I
107TH CONGRESS
2D SESSION
H. R. 4653
To enable the United States to maintain its leadership in aeronautics and
aviation 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 2, 2002
Mr. LARSON of Connecticut (for himself, Mr. HALL of Texas, Mr. WELDON
of Pennsylvania, Mr. HUNTER, Mr. GORDON, Mr. DICKS, Mr. WEINER,
Mr. MORAN of Virginia, Mr. MALONEY of Connecticut, Mr. HONDA, Ms.
WOOLSEY, Mr. SIMMONS, Mr. TOWNS, Mr. UDALL of Colorado, Mr.
HALL of Ohio, Mr. INSLEE, Mr. BAIRD, Mr. DAVIS of Illinois, Ms. RIV-
ERS, and Mrs. CHRISTENSEN) introduced the following bill; which was re-
ferred to the Committee on Science
A BILL
To enable the United States to maintain its leadership in
aeronautics and aviation by instituting an initiative to
develop technologies that will enable future aircraft with
significantly lower noise, emissions, and fuel consump-
tion; to reinvigorate basic and applied research in aero-
nautics 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 2002’’.
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 need-
ed to maintain international leadership in aero-
nautics and aviation by providing a set of ex-
tremely challenging and socially beneficial goals
to the next generation of engineers and sci-
entists.
(8) Long-term progress in aeronautics and avia-
tion will require continued Federal investment in
fundamental aeronautical research.
(9) Continued research is needed into the flight
crew and controller training needed to accommodate
new aircraft and air transportation system tech-
nologies and procedures.
(10) 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.
(11) 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 aviation industry, and the Nation’s
universities.
(12) Improvements to our understanding of
convective weather phenomena and of aircraft wake
turbulence would significantly improve the perform-
ance of the Nation’s air transportation system.
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.
For purposes of this Act—
(1) the term ‘‘FAA’’ means the Federal Avia-
tion Administration;
(2) the term ‘‘FAA Administrator’’ means the
Administrator of the FAA;
(3) 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);
(4) the term ‘‘NASA’’ means the National Aer-
onautics and Space Administration; and
(5) the term ‘‘NASA Administrator’’ means the
Administrator of NASA.
TITLE I—NASA AERONAUTICS
RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT
SEC. 101. OFFICE OF AERONAUTICS.
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—The NASA Administrator
shall establish an Office of Aeronautics, which shall be
for the review, within one year after the date of the enact-
ment of this Act, of the adequacy of the implementation
plan provided under subsection (b) to achieve the objective
described in subsection (a). In addition, the NASA Admin-
istrator shall enter into an arrangement with the National
Research Council for the review, every three years subse-
quent to the initial review under this subsection, of
NASA’s progress in achieving the objective described in
subsection (a), including recommendations for changes to
NASA’s research and development program as needed.
The results of each review shall be provided to the Com-
mittee on Science of the House of Representatives and the
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of
the Senate within 30 days after completion of the review.
(d) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—Except
as provided in section 108(b), there are authorized to be
appropriated to the NASA Administrator to carry out this
section—
(1) $125,000,000 for fiscal year 2003;
(2) $150,000,000 for fiscal year 2004;
(3) $175,000,000 for fiscal year 2005;
(4) $200,000,000 for fiscal year 2006; and
(5) $225,000,000 for fiscal year 2007.
Of these amounts, at least fifty percent of the annual
funding shall be for research and development conducted
at universities, industrial research entities, and not-for-
profit research consortia.
SEC. 103. ROTORCRAFT RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT
INITIATIVE.
(a) OBJECTIVE.—The NASA Administrator shall es-
tablish a rotorcraft initiative with the objective of devel-
oping, and demonstrating in a relevant environment, with-
in ten years after the date of the enactment of this Act,
technologies to enable rotorcraft with the following im-
provements relative to rotorcraft existing as of the date
of the enactment of this Act:
(1) 80 percent reduction in noise levels on take-
off and on approach and landing as perceived by a
human observer.
(2) Factor of ten reduction in vibration.
(3) 30 percent reduction in empty weight.
(4) Predicted accident rate equivalent to that of
fixed-wing aircraft in commercial service within 10
years after the date of the enactment of this Act.
(5) Capability for zero-ceiling, zero-visibility op-
erations.
(b) IMPLEMENTATION.—Within 180 days after the
date of the enactment of this Act, the NASA Adminis-
trator shall provide a plan to the Committee on Science
of the House of Representatives and to the Committee on
Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate for
the implementation of the initiative described in sub-
section (a). The implementation plan shall include—
(1) technological roadmaps for achieving each
of the improvements specified in subsection (a);
(2) an estimate of the ten-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 prototype demonstrations, as appropriate.
(c) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—Except
as provided in section 108(b), there are authorized to be
appropriated to the NASA Administrator to carry out this
section—
(1) $40,000,000 for fiscal year 2003;
(2) $40,000,000 for fiscal year 2004;
(3) $40,000,000 for fiscal year 2005;
(4) $50,000,000 for fiscal year 2006; and
(5) $70,000,000 for fiscal year 2007.
SEC. 104. 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 twenty
years after the date of the enactment of this Act, tech-
nologies to enable overland flight of supersonic civil trans-
port aircraft with at least the following performance char-
acteristics:
(1) Mach number of at least 1.6.
(2) Range of at least 4,000 nautical miles.
(3) Payload of at least 150 passengers.
(4) Lift to drag ratio of at least 9.0.
(5) 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.
(6) Shaped signature sonic boom overpressure
of less than 1.0 pounds per square foot.
(7) Nitrogen oxide emissions of less than 15
grams per kilogram of fuel burned.
(8) Water vapor emissions for stratospheric
flight of no greater than 1400 grams per kilogram
of fuel burned.
(b) IMPLEMENTATION.—Within 180 days after the
date of the enactment of this Act, the NASA Adminis-
trator shall provide to the Committee on Science of the
House of Representatives and to the Committee on Com-
merce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate a plan
for the implementation of the initiative described in sub-
section (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 ten-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 prototype demonstrations, as appropriate;
(5) a plan for research to quantify, within 3
years after the date of the 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.
(c) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—Except
as provided in section 108(b), there are authorized to be
appropriated to the NASA Administrator to carry out this
section—
(1) $15,000,000 for fiscal year 2003;
(2) $20,000,000 for fiscal year 2004;
(3) $30,000,000 for fiscal year 2005;
(4) $30,000,000 for fiscal year 2006; and
(5) $30,000,000 for fiscal year 2007.
SEC. 105. 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 five-year research
plan.
(d) AWARD DURATION.—An award made by the
NASA Administrator under this section shall be for a pe-
riod of five 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 Ad-
ministrator.
(e) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—Except
as provided in section 108(b), there are authorized to be
appropriated to the NASA Administrator to carry out this
section—
(1) $5,000,000 for fiscal year 2003;
(2) $5,000,000 for fiscal year 2004;
(3) $5,000,000 for fiscal year 2005;
(4) $5,000,000 for fiscal year 2006; and
(5) $5,000,000 for fiscal year 2007.
SEC. 106. NASA AERONAUTICS SCHOLARSHIPS.
(a) OBJECTIVE.—The NASA Administrator shall es-
tablish 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 in-
tention to enroll in, accredited Masters degree programs
in aeronautical engineering at institutions of higher edu-
cation. Each such scholarship shall cover the costs of
room, board, tuition, and fees, and may be provided for
a maximum of two years.
(b) IMPLEMENTATION.—Within 180 days after the
date of the enactment of this Act, the NASA Adminis-
trator shall publish regulations governing the scholarship
program.
(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.
(d) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—Except
as provided in section 108(b), there are authorized to be
appropriated to the NASA Administrator to carry out this
section—
(1) $500,000 for fiscal year 2003;
(2) $750,000 for fiscal year 2004;
(3) $1,000,000 for fiscal year 2005;
(4) $1,000,000 for fiscal year 2006; and
(5) $1,000,000 for fiscal year 2007.
SEC. 107. AVIATION WEATHER RESEARCH.
There are authorized to be appropriated to the NASA
Administrator $10,000,000 for each of the fiscal years
2003 through 2007 for collaborative research with the Na-
tional Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on convec-
tive weather events, with the goal of improving the reli-
ability of two to six hour aviation weather forecasts to a
level of at least 0.75.
SEC. 108. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
(a) TOTAL AUTHORIZATION.—The total amounts au-
thorized to be appropriated for aeronautics research, de-
velopment, and demonstration activities at NASA, includ-
ing the amounts authorized by sections 102 through 108
of this Act, are—
(1) $675,000,000 for fiscal year 2003;
(2) $750,000,000 for fiscal year 2004;
(3) $900,000,000 for fiscal year 2005;
(4) $1,050,000,000 for fiscal year 2006; and
(5) $1,150,000,000 for fiscal year 2007.
(b) LIMITATION.—All amounts authorized to be ap-
propriated by this title are for research and development
activities and do not include amounts required to support
the labor, travel, research operations support, environ-
mental compliance, and nonprogrammatic construction of
facilities activities of the Office of Aeronautics.
TITLE 
II—FEDERAL 
AVIATION
ADMINISTRATION RESEARCH
AND DEVELOPMENT
SEC. 201. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
(a) AMOUNTS AUTHORIZED.—Section 48102(a) of
title 49, United States Code, is amended—
(1) by striking ‘‘and’’ at the end of paragraph
(7);
(2) by striking the period at the end of para-
graph (8) and inserting a semicolon; and
(3) by adding at the end the following:
‘‘(9) for fiscal year 2003, $366,100,000,
including—
‘‘(A) $25,500,000 for weather projects and
activities;
‘‘(B) $81,600,000 for aircraft safety tech-
nology projects and activities;
‘‘(C) $27,300,000 for human factors and
aviation medicine projects and activities; and
‘‘(D) $30,000,000 for environment and en-
ergy projects and activities;
‘‘(10) for fiscal year 2004, $410,000,000,
including—
‘‘(A) $30,600,000 for weather projects and
activities;
‘‘(B) $90,100,000 for aircraft safety tech-
nology projects and activities;
‘‘(C) $30,200,000 for human factors and
aviation medicine projects and activities; and
‘‘(D) $37,500,000 for environment and en-
ergy projects and activities;
‘‘(11) for fiscal year 2005, $462,000,000,
including—
‘‘(A) $37,000,000 for weather projects and
activities;
‘‘(B) $99,800,000 for aircraft safety tech-
nology projects and activities;
‘‘(C) $33,500,000 for human factors and
aviation medicine projects and activities; and
‘‘(D) $47,000,000 for environment and en-
ergy projects and activities;
‘‘(12) for fiscal year 2006, $520,000,000: and
‘‘(13) for fiscal year 2007, $550,000,000.’’.
(b) RESEARCH PRIORITIES.—Section 48102(b) of
title 49, United States Code, is amended by adding at the
end the following new paragraphs:
‘‘(4) Of the amount authorized under subsection
(a)(9)—
‘‘(A) $2,000,000 shall be made available for
wake turbulence research; and
‘‘(B) $10,000,000 shall be made available for
information security research.
‘‘(5) Of the amount authorized under subsection
(a)(10)—
‘‘(A) $3,000,000 shall be made available for
wake turbulence research; and
‘‘(B) $12,000,000 shall be made available for
information security research.
‘‘(6) Of the amount authorized under subsection
(a)(11)—
‘‘(A) $4,000,000 shall be made available for
wake turbulence research; and
‘‘(B) $13,200,000 shall be made available for
information security research.
‘‘(7) The Administrator is authorized to use amounts
authorized under subsection (a), regardless of the appro-
priations account through which the amounts may be pro-
vided, for making grant awards for support of research
and development activities.’’.
TITLE III—STUDIES
SEC. 301. STUDY OF AIR TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT SYSTEM
ARCHITECTURES.
(a) OBJECTIVE.—The NASA Administrator and the
FAA Administrator, in consultation with other Federal
agencies as appropriate, shall undertake a joint study that
identifies and assesses national air traffic management
system architectures that would be enabled by commercial
aircraft with the performance characteristics specified in
section 102(a).
(b) IMPLEMENTATION.—In carrying out subsection
(a), the NASA Administrator and FAA Administrator
shall seek comments from industry and academia during
the study, and shall enter into an arrangement to have
the results of the study reviewed by the National Research
Council.
(c) REPORT.—A report containing the results of the
study and the results of the review conducted by the Na-
tional Research Council shall be provided to the Com-
mittee on Science of the House of Representatives and to
the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation
of the Senate within two years after the date of the enact-
ment of this Act.
(d) AUTHORIZATION
OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There
are authorized to be appropriated for fiscal year 2003 for
carrying out this section—
(1) to the NASA Administrator, $1,500,000;
and
(2) to the FAA Administrator, $1,500,000.
SEC. 302. STUDY OF MARKETS ENABLED BY ENVIRON-
MENTAL TECHNOLOGIES FOR FUTURE AIR-
CRAFT.
(a) OBJECTIVE.—The NASA Administrator shall
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 de-
veloped pursuant to section 102 into future commercial
aircraft. As part of the study, the NASA Administrator
shall identify whether any of the performance characteris-
tics specified in section 102(a) would need to be made
more stringent in order to create new markets or expand
existing markets. The NASA Administrator shall seek
input from at least the aircraft manufacturing industry,
academia, and the airlines in carrying out the study.
(b) REPORT.—A report containing the results of the
study shall be provided to the Committee on Science of
the House of Representatives and to the Committee on
Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate
within eighteen months after the date of the enactment
of this Act.
(c) AUTHORIZATION
OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There
are authorized to be appropriated to the NASA Adminis-
trator $500,000 for carrying out this section.
SEC. 303. ASSESSMENT OF WAKE TURBULENCE RESEARCH
AND DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM.
(a) ASSESSMENT.—The FAA Administrator shall
enter into an arrangement with the National Research
Council for an assessment of the FAA’s proposed wake
turbulence research and development program. The as-
sessment shall address at least the following questions:
(1) Are the research and development goals and
objectives well defined?
(2) Are there any research and development ob-
jectives that are not part of FAA’s proposed pro-
gram that should be?
(3) Will the proposed research and development
program enable the achievement of the goals and ob-
jectives of the FAA, and of the National Research
Council, on schedule and for the proposed level of
resources? If not, what adjustments would need to
be made?
(4) What roles should be played by other Fed-
eral agencies, such as NASA and the National Oce-
anic and Atmospheric Administration, in wake tur-
bulence research and development, and how should
those efforts be coordinated with FAA’s program?
(b) REPORT.—A report containing the results of the
assessment shall be provided to the Committee on Science
of the House of Representatives and to the Committee on
Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate
within one year after the date of the enactment of this
Act.
(c) AUTHORIZATION
OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There
are authorized to be appropriated to the FAA Adminis-
trator for fiscal year 2003 $500,000 to carry out this sec-
tion.
SEC. 304. ASSESSMENT OF FUNDAMENTAL AERONAUTICS
RESEARCH CAPABILITIES.
(a) ASSESSMENT.—In order to ensure that the Na-
tion retains needed capabilities in fundamental aero-
dynamics and other areas of fundamental aeronautics re-
search, the NASA Administrator shall enter into an ar-
rangement with the National Research Council for an as-
sessment of the Nation’s future requirements for funda-
mental aeronautics research and whether the Nation will
have a skilled research workforce and research facilities
commensurate with those requirements. The assessment
shall include an identification of any projected gaps, and
recommendations for what steps should be taken by the
Federal Government to eliminate those gaps.
(b) REPORT.—The NASA Administrator shall trans-
mit the assessment, along with NASA’s response to the
assessment, to the Committee on Science of the House of
Representatives and to the Committee on Commerce,
Science, and Transportation of the Senate within 2 years
after the date of the enactment of this Act.
(c) AUTHORIZATION
OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There
are authorized to be appropriated to the NASA Adminis-
trator $500,000 for fiscal year 2003 to carry out this sec-
tion.
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