119 
relevant stakeholders, shall develop a process to transition, when appro-
priate, Administration Earth science and space weather missions or sensors 
into operational status. The process shall include coordination of annual 
agency budget requests as required to execute the transitions. 
(b) RESPONSIBLE AGENCY OFFICIAL.—The Administrator and the Ad-
ministrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration shall 
each designate an agency official who shall have the responsibility for and 
authority to lead the Administration’s and the National Oceanic and Atmos-
pheric Administration’s transition activities and interagency coordination. 
(c) PLAN.—For each mission or sensor that is determined to be appro-
priate for transition under subsection (a), the Administration and the Na-
tional Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration shall transmit to Congress 
a joint plan for conducting the transition. The plan shall include the strat-
egy, milestones, and budget required to execute the transition. The transi-
tion plan shall be transmitted to Congress no later than 60 days after the 
successful completion of the mission or sensor critical design review. 
§ 60503. Reauthorization of Glory Mission 
Congress reauthorizes the Administration to continue with development of 
the Glory Mission, which will examine how aerosols and solar energy affect 
the Earth’s climate. 
§ 60504. Tornadoes and other severe storms 
The Administrator shall ensure that the Administration gives high pri-
ority to those parts of its existing cooperative activities with the National 
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration that are related to the study of 
tornadoes and other severe storms, tornado-force winds, and other factors 
determined to influence the development of tornadoes and other severe 
storms, with the goal of improving the Nation’s ability to predict tornados 
and other severe storms. Further, the Administrator shall examine whether 
there are additional cooperative activities with the National Oceanic and At-
mospheric Administration that should be undertaken in the area of tornado 
and severe storm research. 
§ 60505. Coordination with the National Oceanic and Atmos-
pheric Administration 
(a) JOINT WORKING GROUP.—The Administrator and the Administrator 
of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration shall appoint a 
Joint Working Group, which shall review and monitor missions of the two 
agencies to ensure maximum coordination in the design, operation, and 
transition of missions where appropriate. The Joint Working Group shall 
also prepare the plans required by subsection (c). 
(b) COORDINATION REPORT.—Not later than February 15 of each year, 
the Administrator and the Administrator of the National Oceanic and At-
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mospheric Administration shall jointly transmit a report to the Committee 
on Science and Technology of the House of Representatives and the Com-
mittee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate on how the 
Earth science programs of the Administration and the National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration will be coordinated during the fiscal year fol-
lowing the fiscal year in which the report is transmitted. 
(c) COORDINATION OF TRANSITION PLANNING AND REPORTING.—The 
Administrator, in conjunction with the Administrator of the National Oce-
anic and Atmospheric Administration and in consultation with other rel-
evant agencies, shall evaluate relevant Administration science missions for 
their potential operational capabilities and shall prepare transition plans for 
the existing and future Earth observing systems found to have potential 
operational capabilities. 
(d) LIMITATION.—The Administrator shall not transfer any Administra-
tion Earth science mission or Earth observing system to the National Oce-
anic and Atmospheric Administration until the plan required under sub-
section (c) has been approved by the Administrator and the Administrator 
of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and until financial 
resources have been identified to support the transition or transfer in the 
President’s budget request for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Ad-
ministration. 
§ 60506. Sharing of climate related data 
The Administrator shall work to ensure that the Administration’s policies 
on the sharing of climate related data respond to the recommendations of 
the Government Accountability Office’s report on climate change research 
and data-sharing policies and to the recommendations on the processing, 
distribution, and archiving of data by the National Academies Earth Science 
Decadal Survey, ‘‘Earth Science and Applications from Space’’, and other 
relevant National Academies reports, to enhance and facilitate their avail-
ability and widest possible use to ensure public access to accurate and cur-
rent data on global warming. 
Subtitle VII—Access to Space 
CHAPTER 701—USE OF SPACE SHUTTLE OR 
ALTERNATIVES 
Sec. 
70101.
Recovery of fair value of placing Department of Defense payloads in orbit with space 
shuttle. 
70102.
Space shuttle use policy. 
70103.
Commercial payloads on space shuttle. 
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§ 70101. Recovery of fair value of placing Department of De-
fense payloads in orbit with space shuttle 
Notwithstanding any other provision of law, or any interagency agree-
ment, the Administrator shall charge such prices as are necessary to recover 
the fair value of placing Department of Defense payloads into orbit by 
means of the space shuttle. 
§ 70102. Space shuttle use policy 
(a) USE POLICY.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.— 
(A) POLICY.—It shall be the policy of the United States to use 
the space shuttle— 
(i) for purposes that require a human presence; 
(ii) for purposes that require the unique capabilities of the 
space shuttle; or 
(iii) when other compelling circumstances exist. 
(B) DEFINITION
OF
COMPELLING
CIRCUMSTANCES.—In this 
paragraph, the term ‘‘compelling circumstances’’ includes, but is 
not limited to, occasions when the Administrator determines, in 
consultation with the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of 
State, that important national security or foreign policy interests 
would be served by a shuttle launch. 
(2) USING AVAILABLE CARGO SPACE FOR SECONDARY PAYLOADS.— 
The policy stated in paragraph (1) shall not preclude the use of avail-
able cargo space, on a space shuttle mission otherwise consistent with 
the policy described in paragraph (1), for the purpose of carrying sec-
ondary payloads (as defined by the Administrator) that do not require 
a human presence if such payloads are consistent with the require-
ments of research, development, demonstration, scientific, commercial, 
and educational programs authorized by the Administrator. 
(b) ANNUAL REPORT.—At least annually, the Administrator shall submit 
to Congress a report certifying that the payloads scheduled to be launched 
on the space shuttle for the next 4 years are consistent with the policy set 
forth in subsection (a)(1). For each payload scheduled to be launched from 
the space shuttle that does not require a human presence, the Administrator 
shall, in the certified report to Congress, state the specific circumstances 
that justified the use of the space shuttle. If, during the period between 
scheduled reports to Congress, any additions are made to the list of certified 
payloads intended to be launched from the shuttle, the Administrator shall 
inform Congress of the additions and the reasons therefor within 45 days 
of the change. 
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(c) ADMINISTRATION PAYLOADS.—The report described in subsection (b) 
shall also include those Administration payloads designed solely to fly on the 
space shuttle which have begun the phase C/D of its development cycle. 
§ 70103. Commercial payloads on space shuttle 
(a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) LAUNCH VEHICLE.—The term ‘‘launch vehicle’’ means any vehi-
cle constructed for the purpose of operating in, or placing a payload 
in, outer space. 
(2) PAYLOAD.—The term ‘‘payload’’ means an object which a person 
undertakes to place in outer space by means of a launch vehicle, and 
includes subcomponents of the launch vehicle specifically designed or 
adapted for that object. 
(b) IN GENERAL.—Commercial payloads may not be accepted for launch 
as primary payloads on the space shuttle unless the Administrator deter-
mines that— 
(1) the payload requires the unique capabilities of the space shuttle; 
or 
(2) launching of the payload on the space shuttle is important for 
either national security or foreign policy purposes. 
CHAPTER 703—SHUTTLE PRICING POLICY FOR 
COMMERCIAL AND FOREIGN USERS 
Sec. 
70301.
Congressional findings and declarations. 
70302.
Purpose, policy, and goals. 
70303.
Definition of additive cost. 
70304.
Duties of Administrator. 
§ 70301. Congressional findings and declarations 
Congress finds and declares that— 
(1) the Space Transportation System is a vital element of the United 
States space program, contributing to the United States leadership in 
space research, technology, and development; 
(2) the Space Transportation System is the primary space launch 
system for both United States national security and civil government 
missions; 
(3) the Space Transportation System contributes to the expansion of 
United States private sector investment and involvement in space and 
therefore should serve commercial users; 
(4) the availability of the Space Transportation System to foreign 
users for peaceful purposes is an important means of promoting inter-
national cooperative activities in the national interest and in maintain-
ing access to space for activities which enhance the security and welfare 
of humankind; 
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