the Senate not later than 1 year after the date of enact-
ment of this Act. 
TITLE VIII—NEAR-EARTH 
OBJECTS 
SEC. 801. IN GENERAL. 
The Congress reaffirms the policy direction estab-
lished in the National Aeronautics and Space Administra-
tion Authorization Act of 2005 (Public Law 109–155) for 
NASA to detect, track, catalogue, and characterize the 
physical characteristics of near-Earth objects equal to or 
greater than 140 meters in diameter. NASA’s Near-Earth 
Object program activities will also provide benefits to 
NASA’s scientific and exploration activities. 
SEC. 802. FINDINGS. 
Congress makes the following findings: 
(1) Near-Earth objects pose a serious and cred-
ible threat to humankind, as many scientists believe 
that a major asteroid or comet was responsible for 
the mass extinction of the majority of the Earth’s 
species, including the dinosaurs, nearly 65,000,000 
years ago. 
(2) Several such near-Earth objects have only 
been discovered within days of the objects’ closest 
approach to Earth and recent discoveries of such 
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large objects indicate that many large near-Earth 
objects remain undiscovered. 
(3) Asteroid and comet collisions rank as one of 
the most costly natural disasters that can occur. 
(4) The time needed to eliminate or mitigate 
the threat of a collision of a potentially hazardous 
near-Earth object with Earth is measured in dec-
ades. 
(5) Unlike earthquakes and hurricanes, aster-
oids and comets can provide adequate collision infor-
mation, enabling the United States to include both 
asteroid-collision and comet-collision disaster recov-
ery and disaster avoidance in its public-safety struc-
ture. 
(6) Basic information is needed for technical 
and policy decisionmaking for the United States to 
create a comprehensive program in order to be ready 
to eliminate and mitigate the serious and credible 
threats to humankind posed by potentially hazardous 
near-Earth asteroids and comets. 
(7) As a first step to eliminate and to mitigate 
the risk of such collisions, situation and decision 
analysis processes, as well as procedures and system 
resources, must be in place well before a collision 
threat becomes known. 
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SEC. 803. REQUESTS FOR INFORMATION. 
The Administrator shall issue requests for informa-
tion on— 
(1) a low-cost space mission with the purpose of 
rendezvousing with and characterizing the Apophis 
asteroid, which scientists estimate will in 2029 pass 
at a distance from Earth that is closer than geo-
stationary satellites; and 
(2) a medium-sized space mission with the pur-
pose of detecting near-Earth objects equal to or 
greater than 140 meters in diameter. 
SEC. 804. ESTABLISHMENT OF POLICY. 
The Director of OSTP shall— 
(1) develop a policy for notifying Federal agen-
cies and relevant emergency response institutions of 
an impending near-Earth object threat, if near term 
public safety is at stake; and 
(2) recommend a Federal agency or agencies to 
be responsible for protecting the Nation from a 
near-Earth object that is anticipated to collide with 
Earth and implementing a deflection campaign, in 
consultation with international bodies, should one be 
required. 
SEC. 805. PLANETARY RADAR CAPABILITY. 
The Administrator shall maintain a planetary radar 
that is, at minimum, comparable to the capability provided 
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through the NASA Deep Space Network Goldstone facil-
ity. 
SEC. 806. ARECIBO OBSERVATORY. 
Congress reiterates its support for the use of the Are-
cibo Observatory for NASA-funded near-Earth object-re-
lated activities. The Administrator shall ensure the avail-
ability of the Arecibo Observatory’s planetary radar to 
support these activities until the National Academies’ re-
view of NASA’s approach for the survey and deflection 
of near-Earth objects, including a determination of the 
role of Arecibo, that was directed to be undertaken by the 
Fiscal Year 2008 Omnibus Appropriations Act, is com-
pleted. 
TITLE IX—COMMERCIAL 
INITIATIVES 
SEC. 901. SENSE OF CONGRESS. 
It is the sense of Congress that a healthy and robust 
commercial sector can make significant contributions to 
the successful conduct of NASA’s space exploration pro-
gram. While some activities are inherently governmental 
in nature, there are many other activities, such as routine 
supply of water, fuel, and other consumables to low Earth 
orbit or to destinations beyond low Earth orbit, and provi-
sion of power or communications services to lunar out-
posts, that potentially could be carried out effectively and 
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efficiently by the commercial sector at some point in the 
future. Congress encourages NASA to look for such serv-
ice opportunities and, to the maximum extent practicable, 
make use of the commercial sector to provide those serv-
ices. 
SEC. 902. COMMERCIAL CREW INITIATIVE. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—In order to stimulate commercial 
use of space, help maximize the utility and productivity 
of the International Space Station, and enable a commer-
cial means of providing crew transfer and crew rescue 
services for the International Space Station, NASA 
shall— 
(1) make use of United States commercially 
provided International Space Station crew transfer 
and crew rescue services to the maximum extent 
practicable, if those commercial services have dem-
onstrated the capability to meet NASA-specified as-
cent, entry, and International Space Station prox-
imity operations safety requirements; 
(2) limit, to the maximum extent practicable, 
the use of the Crew Exploration Vehicle to missions 
carrying astronauts beyond low Earth orbit once 
commercial crew transfer and crew rescue services 
that meet safety requirements become operational; 
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