survey shall recommend research and programmatic prior-
ities to sustain United States leadership in civil aero-
nautics research and development and support a safe and 
sustainable future for aviation. The survey may also in-
clude recommendations for the following: 
(1) Enabling innovation. 
(2) Ensuring a world-class workforce for aero-
nautics research and development and related 
United States commercial industries and activities. 
(3) The dissemination and transition of such 
research and development to the United States com-
mercial aviation and aircraft industries. 
(d) TRANSMITTAL.—Not later than two years after 
the date of the enactment of this Act, the Administrator 
shall submit to the appropriate committees of Congress 
the results of such survey, including any recommenda-
tions. 
SEC. 
511. 
MAKING 
ADVANCEMENTS 
IN 
COMMERCIAL 
HYPERSONICS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—In conducting the hypersonics re-
search in accordance with section 40112(d) of title 51, 
United States Code, the Administrator may establish the 
Making Advancements in Commercial Hypersonics Pro-
gram (in this section referred to as the ‘‘Program’’), which 
shall facilitate opportunities for testing of high-speed air-
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craft and other technologies that advance scientific re-
search and technology development related to hypersonic 
aircraft. 
(b) LIMITATION.—The Program under subsection (a) 
shall not fund the development of technologies that are 
supported by such testing opportunities. 
(c) PLAN.—Not later than 60 days after the date of 
the enactment of this Act, the Administrator, acting 
through the Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate, 
shall develop a strategic plan for activities under sub-
section (a) that aligns with the research roadmap under 
section 503 of this Act. 
(d) COORDINATION, CONSULTATION AND COLLABO-
RATION.— 
(1) The Administrator shall ensure coordination 
between the Aeronautics Research Mission Direc-
torate and other Mission Directorates, as appro-
priate, to identify technologies eligible for testing op-
portunities under the Program. 
(2) The Administrator shall consult and seek to 
collaborate with, as appropriate, with the Secretary 
of Defense and the Administrator of the Federal 
Aviation Administration on activities related to the 
Program, including development, testing, and eval-
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uation of high-speed aircraft and related tech-
nologies. 
(e) REPORT.—The Administrator shall submit to the 
appropriate committees of Congress, and the Committee 
on Armed Services of the House of Representatives and 
the Committee on Armed Services of the Senate— 
(1) not later than 80 days after the date of the 
enactment of this section, a report that— 
(A) describes activities of the program es-
tablished under subsection (a); and 
(B) includes the strategic plan produced 
under subsection (c); and 
(2) not later than one year after the date of the 
enactment of this Act and annually thereafter, a re-
port describing progress in carrying out the pro-
gram, including the number and type of testing op-
portunities executed in the previous fiscal year and 
planned for the upcoming fiscal year. 
(f) RESEARCH SECURITY.—Nothing under this sec-
tion authorizes the Administrator to develop, implement, 
or execute an agreement related to technologies under this 
section with any entity of concern, a foreign business enti-
ty, or a foreign country of concern. 
(g) DEFINITIONS.—In this section— 
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(1) ENTITY OF CONCERN.—The term ‘‘entity of 
concern’’ has the meaning given such term in section 
10114 of the Research and Development, Competi-
tion, and Innovation Act (Public Law 117–167; 42 
U.S.C. 18912). 
(2) FOREIGN
BUSINESS
ENTITY.—The term 
‘‘foreign business entity’’ means an entity that is 
majority-owned or majority-controlled (as such term 
is defined in section 800.208 of title 31, Code of 
Federal Regulations, or a successor regulation), or 
minority owned greater than 25 percent by— 
(A) any governmental organization of a 
foreign country of concern; or 
(B) any other entity that is— 
(i) known to be owned or controlled 
by any governmental organization of a for-
eign country of concern; or 
(ii) organized under, or otherwise sub-
ject to, the laws of a foreign country of 
concern. 
(3) FOREIGN
COUNTRY
OF
CONCERN.—The 
term ‘‘foreign country of concern’’ has the meaning 
given such term in section 9901 of title XCIX of di-
vision H of the William M. (Mac) Thornberry Na-
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tional Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 
2021 (15 U.S.C. 4651). 
(4) HIGH-SPEED AIRCRAFT.—The term ‘‘high- 
speed aircraft’’ means an aircraft operating at 
speeds in excess of Mach 1, including supersonic and 
hypersonic aircraft. 
(5) 
HYPERSONIC.—The 
term 
‘‘hypersonic’’ 
means flights operating at speeds that exceed Mach 
5. 
(6) 
SUPERSONIC.—The 
term 
‘‘supersonic’’ 
means flights operating at speeds in excess of Mach 
1 but less than Mach 5. 
TITLE VI—SCIENCE 
SEC. 601. MAINTAINING A BALANCED SCIENCE PORTFOLIO. 
(a) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—Congress reaffirms the 
sense of Congress that— 
(1) a balanced and adequately funded set of ac-
tivities consisting of research and analysis grant pro-
grams, technology development, suborbital research 
activities, and small, medium, and large space mis-
sions, contributes to a robust and productive science 
program and serves as a catalyst for innovation and 
discovery; and 
(2) the Administrator should set science prior-
ities by following the recommendations and guidance 
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provided by the scientific community through the 
National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and 
Medicine decadal surveys. 
(b) POLICY REAFFIRMATION.—Congress reaffirms 
the policy of the United States set forth in section 501(c) 
of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration 
Transition Authorization Act of 2017 (Public Law 115– 
10; 51 U.S.C. 20302 note), which states, ‘‘It is the policy 
of the United States to ensure, to the extent practicable, 
a steady cadence of large, medium, and small science mis-
sions’’. 
SEC. 602. IMPLEMENTATION OF SCIENCE MISSION COST- 
CAPS. 
(a) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of Con-
gress that— 
(1) NASA science missions address compelling 
scientific questions prioritized by the National Acad-
emies decadal surveys, and often such missions ex-
ceed expectations in terms of performance, longevity, 
and scientific impact; 
(2) the Administrator should continue to pursue 
an ambitious science program while also seeking to 
avoid excessive cost growth that has the potential to 
affect the balance across the Science portfolio and 
within the Science Divisions; 
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(3) audits by the NASA Inspector General and 
the Government Accountability Office have reported 
that early cost estimates for missions in the prelimi-
nary phases of conception and development are im-
mature and unreliable, and the cost of a mission 
typically is not well-understood until the project is 
further along in the development process; 
(4) cost growth of a mission beyond its early 
cost estimates is a challenge for budget planning 
and has the potential to affect other missions in the 
Science Mission Directorate portfolio, including 
through delays to future mission solicitations; and 
(5) relying on early cost estimates made prior 
to preliminary design review for science missions 
which then experience such cost growth may 
disincentivize program and cost discipline moving 
forward. 
(b) REPORT.—Not later than 12 months after the 
date of the enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General 
shall transmit to the appropriate committees of Congress 
a review of NASA practices related to establishment of 
and compliance with cost caps of competitively-selected, 
principal investigator-led science missions. The review 
shall— 
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(1) assess current cost cap values and deter-
mine whether existing cost-cap amounts are appro-
priate for different classes of missions; 
(2) consider the effectiveness of cost caps in 
maintaining a varied and balanced portfolio of mis-
sion types within the Science Mission Directorate; 
(3) describe the information NASA requires as 
part of a proposal submission related to project cost 
estimates and proposal compliance with cost caps, 
and assess whether such required information pro-
vides sufficient insight or confidence in the esti-
mates; 
(4) consider NASA processes for assessing pro-
posed cost estimates and the accuracy of such as-
sessments for past competitively-selected, principal 
investigator-led science missions; and 
(5) for the period starting on January 1, 2000, 
and ending on the date of the enactment of this 
Act— 
(A) a list of— 
(i) competitively-selected, principal in-
vestigator-led science missions for which 
costs have exceeded the associated cost 
cap; and 
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(ii) reason the mission costs exceeded 
the cost-cap; 
(B) an assessment of NASA’s role in pre-
dicting, preventing, or managing competitively- 
selected, principal investigator-led science mis-
sion cost increases; and 
(C) a description of the impact of in-
creased competitively-selected, principal investi-
gator-led science mission costs beyond the cost 
caps on— 
(i) the missions for which the cost cap 
has been breached; and 
(ii) other missions within the applica-
ble division and within the Science Mission 
Directorate. 
SEC. 603. REEXAMINATION OF DECADAL SURVEYS. 
Title 51, United States Code, is amended in section 
20305(c) by inserting ‘‘, significant changes to the NASA 
budget’’ after ‘‘growth’’. 
SEC. 604. LANDSAT. 
Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment 
of this Act, the Administrator shall transmit a report to 
the appropriate committees of Congress describing— 
(1) the Administrator’s efforts to comply with 
section 60134 of title 51, United States Code; 
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(2) aspects of Landsat NEXT or any other 
Landsat observations that— 
(A) could be provided by private sector 
data-buys or service procurements; and 
(B) could— 
(i) meet associated science require-
ments while maintaining or exceeding the 
quality, integrity, and continuity of the 
Landsat observational capabilities and per-
formance, 
including 
requirements 
nec-
essary to ensure high-quality calibrated 
data continuity and traceability with the 
50-year Landsat data record; and 
(ii) comply with nondiscriminatory 
availability of unenhanced data and public 
archiving of data pursuant to section 
60141 and 60142 of title 51, United 
States Code, and all other relevant Federal 
laws, regulations, and policies related to 
open science and data accessibility; 
(3) any potential tradeoffs or other impacts of 
subparagraphs (A) or (B) that could reduce the ben-
efit of Landsat data for scientific and applied uses 
or reduce the Federal Government’s ability to make 
such data available for the widest possible use; and 
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Projects established under subsection (b) within Astro-
physics programs. 
SEC. 616. NANCY GRACE ROMAN SPACE TELESCOPE. 
The Administrator shall continue development of the 
Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope as directed in sub-
section 10823(b) of the National Aeronautics and Space 
Administration Authorization Act of 2022 (Public Law 
117–167). 
SEC. 617. HELIOPHYSICS RESEARCH. 
(a) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of Con-
gress that— 
(1) NASA heliophysics research advances the 
scientific understanding of the Sun, its impact on 
the Earth and near-Earth environment, and the 
Sun’s interactions with other bodies in the solar sys-
tem, the interplanetary medium, and the interstellar 
medium; 
(2) fundamental science supported by the 
Heliophysics division is critical to improving space 
weather observations and forecasting capabilities, 
which contribute to— 
(A) fortifying national security and other 
critically important space-based and ground- 
based assets; 
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