I 
109TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 2358
To enable the United States to maintain its leadership in aeronautics and 
aviation, improve its quality of life, protect the environment, support 
economic growth, and promote the security of the Nation by instituting 
an initiative to develop technologies that will enable future aircraft with 
significantly lower noise, emissions, and fuel consumption, to reinvigorate 
basic and applied research in aeronautics and aviation, and for other 
purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MAY 12, 2005
Mr. UDALL of Colorado (for himself, Mrs. JO ANN DAVIS of Virginia, Mr. 
GORDON, Mr. KUCINICH, Mr. SCOTT of Virginia, and Mr. LARSON of 
Connecticut) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Com-
mittee on Science 
A BILL 
To enable the United States to maintain its leadership in 
aeronautics and aviation, improve its quality of life, pro-
tect the environment, support economic growth, and pro-
mote the security of the Nation by instituting an initia-
tive to develop technologies that will enable future air-
craft with significantly lower noise, emissions, and fuel 
consumption, to reinvigorate basic and applied research 
in aeronautics and aviation, 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 ‘‘Aeronautics Research 
and Development Revitalization Act of 2005’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
The Congress finds the following: 
(1) It is in the national interest of the United 
States to maintain international leadership in aero-
nautics and aviation. 
(2) The United States is in danger of losing its 
leadership in aeronautics and aviation to inter-
national competitors. 
(3) Past Federal investments in aeronautics re-
search and development have benefited the economy 
and national security of the United States, and the 
quality of life of its citizens. 
(4) Future growth in aviation increasingly will 
be constrained by concerns related to aircraft noise, 
emissions, fuel consumption, and air transportation 
system congestion. 
(5) Current and projected levels of Federal in-
vestment in aeronautics research and development 
are not sufficient to address concerns related to the 
growth of aviation. 
(6) International competitors have recognized 
the importance of noise, emissions, fuel consump-
tion, and air transportation system congestion in
limiting the future growth of aviation, and have es-
tablished aggressive agendas for addressing each of 
those concerns. 
(7) An aggressive initiative by the Federal Gov-
ernment to develop technologies that would signifi-
cantly reduce aircraft noise, harmful emissions, and 
fuel consumption would benefit the United States 
by—
(A) improving the competitiveness of the 
United States aviation industry through the de-
velopment of new markets for aviation services 
and the development of superior aircraft for ex-
isting markets; 
(B) improving the quality of life for our 
citizens by drastically reducing the level of noise 
due to aircraft operations; 
(C) reducing the congestion of the air 
transportation system by allowing departures 
and arrivals at currently underutilized airports 
through the use of environmentally compatible 
aircraft; 
(D) reducing the rate at which fossil fuels 
are consumed;
(E) reducing the rate at which greenhouse 
gases and other harmful gases and particulates 
are added to the atmosphere by aircraft; and 
(F) reinvigorating the human capital in 
aeronautics and aviation by providing a set of 
extremely challenging and socially beneficial 
goals to the next generation of engineers and 
scientists. 
(8) Long-term progress in aeronautics and avia-
tion requires continued Federal investment in funda-
mental aeronautical research, aeronautical test facili-
ties, and maintenance of a skilled workforce at the 
Nation’s aeronautical research centers. 
(9) The Commission on the Future of the 
United States Aerospace Industry has recommended 
that ‘‘the Federal government significantly increase 
its investment in basic aerospace research, which en-
hances U.S. national security, enables breakthrough 
capabilities, and fosters an efficient, secure, and safe 
aerospace transportation system’’. 
(10) Maintenance of United States leadership 
in aeronautics and aviation will require the produc-
tive collaboration of the National Aeronautics and 
Space Administration, the Federal Aviation Admin-
istration, the Department of Defense, the aviation 
industry, and the Nation’s universities. 
(11) It is in the interest of the United States 
to maintain a vigorous capability in basic and ap-
plied research and development of technologies re-
lated to rotorcraft and other runway-independent air 
vehicles. 
(12) Continued research is needed into the 
flight crew and controller training needed to accom-
modate new aircraft and air transportation system 
technologies and procedures. 
(13) Improvements to our understanding of 
convective weather phenomena and of aircraft wake 
turbulence would significantly improve the perform-
ance and safety of the Nation’s air transportation 
system. 
(14) The National Aeronautics and Space Ad-
ministration should continue to pursue research and 
development in hypersonics. 
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS. 
For purposes of this Act—
(1) the term ‘‘institution of higher education’’ 
has the meaning given that term by section 101 of 
the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 
1001);
(2) the term ‘‘NASA’’ means the National Aer-
onautics and Space Administration; and 
(3) the term ‘‘NASA Administrator’’ means the 
Administrator of NASA. 
TITLE I—NATIONAL POLICY FOR 
AERONAUTICS 
RESEARCH 
AND DEVELOPMENT 
SEC. 101. POLICY. 
It shall be the policy of the United States to reaffirm 
the National Aeronautics and Space Act of 1958 and its 
identification of aeronautical research and development as 
a core mission of NASA. Further, it shall be the policy 
of the United States to promote aeronautical research and 
development that will expand the capacity, ensure the 
safety, and increase the efficiency of the Nation’s air 
transportation system, promote the security of the Nation, 
protect the environment, and retain the leadership of the 
United States in global aviation. 
TITLE 
II—NASA 
AERONAUTICS 
BREAKTHROUGH 
RESEARCH 
INITIATIVES 
SEC. 201. ENVIRONMENTAL AIRCRAFT RESEARCH AND DE-
VELOPMENT INITIATIVE. 
(a) OBJECTIVE.—The NASA Administrator shall es-
tablish an initiative with the objective of developing, and
demonstrating in a relevant environment, within 10 years 
after the date of enactment of this Act, technologies to 
enable the following commercial aircraft performance 
characteristics: 
(1) NOISE.—Noise levels on takeoff and on air-
port approach and landing that do not exceed ambi-
ent noise levels in the absence of flight operations in 
the vicinity of airports from which such commercial 
aircraft would normally operate. 
(2) ENERGY CONSUMPTION.—Twenty-five per-
cent reduction in the energy required for medium to 
long range flights, compared to aircraft in commer-
cial service as of the date of enactment of this Act. 
This reduction may be achieved by a combination of 
improvements to—
(A) specific fuel consumption; 
(B) lift-to-drag ratio; and 
(C) structural weight fraction. 
(3) EMISSIONS.—Nitrogen oxides on take-off 
and landing that are reduced by 50 percent relative 
to aircraft in commercial service as of the date of 
enactment of this Act. 
(b) IMPLEMENTATION.—Not later than 270 days 
after the date of enactment of this Act, the NASA Admin-
istrator shall provide to Congress a plan for the implemen-
tation of the initiative described in subsection (a). Such 
implementation plan shall include—
(1) technological roadmaps for achieving each 
of the performance characteristics specified in sub-
section (a); 
(2) an estimate of the 10-year funding profile 
required to achieve the objective specified in sub-
section (a); 
(3) a plan for carrying out a formal quantifica-
tion of the estimated costs and benefits of each tech-
nological option selected for development beyond the 
initial concept definition phase; and 
(4) a plan for transferring the technologies to 
industry, including the identification of requirements 
for technology demonstrations, as appropriate. 
(c) STUDY.—
(1) REQUIREMENT.—The NASA Administrator 
shall enter into an arrangement for the National Re-
search Council to conduct a study to identify and 
quantify new markets that would be created, as well 
as existing markets that would be expanded, by the 
incorporation of the technologies developed pursuant 
to this section into future commercial aircraft. The 
study shall identify whether any of the performance 
characteristics specified in subsection (a) would need
to be made more stringent in order to create new 
markets or expand existing markets. The National 
Research Council shall seek input from at least the 
aircraft manufacturing industry, academia, and the 
airlines in carrying out the study. 
(2) REPORT.—A report containing the results 
of the study conducted under paragraph (1) shall be 
provided to Congress not later than 18 months after 
the date of enactment of this Act. 
SEC. 202. CIVIL SUPERSONIC TRANSPORT RESEARCH AND 
DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVE. 
(a) OBJECTIVE.—The NASA Administrator shall es-
tablish an initiative with the objective of developing, and 
demonstrating in a relevant environment, within 20 years 
after the date of enactment of this Act, technologies to 
enable overland flight of supersonic civil transport aircraft 
with at least the following performance characteristics: 
(1) Mach number of at least 1.4. 
(2) Range of at least 4,000 nautical miles. 
(3) Payload of at least 24 passengers. 
(4) Noise levels on takeoff and on airport ap-
proach and landing that meet community noise 
standards in place at airports from which such com-
mercial supersonic aircraft would normally operate
at the time the aircraft would enter commercial serv-
ice. 
(5) Shaped sonic boom signatures sufficiently 
low to permit overland flight over populated areas. 
(6) Nitrogen oxide, carbon dioxide, and water 
vapor emissions consistent with regulations likely to 
be in effect at the time of this aircraft’s introduc-
tion. 
(b) IMPLEMENTATION.—Not later than 270 days 
after the date of enactment of this Act, the NASA Admin-
istrator shall provide to Congress a plan for the implemen-
tation of the initiative described in subsection (a). Such 
implementation plan shall include—
(1) technological roadmaps for achieving each 
of the performance characteristics specified in sub-
section (a); 
(2) an estimate of the 10-year funding profile 
required to achieve the objective specified in sub-
section (a); 
(3) a plan for carrying out a formal quantifica-
tion of the estimated costs and benefits of each tech-
nological option selected for development beyond the 
initial concept definition phase;
(4) a plan for transferring the technologies to 
industry, including the identification of requirements 
for technology demonstrations, as appropriate; 
(5) a plan for research to quantify, within 3 
years after the date of enactment of this Act, the 
limits on sonic boom parameters, such as over-
pressure and rise time, that would be acceptable to 
the general public; and 
(6) a plan for adjusting the noise reduction re-
search and development activities as needed to ac-
commodate changes in community noise standards 
that may occur over the lifetime of the initiative. 
SEC. 
203. 
ROTORCRAFT 
AND 
OTHER 
RUNWAY-INDE-
PENDENT AIR VEHICLES RESEARCH AND DE-
VELOPMENT INITIATIVE. 
(a) OBJECTIVE.—The NASA Administrator shall es-
tablish a rotorcraft and other runway-independent air ve-
hicles initiative with the objective of developing and dem-
onstrating in a relevant environment, within 10 years after 
the date of enactment of this Act, technologies to enable 
significantly safer, quieter, and more environmentally 
compatible operation from a wider range of airports under 
a wider range of weather conditions than is the case for 
rotorcraft and other runway-independent air vehicles in 
service as of the date of enactment of this Act.
(b) IMPLEMENTATION.—Not later than 270 days 
after the date of enactment of this Act, the NASA Admin-
istrator shall provide a plan to the Congress for the imple-
mentation of the initiative described in subsection (a). The 
implementation plan shall include—
(1) a set of performance characteristics, devel-
oped in consultation with the National Research 
Council, that shall quantify the objectives specified 
in subsection (a); 
(2) technological roadmaps for achieving each 
of the performance characteristics developed under 
paragraph (1); 
(3) an estimate of the 10-year funding profile 
required to achieve the objective specified in sub-
section (a); 
(4) a plan for carrying out a formal quantifica-
tion of the estimated costs and benefits of each tech-
nological option selected for development beyond the 
initial concept definition phase; and 
(5) a plan for transferring the technologies to 
industry, including the identification of requirements 
for technology demonstrations, as appropriate. 
SEC. 204. REVIEW. 
The NASA Administrator shall enter into an ar-
rangement with the National Research Council for the re-
view, within 18 months after the date of enactment of this 
Act, of the adequacy of the implementation plans provided 
under sections 201(b), 202(b), and 203(b) to achieve the 
objectives described in sections 201(a), 202(a), and 
203(a). In addition, the NASA Administrator shall enter 
into an arrangement with the National Research Council 
for the review, every 3 years subsequent to the initial re-
view under this section, of NASA’s progress in achieving 
the objectives described in sections 201(a), 202(a), and 
203(a), including recommendations for changes to 
NASA’s research and development program as needed, as 
well as recommendations for changes to the desired per-
formance characteristics as needed. The results of each 
review shall be provided to Congress within 30 days after 
completion of the review. 
TITLE III—OTHER NASA AERO-
NAUTICS RESEARCH AND DE-
VELOPMENT ACTIVITIES 
SEC. 301. FUNDAMENTAL RESEARCH AND TECHNOLOGY 
BASE PROGRAM. 
(a) OBJECTIVE.—In order to ensure that the Nation 
maintains needed capabilities in fundamental areas of 
aeronautical research, the NASA Administrator shall es-
tablish a program of long-term fundamental research in
aeronautical sciences and technologies that is not tied to 
specific development projects. 
(b) ASSESSMENT.—The NASA Administrator shall 
enter into an arrangement with the National Research 
Council for an assessment of the Nation’s future require-
ments for fundamental aeronautics research and whether 
the Nation will have a skilled research workforce and re-
search facilities commensurate with those requirements. 
The assessment shall include an identification of any pro-
jected gaps, and recommendations for what steps should 
be taken by the Federal Government to eliminate those 
gaps. 
(c) REPORT.—The NASA Administrator shall trans-
mit the assessment, along with NASA’s response to the 
assessment, to Congress not later than 2 years after the 
date of enactment of this Act. 
SEC. 302. AIRSPACE SYSTEMS RESEARCH. 
(a) OBJECTIVE.—The Airspace Systems Research 
program shall pursue research and development to enable 
revolutionary improvements to and modernization of the 
National Airspace System, as well as to enable the intro-
duction of new systems for vehicles that can take advan-
tage of an improved, modern air transportation system. 
(b) ALIGNMENT.—Not later than 2 years after the 
date of enactment of this Act, the NASA Administrator
shall align the projects of the Airspace Systems Research 
program so that they directly support the objectives of the 
Joint Planning and Development Office’s Next Generation 
Air Transportation System Integrated Plan. 
SEC. 303. AVIATION SAFETY AND SECURITY RESEARCH. 
(a) OBJECTIVE.—The Aviation Safety and Security 
Research program shall pursue research and development 
activities that directly address the safety and security 
needs of the National Airspace System and the aircraft 
that fly in it. The program shall develop prevention, inter-
vention, and mitigation technologies aimed at causal, con-
tributory, or circumstantial factors of aviation accidents. 
(b) PLAN.—Not later than 1 year after the date of 
enactment of this Act, the NASA Administrator shall 
transmit to Congress a 5-year prioritized plan for the re-
search to be conducted within the Aviation Safety and Se-
curity Research program. The plan shall be aligned with 
the objectives of the Joint Planning and Development Of-
fice’s Next Generation Air Transportation System Inte-
grated Plan. 
SEC. 304. ZERO-EMISSIONS AIRCRAFT RESEARCH. 
(a) OBJECTIVE.—The NASA Administrator shall es-
tablish a zero-emissions aircraft research program whose 
objective shall be to develop and test concepts to enable 
a hydrogen fuel cell-powered aircraft that would have no
hydrocarbon or nitrogen oxide emissions into the environ-
ment. 
(b) APPROACH.—The NASA Administrator shall es-
tablish a program of competitively awarded grants avail-
able to teams of researchers that may include the partici-
pation of individuals from universities, industry, and gov-
ernment for the conduct of this research. 
SEC. 305. MARS AIRCRAFT RESEARCH. 
(a) OBJECTIVE.—The NASA Administrator shall es-
tablish a Mars Aircraft project whose objective shall be 
to develop and test concepts for an uncrewed aircraft that 
could operate for sustained periods in the atmosphere of 
Mars. 
(b) APPROACH.—The NASA Administrator shall es-
tablish a program of competitively awarded grants avail-
able to teams of researchers that may include the partici-
pation of individuals from universities, industry, and gov-
ernment for the conduct of this research. 
SEC. 306. HYPERSONICS RESEARCH. 
(a) OBJECTIVE.—The NASA Administrator shall es-
tablish a hypersonics research program whose objective 
shall be to explore the science and technology of 
hypersonic flight using air-breathing propulsion concepts, 
through a mix of theoretical work, basic and applied re-
search, and development of flight research demonstration 
vehicles. 
(b) PLAN.—Not later than 1 year after the date of 
enactment of this Act, the NASA Administrator shall de-
velop a 10-year hypersonics research plan and shall have 
that plan reviewed by the National Research Council. The 
results of that review shall be provided to Congress. 
SEC. 307. NASA AERONAUTICS SCHOLARSHIPS. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—The NASA Administrator 
shall establish a program of scholarships for full-time 
graduate students who are United States citizens and are 
enrolled in, or have been accepted by and have indicated 
their intention to enroll in, accredited Masters degree pro-
grams in aeronautical engineering at institutions of higher 
education. Each such scholarship shall cover the costs of 
room, board, tuition, and fees, and may be provided for 
a maximum of 2 years. 
(b) IMPLEMENTATION.—Not later than 180 days 
after the date of enactment of this Act, the NASA Admin-
istrator shall publish regulations governing the scholarship 
program under this section. 
(c) COOPERATIVE TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES.—Stu-
dents who have been awarded a scholarship under this sec-
tion shall have the opportunity for paid employment at 
one of the NASA Centers engaged in aeronautics research
and development during the summer prior to the first year 
of the student’s Masters program, and between the first 
and second year, if applicable. 
SEC. 308. NASA AERONAUTICAL TEST FACILITIES POLICY. 
The NASA Administrator shall establish a policy of 
charging users of NASA’s aeronautical test facilities for 
the costs associated with their tests, but shall not seek 
to recover the full costs of the operation of those facilities 
from the users. The NASA Administrator shall establish 
a core funding account that shall be used to maintain the 
operation and viability of NASA’s aeronautical test facili-
ties during periods of low utilization. The NASA Adminis-
trator shall not close or mothball any aeronautical test fa-
cilities identified in the 2003 independent assessment by 
the RAND Corporation, entitled ‘‘Wind Tunnel and Pro-
pulsion Test Facilities: An Assessment of NASA’s Capa-
bilities to Serve National Needs’’ as being part of the min-
imum set of those facilities necessary to retain and man-
age to serve national needs until such time as the Office 
of Science and Technology Policy of the Executive Office 
of the President has commissioned and received the results 
of an independent review of the Nation’s long term stra-
tegic needs for aeronautical test facilities and transmitted 
the results of that review to Congress.
SEC. 309. AVIATION WEATHER RESEARCH. 
The NASA Administrator shall carry out a program 
of collaborative research with the National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration on convective weather events, 
with the goal of significantly improving the reliability of 
2-hour to 6-hour aviation weather forecasts. 
SEC. 310. ASSESSMENT OF WAKE TURBULENCE RESEARCH 
AND DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM. 
(a) ASSESSMENT.—The NASA Administrator shall 
enter into an arrangement with the National Research 
Council for an assessment of Federal wake turbulence re-
search and development programs. The assessment shall 
address at least the following questions: 
(1) Are the Federal research and development 
goals and objectives well defined? 
(2) Are there any deficiencies in the Federal re-
search and development goals and objectives? 
(3) What roles should be played by each of the 
relevant Federal agencies, such as NASA, the Fed-
eral Aviation Administration, and the National Oce-
anic and Atmospheric Administration, in wake tur-
bulence research and development? 
(b) REPORT.—A report containing the results of the 
assessment conducted pursuant to subsection (a) shall be 
provided to Congress not later than 1 year after the date 
of enactment of this Act.
SEC. 311. UNIVERSITY-BASED CENTERS FOR RESEARCH ON 
AVIATION TRAINING. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The NASA Administrator shall 
award grants to institutions of higher education (or con-
sortia thereof) to establish one or more Centers for Re-
search on Aviation Training. 
(b) PURPOSE.—The purpose of the Centers shall be 
to investigate the impact of new technologies and proce-
dures, particularly those related to the aircraft flight deck 
and to the air traffic management functions, on training 
requirements for pilots and air traffic controllers. 
(c) APPLICATION.—An institution of higher edu-
cation (or a consortium of such institutions) seeking fund-
ing under this section shall submit an application to the 
NASA Administrator at such time, in such manner, and 
containing such information as the NASA Administrator 
may require, including, at a minimum, a 5-year research 
plan. 
(d) AWARD DURATION.—An award made by the 
NASA Administrator under this section shall be for a pe-
riod of 5 years and may be renewed on the basis of—
(1) satisfactory performance in meeting the 
goals of the research plan proposed by the Center in 
its application under subsection (c); and 
(2) other requirements as specified by the 
NASA Administrator.
TITLE IV—AUTHORIZATION OF 
APPROPRIATIONS 
SEC. 401. TOTAL AUTHORIZATIONS. 
The total amounts authorized to be appropriated for 
aeronautics research, development, and demonstration ac-
tivities at NASA, including the amounts authorized by this 
Act, are—
(1) $1,057,000,000 for fiscal year 2006; 
(2) $1,089,000,000 for fiscal year 2007; 
(3) $1,121,000,000 for fiscal year 2008; 
(4) $1,155,000,000 for fiscal year 2009; and 
(5) $1,190,000,000 for fiscal year 2010.
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