distribution, and future in the universe as an objective of 
U.S. aeronautical and space activities. 
(b) IN GENERAL.—NASA shall partner with the pri-
vate sector and philanthropic organizations to the max-
imum extent practicable to search for technosignatures, such 
as radio transmissions, in order to meet the NASA objective 
to search for life’s origin, evolution, distribution, and future 
in the universe. 
(c) REPORT.—Not later than 90 days after the date 
of enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall submit 
to the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of the 
House of Representatives and the Committee on Commerce, 
Science, and Transportation of the Senate a report, pro-
duced in consultation with industry and academia, on all 
NASA programs, including partnerships with the private 
sector and philanthropic organizations, that contribute to 
the search for life’s origin, evolution, distribution, and fu-
ture in the universe. 
(d) AUTHORIZED FUNDING.—Subject to the avail-
ability of appropriations, the Administrator shall make 
available at least $10,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2018 
and 2019 for the search for technosignatures. 
SEC. 312. WIDE-FIELD INFRARED SPACE TELESCOPE. 
(a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds the following: 
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(1) Concurrent flagship programs challenge sig-
nificantly NASA’s program management capacity, es-
pecially during later stages of the program manage-
ment process. 
(2) The Wide-Field Infrared Space Telescope 
(hereinafter referred to as ‘‘WFIRST’’) was cancelled 
in the President’s fiscal year 2019 budget request. 
(3) WFIRST was funded in the amount of 
$150,000,000 in NASA’s appropriation for fiscal year 
2018. 
(4) Pursuant to direction in NASA’s appropria-
tion for fiscal year 2018, NASA is conducting a pre-
liminary life-cycle cost estimate, including any addi-
tions needed to achieve Class A classification, along 
with a year-by-year breakout of development costs. 
(5) Until such preliminary life-cycle cost esti-
mate is complete, Congress has insufficient informa-
tion to judge whether or not WFIRST should be au-
thorized to proceed in fiscal year 2019. 
(b) TOTAL COST.—The total formulation and develop-
ment cost, as such term is defined in section 30104 of title 
51, United States Code, for the Wide-Field Infrared Space 
Telescope shall not exceed $3,200,000,000. 
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(c) BUDGET.—The Administrator shall include in the 
budget for fiscal year 2020 a 5-year funding profile nec-
essary to achieve the goal in subsection (b). 
(d) LIMITATION.—The Administrator shall not procure 
a launch vehicle for the Wide-Field Infrared Space Tele-
scope until the James Webb Space Telescope is operational 
in space. 
Subtitle C—Planetary Science 
SEC. 321. NEAR-EARTH OBJECT SURVEY. 
(a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds the following: 
(1) The George E. Brown, Jr. Near-Earth Object 
Survey Act (Public Law 109–155) established the 
Near-Earth Object Survey program to detect, track, 
and catalogue the physical characteristics of near- 
Earth objects equal to or greater than 140 meters in 
diameter in order to assess the threat of such objects 
to Earth. 
(2) The goal of the Survey program is to achieve 
90 percent completion of the near-Earth project cata-
logue (based on statistically predicted populations of 
near-Earth objects) not later than 15 years after the 
date of the enactment of the George E. Brown, Jr. 
Near-Earth Object Survey Act. 
(3) NASA has been successful finding more than 
90 percent of the near-Earth asteroids larger than one 
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kilometer but has only found about 30 percent of the 
near-Earth objects larger than 140 meters. 
(4) The vast majority of near-Earth object dis-
coveries have been made by NASA-supported ground- 
based telescopic surveys. 
(b) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of Congress 
that— 
(1) in order to meet the statutory requirements 
of the George E Brown, Jr. Near-Earth Object Survey 
Act (Public Law 109–155), a space-based telescope 
mission should be fully funded and supported by 
NASA and carried out by the Planetary Defense Co-
ordination Office; and 
(2) the space-based telescope Near-Earth Object 
Camera mission, or a similar infrared telescope con-
cept optimized for near-Earth object search and char-
acterization, could discover and characterize most of 
the potentially hazardous asteroids that are near the 
Earth. 
SEC. 322. SPACE NUCLEAR POWER. 
(a) FINDING.—Congress finds that in-space nuclear 
fission power complements the use of Plutonium-238 radio-
isotope thermoelectric generators (in this section referred to 
as ‘‘RTG’’) for spacecraft power needs. 
(b) POLICY.—It is the policy of the United States— 
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(1) to continue the development of in-space nu-
clear fission technology, as necessary, for purposes in-
cluding— 
(A) in-space power generation for advanced 
in-space propulsion; 
(B) onboard power generation to replace or 
supplement RTG systems; 
(C) power generation on the surface of celes-
tial bodies; 
(D) extraction and processing of in situ re-
sources; and 
(E) nuclear thermal and nuclear electric 
propulsion able to transport crew or cargo 
among Earth and other celestial bodies much 
more rapidly than is practical with non-nuclear 
systems; 
(2) that research and development of in-space 
nuclear fission power should be carried out as part of 
a portfolio that appropriately balances development of 
power systems at different sizes and maturities, with 
an emphasis on early development of mature, oper-
ational systems; and 
(3) that NASA should continually seek to 
streamline the process for space launch approval of 
nuclear materials, eliminate redundant and unneeded 
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processes, and regularize the process for efficient, reg-
ular functioning, and toward that end, the Adminis-
trator should update the launch approval process and 
seek to establish a licensing process for private nu-
clear power sources in space. 
(c) SPACE NUCLEAR POWER REPORT.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 180 days after 
the date of enactment of this Act, the Administrator 
shall submit to the Committee on Science, Space, and 
Technology of the House of Representatives and the 
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transpor-
tation of the Senate a report, produced in consulta-
tion with industry and academia, on the use and role 
of nuclear fission power in space. 
(2) CONTENTS.—The report required under 
paragraph (1) shall include— 
(A) an assessment of the prospects for in- 
space nuclear fission reactors, describing par-
ticular roles and missions for which nuclear 
power is uniquely well-suited; 
(B) a description of the convergence between 
NASA’s existing Plutonium-238 RTG programs 
and ongoing nuclear thermal propulsion and nu-
clear power generation development programs; 
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(C) a detailed plan for encouraging conver-
gence between NASA’s various nuclear power 
and propulsion efforts; 
(D) an identification of key infrastructure 
and facilities needed for the development of in- 
space nuclear fission power reactors; 
(E) an identification of particular legal 
issues, including regulatory challenges, that must 
be addressed for the use of nuclear fission power 
systems; 
(F) how small in-space nuclear fission reac-
tors can complement or replace existing and 
planned radioisotope thermal generator capabili-
ties; 
(G) information on very low cost, high reli-
ability designs that can be made operational 
quickly; and 
(H) a cost analysis, including long-term 
and security costs, of the use of highly enriched 
uranium versus low-enriched uranium in power 
generation in space applications, including sur-
face power and in-space propulsion. 
(d) DEMONSTRATION.—NASA should demonstrate a 
nuclear power reactor for use in space using existing au-
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thorized funding levels and within a schedule made possible 
by appropriated funding. 
TITLE IV—AERONAUTICS 
SEC. 401. SUPERSONIC RESEARCH. 
(a) POLICY.—It is the policy of the United States to 
reduce Government barriers to the development of civil su-
personic transportation. 
(b) RESEARCH.—Section 40112(a) of title 51, United 
States Code, is amended— 
(1) by striking ‘‘The Administrator’’ and insert-
ing the following: 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Administrator’’; and 
(2) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(2) RESEARCH.—The Administrator, in con-
sultation with the Administrator of the Federal Avia-
tion Administration, shall undertake research on su-
personic transport to inform and accelerate the pro-
mulgation of domestic regulations and international 
standards and recommended practices that will open 
up the U.S. civil airspace to civil supersonic trans-
port.’’. 
SEC. 402. UNMANNED AIRCRAFT SYSTEMS RESEARCH. 
(a) IN GENERAL.— 
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(1) TITLE 51.—Chapter 315 of title 51, United 
States Code, is amended by adding at the end the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘§ 31506. Unmanned aircraft systems research 
‘‘The Administrator, in consultation with the Admin-
istrator of the Federal Aviation Administration and other 
Federal agencies, shall conduct research on facilitating the 
safe integration of unmanned aircraft systems into the na-
tional airspace system, including— 
‘‘(1) positioning and navigation systems; 
‘‘(2) sense-and-avoid capabilities; 
‘‘(3) secure data and communication links; 
‘‘(4) flight recovery systems; and 
‘‘(5) human systems integration.’’. 
(2) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—The table of sec-
tions for chapter 315 of title 51, United States Code, 
is amended by adding at the end the following new 
item: 
‘‘31506. Unmanned aircraft systems research.’’. 
(b) COOPERATIVE UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLE AC-
TIVITIES.—Section 31504 of title 51, United States Code, 
is amended by adding at the end the following: ‘‘Oper-
ational flight data derived from such cooperative agree-
ments shall be made available, in appropriate and usable 
formats, to the Administration and the Federal Aviation 
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Administration for the development of regulatory stand-
ards.’’. 
SEC. 403. 21ST CENTURY AERONAUTICS RESEARCH CAPA-
BILITIES INITIATIVE. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Administrator shall estab-
lish an initiative to be known as the 21st Century Aero-
nautics Research Capabilities Initiative, funded through the 
Construction of Facilities account, to ensure that NASA 
possesses the infrastructure capabilities and computational 
tools necessary to conduct flight demonstration projects 
across the range of NASA aeronautics interests. 
(b) ACTIVITIES.—In carrying out the 21st Century 
Aeronautics Research Capabilities Initiative, the Adminis-
trator shall— 
(1) upgrade and create facilities for civil and 
national security aeronautics research; and 
(2) support flight testing activities. 
(c) OPERATING MODEL.—In carrying out the 21st 
Century Aeronautics Research Capabilities Initiative, the 
Administrator shall, to the greatest extent practicable, build 
on NASA’s work on developing its Operating Model and 
the results of the Technical Capabilities Assessment Team. 
(d) REPORT.— 
(1) REPORT
REQUIRED.—Not later than 120 
days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Ad-
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ministrator shall submit to the Committee on Science, 
Space, and Technology of the House of Representa-
tives and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and 
Transportation of the Senate a report containing a 5- 
year plan for the implementation of the 21st Century 
Aeronautics Research Capabilities Initiative. 
(2) ELEMENTS.—The report required under this 
subsection shall include— 
(A) a description of proposed projects; 
(B) a description of how the projects align 
with the Aeronautics Strategic Implementation 
Plan; and 
(C) a timetable for carrying out activities 
and initiatives authorized under this section. 
(e) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There are 
authorized to be appropriated $50,000,000, funded through 
the Construction of Facilities account, for fiscal year 2019 
to carry out this section. 
SEC. 404. EXPERIMENTAL PLANE PROGRAM. 
(a) POLICY.—It is the policy of the United States to 
maintain the role of the United States as a world leader 
in aeronautical science and technology. 
(b) OBJECTIVE.—One of the fundamental objectives of 
NASA aeronautics research is the steady progression and 
expansion of high-speed flight research and capabilities, in-
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cluding the science and technology of critical underlying 
disciplines and competencies, the most important of which 
are computational-based analytical and predictive tools 
and methodologies, aero thermodynamics, high-speed flight 
propulsion, high-temperature structures and materials, and 
flight controls. 
SEC. 405. HYPERSONIC TECHNOLOGY PROJECT. 
(a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds that— 
(1) the development of new hypersonic flight 
technologies is important to the United States; 
(2) though hypersonic flight technologies are like-
ly to be applied to enhance defense systems in the 
near-term, in the long-term, application of such tech-
nologies may expand to include improved access-to- 
space capabilities that benefit NASA; and 
(3) NASA maintains specialized facilities and 
experts who will focus on research areas that explore 
challenges in hypersonic flight. 
(b) POLICY.—In carrying out the Hypersonic Tech-
nology Project, NASA should focus research and develop-
ment efforts on high-speed propulsion systems, reusable ve-
hicle technologies, high-temperature materials, and systems 
analysis. 
(c) AUTHORIZED FUNDING.—Subject to the avail-
ability of appropriations, the Administrator shall make 
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available at least $30,000,000 for fiscal year 2019 for the 
Hypersonic Technology Project from the Aeronautics ac-
count. 
SEC. 406. REPORT. 
The Administrator shall submit to the Committee a re-
port on the development of the Low-Boom Flight Dem-
onstration aircraft, including the following: 
(1) NASA’s planned coordination with other ex-
ecutive agencies to ensure developmental and oper-
ational testing infrastructure availability during 
flight demonstration. 
(2) NASA’s acquisition strategy to ensure avail-
ability of chase aircraft for flight demonstration. 
TITLE V—COMMERCIAL 
SEC. 501. COMMERCIAL SUPPLY OF SPACE PRODUCTS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Subchapter II of chapter 501 of 
title 51, United States Code, is amended by adding at the 
end the following: 
‘‘§ 50117. Commercial supply of space products 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—In planning and carrying out 
space exploration missions, the Administrator shall, to the 
greatest extent practicable, prioritize the acquisition and 
use of space products provided by a United States commer-
cial provide. 
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‘‘(b) SPACE PRODUCT DEFINED.—In this section, the 
term ‘space product’ means a tangible good, including a 
finished good, or commodity, including a propellant, water, 
oxygen, or gas, that— 
‘‘(1) is required for space exploration activities; 
and 
‘‘(2) originates in outer space. 
‘‘(c) COMMODITIES USED IN SPACE.— 
‘‘(1) LIST
OF
COMMODITIES.—In planning a 
space exploration mission, the Administrator shall 
create a list of commodities to be used during such 
mission. The list shall include specification of each 
commodity, anticipated quantity, and the location 
and timeframe of need. 
‘‘(2) COMMODITY COST BASIS.—For each com-
modity listed pursuant paragraph (1), NASA shall 
establish a commodity cost basis that shall represent 
the lesser of— 
‘‘(A) the estimated cost to procure the com-
modity on Earth and deliver the commodity to 
the location of use; and 
‘‘(B) the estimated cost for the Government 
to procure the equivalent commodity that is a 
space product. 
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‘‘(3) PUBLICATION.—The Administrator shall 
annually publish the information compiled under 
paragraphs (1) and (2) during the previous calendar 
year. 
‘‘(d) EXCEPTIONS.—The Administrator shall not be re-
quired to prioritize the acquisition of space products for the 
purposes described in subsection (a) if, on a case-by-case 
basis— 
‘‘(1) the Administrator determines that— 
‘‘(A) cost-effective space products that meet 
specific mission requirements would not be rea-
sonably available from United States commercial 
providers when required; 
‘‘(B) the use of space products from United 
States commercial providers poses an unaccept-
able mission risk; or 
‘‘(C) the use of space products is incon-
sistent with international agreements for inter-
national collaborative efforts relating to science 
and technology; or 
‘‘(2) the Secretary of the Air Force determines 
that the use of space commodities from United States 
commercial providers is inconsistent with national se-
curity objectives. 
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(3) by inserting after paragraph (5) the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(6) the budget for each NASA-funded institute; 
and’’. 
(c) REPORT.—Not later than 90 days after the date 
of enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall submit 
to the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of the 
House of Representatives and the Committee on Commerce, 
Science, and Transportation of the Senate a report that rec-
ommends guidance and metrics for the management, utili-
zation, expectations for return on investment, and financial 
condition of NASA-funded institutes. 
SEC. 602. BASELINE AND COST CONTROLS. 
Section 30104(e)(1)(A) of title 51, United States Code, 
is amended— 
(1) in clause (ii) by striking ‘‘and’’ at the end; 
(2) in clause (iii) by striking ‘‘and’’ at the end; 
and 
(3) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(iv) any changes made in the per-
formance or schedule milestones and the de-
gree to which such changes have contributed 
to the increase in total cost; 
‘‘(v) new estimates of the specific 
project or specific program cost; and 
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