitively 
awarded commercial space suits and subcomponents. 
(4) According to a 2018 NASA Office of Inspec-
tor General (OIG) report, current EVAs space suits, 
the Extravehicular Mobility Units (EMUs), were de-
veloped in the late 1970s, are reaching the end of 
their useful life, have experienced multiple mainte-
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nance issues that threaten astronaut lives, and no 
longer accommodate the varying sizes of a diverse as-
tronaut corps. 
(5) The same NASA OIG report found that ‘‘. . . 
manufacturers of several critical suit components, in-
cluding the very fibers of the suits, have now gone out 
of business. . . ,’’ which further reinforces the impor-
tance of NASA’s role in maintaining a space suit core 
competency and limiting the risk posed by outsourc-
ing key national capabilities. 
(6) The private sector currently is developing 
space suit capabilities. 
(7) Testing space suits and related technologies 
on the International Space Station could reduce risk 
and improve safety of such suits and technologies. 
(b) IN GENERAL.—The Administrator shall obtain ad-
vanced spacesuit capabilities necessary to achieve the goals 
of NASA’s human spaceflight exploration programs. 
(c) ELIGIBILITY.—Any commercial provider from 
which the Administrator obtains advanced spaceflight capa-
bilities must be a United States commercial provider, as 
set forth in section 203(c) of this Act. 
(d) PRESERVING SPACESUIT EXPERTISE.— 
(1) In carrying out subsection (b), NASA shall 
maintain the internal expertise necessary to develop 
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space suits for both extravehicular activity and sur-
face operations, including through partnerships with 
the private sector. 
(2) The Johnson Space Center shall continue to 
manage NASA’s spacesuit and extravehicular activity 
programs. 
(e) REPORT.—Not later than 180 days from the date 
of the enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall submit 
to the appropriate committees of Congress a report — 
(1) describing NASA’s plans for— 
(A) in-space testing of advanced spacesuit 
capabilities, including— 
(i) space suit tests which must be con-
ducted in microgravity in low-Earth orbit; 
and 
(ii) space suit tests that must be con-
ducted on the International Space Station 
before decommissioning of the International 
Space Station; 
(B) transitioning from existing spacesuits 
in use on the International Space Station to use 
of advanced spacesuit capabilities; 
(C) future use of advanced spacesuit capa-
bilities by government astronauts with any non-
governmental platform in low-Earth orbit that is 
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certified for use by the Administration for gov-
ernment astronauts (as such term is defined in 
section 50902(4) of title 51, United States Code); 
and 
(D) disposition of retired spacesuits used on 
the Space Shuttle or the International Space 
Station; and 
(2) including— 
(A) a detailed justification of compliance 
with section 30301 of title 51, United States 
Code; and 
(B) a detailed certification and justification 
of compliance with section 50503 of title 51, 
United States Code. 
(f) ASSESSMENT
OF
EXTRAVEHICULAR
MOBILITY 
UNITS USED ON THE ISS.— 
(1) No later than 45 days after the date of enact-
ment of this Act, the Administrator shall enter into 
an arrangement with an independent science and 
technical engineering organization to review the tech-
nical status and performance of the Administration’s 
existing extravehicular mobility units (‘‘EMUs’’), to 
analyze the data associated with all mishaps, anoma-
lies, and off-nominal events related to the EMUs used 
by government astronauts on the International Space 
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Station over the last 10 years, and to make rec-
ommendations to the Administrator, as a result of 
such assessment. 
(2) The Administrator shall ensure that the enti-
ty carrying out the assessment in paragraph (1) 
consults with relevant industry contractors regarding 
the Administration’s EMUs and EMU capabilities, 
and coordinates with the NASA Astronaut Office in 
carrying out such assessment. 
(3) The Administrator shall transmit the results 
of the assessment in paragraph (1) to the appropriate 
committees of Congress as soon as practicable and no 
later than 270 days after the date of enactment of this 
Act. 
TITLE III—SPACE OPERATIONS 
SEC. 301. REPORT ON CONTINUED UNITED STATES PRES-
ENCE IN LOW EARTH ORBIT. 
Not later than 270 days after the date of the enactment 
of this Act, the Comptroller General shall transmit to the 
appropriate committees of Congress a report containing in-
formation on the following: 
(1) The United States Government description of 
and plans for implementation of the policy on an un-
interrupted capability for human space flight and op-
erations in accordance with section 70501(a) of title 
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51, United States Code, and section 201(b) of the Na-
tional Aeronautics and Space Administration Author-
ization Act of 2010 (42 U.S.C. 18311(b)) regarding 
United States human space flight capabilities. 
(2) The preparedness of the Administration to 
continue to meet statutory direction referenced in 
paragraph (1) under the planned approach to deorbit 
the International Space Station by not later than the 
end of calendar year 2031. 
SEC. 302. INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION. 
(a) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of Congress 
that— 
(1) ISS is a unique facility that provides the 
United States with capabilities in space that are cur-
rently unmatched; NASA continues to make produc-
tive use of the ISS; 
(2) the ISS serves several functions, including es-
tablishing the United States as a leader in space ac-
tivities, acting as a beacon of international coopera-
tion, and conducting cutting-edge microgravity and 
observational research in low-Earth orbit; 
(3) NASA must complete certain objectives on 
the ISS to facilitate deep space exploration efforts, in-
cluding carrying out human research and dem-
onstrating exploration-related technologies; and 
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(4) reducing crew size or cargo deliveries, or re-
ducing sustaining engineering capabilities, would re-
duce the scientific output of the ISS and potentially 
increase the risk to the ISS and its crew. 
(b) FULL UTILIZATION.— 
(1) SENSE
OF
CONGRESS.—It is the sense of 
Congress that, to ensure the greatest return on invest-
ments made by the United States and the Inter-
national Space Station partners in the development, 
assembly, and operations of the International Space 
Station, the Administrator should maximize the utili-
zation and productivity of the International Space 
Station with respect to the priorities set forth in sec-
tion 10816 of the National Aeronautics and Space 
Administration Authorization Act of 2022 (Public 
Law 117–167; 51 U.S.C. 70901 note), which include 
research of the human research program, risk reduc-
tion activities relevant to exploration technologies, the 
advancement of United States leadership of basic and 
applied space life and physical sciences, and other re-
search and development essential to Moon to Mars 
program activities. 
(2) AMENDMENT.—Section 502(a) of the Na-
tional Aeronautics and Space Administration Author-
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ization Act of 2010 (Public Law 111–267; 42 U.S.C. 
18352(a)), is amended by striking ‘‘take steps to’’. 
SEC. 303. NONGOVERNMENTAL MISSIONS ON THE INTER-
NATIONAL SPACE STATION. 
(a) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of Congress 
that— 
(1) nongovernmental missions involving crew or 
spaceflight participants on the International Space 
Station carried out, as appropriate, pursuant to 
NASA policies and procedures, and Federal Govern-
ment laws and regulations, can provide lessons and 
learning experiences for both government and non-
government entities to inform the development of fu-
ture commercial low-Earth orbit platforms and a low- 
Earth orbit economy; and 
(2) the Administrator should share lessons 
learned from nongovernmental missions on the Inter-
national Space Station to advance the commercial 
human spaceflight industry, to promote the safety of 
future commercial low-Earth orbit platforms, and to 
inform the evolution of policies guiding such activities 
in low-Earth orbit. 
(b) NONGOVERNMENTAL MISSIONS ON THE ISS.—The 
Administrator may enter into one or more agreements to 
enable one or more United States commercial providers to 
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conduct nongovernmental missions on the International 
Space Station pursuant to NASA policies and procedures, 
and Federal government laws and regulations. 
(c) REPORT.—Not later than 18 months after the date 
of the enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General of the 
United States shall submit to the appropriate committees 
of Congress a report containing information relating to the 
following: 
(1) The number of nongovernmental missions on 
the ISS planned. 
(2) The number of nongovernmental missions on 
the ISS completed. 
(3) The extent to which commercial entities car-
rying out nongovernmental missions on the ISS fully 
reimburse costs incurred by NASA in association 
with any nongovernmental missions carried out on 
the International Space Station. 
(4) The extent to which nongovernmental mis-
sions on the International Space Station impact the 
priorities specified in section 10816 of the National 
Aeronautics and Space Administration Authorization 
Act of 2022 (Public Law 117–167; 51 U.S.C. 70901 
note). 
(5) The impact, if any, to operations of or ac-
tivities on the International Space Station that are 
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not related to nongovernmental missions on the Inter-
national Space Station. 
(6) The extent to which any nongovernmental 
mission on the ISS— 
(A) conforms with section 20102 of title 51, 
United States Code; 
(B) adheres to the requirements of section 
50131 of title 51, United States Code; and 
(C) is consistent with the national security 
or foreign policy interests of the United States. 
(7) Any other issues related to nongovernmental 
missions on the International Space Station that the 
Comptroller General determines are appropriate for 
review as part of undertaking the report in subsection 
(c). 
(d) DEFINITIONS.—In this section, the terms ‘‘crew’’ 
and ‘‘spaceflight participant’’ have the meanings given such 
terms in section 50902 of title 51, United States Code. 
SEC. 304. REPORT ON SUBORBITAL CREW MISSIONS. 
Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment 
of this Act, the Administrator shall deliver to the appro-
priate committees of Congress a report on the costs, benefits, 
risks, training requirements, and policy or legal implica-
tions, including liability matters, of launching United 
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