Department of Defense that could be valuable to 
NASA; and 
(4) any gaps in NASA’s controls and processes 
for detecting counterfeit parts and preventing their 
incorporation into NASA mission projects, instru-
ments, and other mission-related assets. 
SEC. 705. REMOTE SATELLITE SERVICING DEMONSTRA-
TIONS. 
(a) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of Con-
gress that— 
(1) NASA plays a key role in demonstrating the 
feasibility of using robotic technologies for a space-
craft that could access, repair, and refuel satellites 
in geosynchronous Earth orbit; 
(2) demonstrating this feasibility would both as-
sist NASA in its future missions and provide the 
emerging commercial satellite-servicing industry the 
confidence to robotically refuel, repair, and maintain 
satellites in both near and distant orbits; and 
(3) the capability to refuel, repair, and main-
tain geosynchronous satellites robotically could add 
years of functional life to satellites. 
(b) REPORT.—Not later than 120 days after the date 
of enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall transmit 
a report to the Committee on Science, Space, and Tech-
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nology of the House of Representatives and the Committee 
on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate 
describing— 
(1) NASA’s activities, tools, and techniques as-
sociated with the ultimate goal of servicing satellites 
using robotic spacecraft; 
(2) accomplishments to date in demonstrating 
various servicing technologies; 
(3) major challenges encountered and mitiga-
tion measures taken; and 
(4) demonstrations still needed for NASA and 
industry acceptance of the technologies for oper-
ational missions, and the timeframe for these dem-
onstrations. 
SEC. 706. ASTRONAUT OCCUPATIONAL HEALTHCARE. 
(a) WORKSHOP.—Not later than 180 days after the 
date of enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall con-
vene a workshop attended by both current and former 
members of the astronaut corps, as well as other appro-
priate experts, to focus on the advantages and disadvan-
tages of granting NASA the specific authority to monitor 
and treat current and former members of the astronaut 
corps for medical conditions which are deemed by NASA 
to be associated with human space flight conducted in fur-
therance of NASA requirements. The workshop shall also 
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address the implications of allowing NASA to retain ac-
cess to astronaut medical records. 
(b) REPORT.—Not later than 90 days after comple-
tion of the workshop, the Administrator shall provide a 
report summarizing the results of the workshop to the 
Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of the 
House of Representatives and the Committee on Com-
merce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate. 
SEC. 
707. 
USE 
OF 
OPERATIONAL 
COMMERCIAL 
SUB-
ORBITAL VEHICLES FOR RESEARCH, DEVEL-
OPMENT, AND EDUCATION. 
(a) REPORT.—The Administrator shall prepare a re-
port with respect to the use of operational commercial re-
usable suborbital flight vehicles for carrying out scientific 
and engineering investigations and educational activities. 
The report shall— 
(1) describe the purposes for which NASA in-
tends to use such vehicles; 
(2) describe the processes required to support 
such use; 
(3) describe NASA, space flight operator, and 
supporting contractor responsibilities for developing 
standard payload interfaces and conducting payload 
safety analyses, payload integration and processing, 
payload operations, and safety assurance for NASA- 
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sponsored space flight participants, among other 
functions required to fly NASA-sponsored payloads 
and space flight participants on operational commer-
cial orbital vehicles; 
(4) identify NASA-provided hardware, software, 
or services that may be provided to space flight op-
erators on a cost-reimbursable basis, through agree-
ments or contracts entered into under section 
20113(e) of title 51, United States Code; and 
(5) describe the United States Government and 
space flight operator responsibilities for liability and 
indemnification with respect to commercial sub-
orbital vehicle flights that involve NASA-sponsored 
payloads or activities, NASA-supported space flight 
participants, or other NASA-related contributions. 
(b) CAPABILITIES AND RISKS.—The Administrator 
shall assess and characterize the potential capabilities and 
performance of commercial reusable suborbital vehicles for 
addressing scientific research, including research requiring 
access to low-gravity and microgravity environments, for 
carrying out technology demonstrations related to science, 
exploration, or space operations requirements, and for pro-
viding opportunities for educating and training space sci-
entists and engineers, once those vehicles become oper-
ational. The assessment shall also characterize the risks 
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of using potential commercial reusable suborbital flights 
to NASA-sponsored researchers and scientific investiga-
tions and flight hardware. 
(c) TRANSMITTAL.—Not later than 1 year after the 
date of enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall 
transmit the plan and assessment described in subsections 
(a) and (b) to the Committee on Science, Space, and Tech-
nology of the House of Representatives and the Committee 
on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate. 
(d) REPORTS.— 
(1) ANNUAL PROGRESS REPORTS.—The Admin-
istrator shall transmit a report annually to the Com-
mittee on Science, Space, and Technology of the 
House of Representatives and the Committee on 
Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Sen-
ate describing progress in carrying out the Commer-
cial Reusable Suborbital Research Program, includ-
ing the number and type of suborbital missions 
planned in each fiscal year. 
(2) INDEMNIFICATION
AND
LIABILITY.—The 
Administrator shall not proceed with a request for 
proposals, award any contract, commit any United 
States Government funds, or enter into any other 
agreement for the provision of a commercial reusable 
suborbital vehicle launch service for a NASA-spon-
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sored spaceflight participant until indemnification 
and liability issues associated with the use of such 
systems by the United States Government have been 
addressed and the Administrator has provided to the 
Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of the 
House of Representatives and the Committee on 
Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Sen-
ate a report describing the indemnification and li-
ability provisions that are planned to be included in 
such contracts and agreements. 
SEC. 708. FUNDAMENTAL SPACE LIFE AND PHYSICAL 
SCIENCES RESEARCH. 
(a) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It the sense of Congress 
that fundamental, discovery-based space life and physical 
sciences research is critical for enabling space exploration, 
protecting humans in space, and providing societal bene-
fits, and that the space environment facilitates the ad-
vancement of understanding of the life sciences and phys-
ical sciences. Space life and physical science research con-
tributes to advancing science, technology, engineering, and 
mathematics research, and provides careers and training 
opportunities in academia, Federal laboratories, and com-
mercial industry. Congress encourages the Administrator 
to augment discovery-based fundamental research and to 
request funding reflecting the importance of such research 
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in keeping with the priorities established in the National 
Academies’ decadal survey entitled ‘‘Recapturing a Future 
for Space Exploration: Life and Physical Sciences Re-
search for a New Era’’. 
(b) BUDGET REQUEST.—The Administrator shall in-
clude as part of the annual NASA fiscal year budget re-
quest a budget line for fundamental space life and physical 
sciences research, devoted to competitive, peer-reviewed 
grants, that is separate from the International Space Sta-
tion Operations account. 
(c) STRATEGIC PLAN.— 
(1) DEVELOPMENT.—The Administrator, in 
consultation with academia, other Federal agencies, 
and other potential stakeholders, shall develop a 
strategic plan for carrying out competitive, peer-re-
viewed fundamental space life science and physical 
sciences and related technology research, among 
other activities, consistent with the priorities in the 
National Academies’ decadal survey described in 
subsection (a). 
(2) TRANSMITTAL.—Not later than 270 days 
after the date of enactment of this Act, the Adminis-
trator shall transmit the strategic plan developed 
under paragraph (1) to the Committee on Science, 
Space, and Technology of the House of Representa-
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tives and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and 
Transportation of the Senate. 
SEC. 709. RESTORING NASA’S COMMITMENT TO ENGINEER-
ING RESEARCH. 
(a) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of Con-
gress that engineering excellence has long been a hallmark 
of NASA’s ability to make significant advances in aero-
nautics and space exploration. However, as has been noted 
in recent National Academies reports, increasingly con-
strained funding and competing priorities have led to an 
erosion of NASA’s commitment to basic engineering re-
search, the research that provides the basis for the tech-
nology development that enables NASA’s many chal-
lenging missions to succeed. If current trends continue, 
NASA’s ability to attract and maintain the best and 
brightest engineering workforce at the NASA Centers as 
well as its ability to remain on the cutting edge of aero-
nautical and space technology will continue to erode and 
will threaten NASA’s ability to be a world leader in aero-
nautics research and development and space exploration. 
(b) PLAN.—The Administrator shall develop a plan 
for restoring a meaningful basic engineering research pro-
gram at the NASA Centers, including, as appropriate, col-
laborations with industry, universities, and other relevant 
organizations. The plan shall identify the organizational 
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approach to be followed, an initial set of basic research 
priorities, and a proposed budget. 
(c) REPORT.—Not later than 180 days after the date 
of enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall transmit 
the plan to the Committee on Science, Space, and Tech-
nology of the House of Representatives and the Committee 
on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate. 
SEC. 710. NEAR-EARTH OBJECTS DETECTION. 
(a) STUDY.—The Administrator, in collaboration 
with other relevant Federal agencies, shall carry out a 
technical and scientific assessment of the capabilities and 
resources required to expand NASA’s Near-Earth Object 
Program, to include the detection, tracking, cataloguing, 
and characterizing of potentially hazardous near-Earth 
objects 30–50 meters in diameter. 
(b) TRANSMITTAL.—Not later than 270 days after 
the date of enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall 
transmit the results of the assessment to the Committee 
on Science, Space, and Technology of the House of Rep-
resentatives and the Committee on Commerce, Science, 
and Transportation of the Senate. 
SEC. 711. RESEARCH ON NEAR-EARTH OBJECT TSUNAMI 
EFFECTS. 
(a) REPORT
ON POTENTIAL TSUNAMI EFFECTS 
FROM NEAR-EARTH OBJECT IMPACT.—The Adminis-
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trator, in collaboration with the Administrator of NOAA 
and other relevant Federal agencies, shall prepare a report 
identifying and describing existing research activities and 
further research objectives that would increase our under-
standing of the nature of the effects of potential tsunamis 
that could occur if a near-Earth object were to impact an 
ocean of Earth. 
(b) TRANSMITTAL.—Not later than 180 days after 
the date of enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall 
transmit the report required prepared under subsection 
(a) to the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology 
of the House of Representatives and the Committee on 
Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate. 
SEC. 712. REVIEW OF ORBITAL DEBRIS REMOVAL CON-
CEPTS. 
(a) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of Con-
gress that the amount of orbital debris in low-Earth orbit 
poses risks for human activities and robotic spacecraft and 
that this debris may increase due to collisions between ex-
isting debris objects. Understanding options to address 
and remove orbital debris is important for ensuring safe 
and effective spacecraft operations in low-Earth orbit. 
(b) REVIEW.—The Administrator, in collaboration 
with other relevant Federal agencies, shall solicit and re-
view concepts and technological options for removing or-
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bital debris from low-Earth orbit. The solicitation and re-
view shall also address the requirements for and feasibility 
of developing and implementing each of the options. 
(c) TRANSMITTAL.—Not later than 270 days after 
the date of enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall 
provide a report to the Committee on Science, Space, and 
Technology of the House of Representatives and the Com-
mittee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the 
Senate on the solicitation and review required under sub-
section (b). 
Æ 
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