I 
113TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 2687 
To authorize the programs of the National Aeronautics and Space 
Administration, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JULY 15, 2013 
Mr. PALAZZO (for himself and Mr. SMITH of Texas) introduced the following 
bill; which was referred to the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology 
A BILL 
To authorize the programs of the National Aeronautics and 
Space Administration, 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; TABLE OF CONTENTS. 
(a) SHORT TITLE.—This Act may be cited as the 
‘‘National Aeronautics and Space Administration Author-
ization Act of 2013’’. 
(b) TABLE OF CONTENTS.—The table of contents for 
this Act is as follows: 
Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents. 
Sec. 2. Definitions. 
TITLE I—AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS 
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Sec. 101. Fiscal year 2014. 
Sec. 102. Fiscal year 2015. 
Sec. 103. Budget control. 
TITLE II—HUMAN SPACE FLIGHT 
Subtitle A—Exploration 
Sec. 201. Space exploration policy. 
Sec. 202. Stepping stone approach to exploration. 
Sec. 203. Space Launch System. 
Sec. 204. Orion crew capsule. 
Sec. 205. Advanced booster competition. 
Subtitle B—Space Operations 
Sec. 211. Findings. 
Sec. 212. International Space Station. 
Sec. 213. Commercial crew report. 
Sec. 214. Flight readiness demonstration. 
Sec. 215. Certification Products Contract phase two. 
Sec. 216. Space communications. 
TITLE III—SCIENCE 
Subtitle A—General 
Sec. 301. Science portfolio. 
Sec. 302. Assessment of science mission extensions. 
Sec. 303. Radioisotope thermoelectric generators. 
Sec. 304. Congressional declaration of policy and purpose. 
Subtitle B—Astrophysics 
Sec. 311. Decadal cadence. 
Sec. 312. Extrasolar planet exploration strategy. 
Sec. 313. James Webb Space Telescope. 
Sec. 314. Wide-Field Infrared Survey Telescope. 
Sec. 315. National Reconnaissance Office telescope donation. 
Subtitle C—Planetary Science 
Sec. 321. Decadal cadence. 
Sec. 322. Near-Earth objects. 
Sec. 323. Astrobiology strategy. 
Sec. 324. Public-private partnerships. 
Subtitle D—Heliophysics 
Sec. 331. Decadal cadence. 
Sec. 332. Review of space weather. 
Sec. 333. Deep Space Climate Observatory. 
Subtitle E—Earth Science 
Sec. 341. Goal. 
Sec. 342. Decadal cadence. 
Sec. 343. Research to operations. 
Sec. 344. Interagency coordination. 
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Sec. 345. Joint Polar Satellite System climate sensors. 
Sec. 346. Land imaging. 
Sec. 347. Sources of Earth science data. 
TITLE IV—AERONAUTICS 
Sec. 401. Sense of Congress. 
Sec. 402. Unmanned aerial systems research and development. 
Sec. 403. Research program on composite materials used in aeronautics. 
Sec. 404. Hypersonic research. 
Sec. 405. Supersonic research. 
Sec. 406. Research on NextGen airspace management concepts and tools. 
Sec. 407. Rotorcraft research. 
TITLE V—SPACE TECHNOLOGY 
Sec. 501. Space technology. 
TITLE VI—EDUCATION 
Sec. 601. Education. 
TITLE VII—POLICY PROVISIONS 
Sec. 701. Asteroid Retrieval Mission. 
Sec. 702. Termination liability. 
Sec. 703. Indemnification extension. 
Sec. 704. Baseline and cost controls. 
Sec. 705. Project and program reserves. 
Sec. 706. Independent reviews. 
Sec. 707. Space Act Agreements. 
Sec. 708. Human spaceflight accident investigations. 
Sec. 709. Commercial technology transfer program. 
Sec. 710. Orbital debris. 
Sec. 711. NASA leadership. 
Sec. 712. NASA Advisory Council. 
Sec. 713. Cost estimation. 
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) ADMINISTRATION.—The term ‘‘Administra-
tion’’ means the National Aeronautics and Space 
Administration. 
(2) ADMINISTRATOR.—The term ‘‘Adminis-
trator’’ means the Administrator of the Administra-
tion. 
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(3) ORION CREW CAPSULE.—The term ‘‘Orion 
crew capsule’’ refers to the multipurpose crew vehi-
cle described in section 303 of the National Aero-
nautics and Space Administration Authorization Act 
of 2010 (42 U.S.C. 18323). 
(4) SPACE ACT AGREEMENT.—The term ‘‘Space 
Act Agreement’’ means an agreement created under 
the authority to enter into ‘‘other transactions’’ 
under section 20113(e) of title 51, United States 
Code. 
(5) SPACE LAUNCH SYSTEM.—The term ‘‘Space 
Launch System’’ refers to the follow-on Government- 
owned civil launch system developed, managed, and 
operated by the Administration to serve as a key 
component to expand human presence beyond low- 
Earth orbit, as described in section 302 of the Na-
tional Aeronautics and Space Administration Au-
thorization Act of 2010 (42 U.S.C. 18322). 
TITLE I—AUTHORIZATION OF 
APPROPRIATIONS 
SEC. 101. FISCAL YEAR 2014. 
There are authorized to be appropriated to the Ad-
ministration for fiscal year 2014 $16,865,200,000 as fol-
lows: 
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(1) For Space Exploration, $4,007,400,000, of 
which— 
(A) $1,802,400,000 shall be for the Space 
Launch System; 
(B) $1,200,000,000 shall be for the Orion 
crew capsule; 
(C) $305,000,000 shall be for Exploration 
Research and Development; and 
(D) $700,000,000 shall be for Commercial 
Crew Development activities. 
(2) For Space Operations, $3,817,900,000, of 
which— 
(A) $2,984,100,000 shall be for the Inter-
national Space Station Program; and 
(B) $833,800,000 shall be for Space and 
Flight Support. 
(3) For Science, $4,626,900,000, of which— 
(A) $1,200,000,000 shall be for Earth 
Science; 
(B) $1,500,000,000 shall be for Planetary 
Science, of which $30,000,000 shall be for the 
Astrobiology Institute; 
(C) $642,300,000 shall be for Astro-
physics; 
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(D) $658,200,000 shall be for the James 
Webb Space Telescope; and 
(E) 
$626,400,000 
shall 
be 
for 
Heliophysics. 
(4) For Aeronautics, $565,700,000. 
(5) For Space Technology, $500,000,000. 
(6) For Education, $125,000,000. 
(7) For Cross-Agency Support, $2,600,000,000, 
of which— 
(A) $2,000,000,000 shall be for Center 
Management and Operations; and 
(B) $600,000,000 shall be for Agency 
Management and Operations. 
(8) For Construction and Environmental Com-
pliance and Restoration, $587,000,000, of which— 
(A) $542,000,000 shall be for Construction 
and Facilities; and 
(B) $45,000,000 shall be for Environ-
mental Compliance and Restoration. 
(9) For Inspector General, $35,300,000. 
SEC. 102. FISCAL YEAR 2015. 
There are authorized to be appropriated to the Ad-
ministration for fiscal year 2015 $16,865,200,000 as fol-
lows: 
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(1) For Space Exploration, $4,007,400,000, of 
which— 
(A) $1,802,400,000 shall be for the Space 
Launch System; 
(B) $1,200,000,000 shall be for the Orion 
crew capsule; 
(C) $305,000,000 shall be for Exploration 
Research and Development; and 
(D) $700,000,000 shall be for Commercial 
Crew Development activities. 
(2) For Space Operations, $3,817,900,000, of 
which— 
(A) $2,984,100,000 shall be for the Inter-
national Space Station Program; and 
(B) $833,800,000 shall be for Space and 
Flight Support. 
(3) For Science, $4,626,900,000, of which— 
(A) $1,200,000,000 shall be for Earth 
Science; 
(B) $1,500,000,000 shall be for Planetary 
Science, of which $30,000,000 shall be for the 
Astrobiology Institute; 
(C) $642,300,000 shall be for Astro-
physics; 
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(D) $658,200,000 shall be for the James 
Webb Space Telescope; and 
(E) 
$626,400,000 
shall 
be 
for 
Heliophysics. 
(4) For Aeronautics, $565,700,000. 
(5) For Space Technology, $500,000,000. 
(6) For Education, $125,000,000. 
(7) For Cross-Agency Support, $2,600,000,000, 
of which— 
(A) $2,000,000,000 shall be for Center 
Management and Operations; and 
(B) $600,000,000 shall be for Agency 
Management and Operations. 
(8) For Construction and Environmental Com-
pliance and Restoration, $587,000,000, of which— 
(A) $542,000,000 shall be for Construction 
and Facilities; and 
(B) $45,000,000 shall be for Environ-
mental Compliance and Restoration. 
(9) For Inspector General, $35,300,000. 
SEC. 103. BUDGET CONTROL. 
The amounts authorized to be appropriated to the 
Administration for fiscal years 2014 and 2015 are con-
sistent with the Budget Control Act of 2011 (Public Law 
112–25). If such Act is repealed or replaced with an Act 
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that increases allocations, there are authorized to be ap-
propriated to the Administration such sums as that in-
crease allows, with increases allocated as follows: 
(1) One-third of such increase shall be for the 
International Space Station Program. 
(2) One-third of such increase shall be for the 
Space Launch System. 
(3) One-third of such increase shall be divided 
evenly between— 
(A) Commercial Crew Development activi-
ties; and 
(B) the Orion crew capsule. 
TITLE II—HUMAN SPACE FLIGHT 
Subtitle A—Exploration 
SEC. 201. SPACE EXPLORATION POLICY. 
(a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds the following: 
(1) Congress supports a human exploration pro-
gram that is not critically dependent on the achieve-
ment of milestones by fixed dates and an exploration 
technology development program to enable lunar 
human and robotic operations, as described in para-
graphs (1) and (2) of section 70502 of title 51, 
United States Code. 
(2) Congress supports the expansion of perma-
nent human presence beyond low-Earth orbit, in a 
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manner involving international partners where prac-
tical. 
(3) Congress remains committed to ensuring 
that authorized budgets for the human space flight 
program should allow the Administration to main-
tain high safety standards. 
(4) Exploration deeper into the solar system 
should be the core mission of the Administration. 
(5) Congress strongly supports the development 
of the Space Launch System and the Orion crew 
capsule as the enabling elements for human explo-
ration, advanced scientific missions, and national se-
curity priorities beyond low-Earth orbit. 
(b) POLICY.—It is the policy of the United States 
that the development of capabilities and technologies nec-
essary for human missions to lunar orbit, the surface of 
the Moon, the surface of Mars, and beyond shall be the 
goal of the Administration’s human space flight program. 
(c) VISION
FOR
SPACE
EXPLORATION.—Section 
20302 of title 51, United States Code, is amended— 
(1) by striking subsection (a) and inserting the 
following: 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Administrator shall estab-
lish a program to develop a sustained human presence on 
the Moon and the surface of Mars, including a robust pre-
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cursor program that follows the stepping stone plan re-
quired in section 70504 to promote exploration, science, 
commerce, and United States preeminence in space. The 
Administrator is further authorized to develop and con-
duct appropriate international collaborations in pursuit of 
such program, but the absence of an international partner 
may not be justification for failure to pursue such pro-
gram in a timely manner.’’; 
(2) in subsection (b)— 
(A) by striking paragraph (1) and insert-
ing the following: 
‘‘(1) Returning Americans to the Moon.’’; 
(B) by striking paragraph (2) and insert-
ing the following: 
‘‘(2) Launching the first crewed mission of the 
fully integrated Orion crew capsule with the Space 
Launch System as close to 2020 as possible.’’; and 
(C) in paragraph (4), by striking ‘‘from 
Mars and’’ and inserting ‘‘from the Moon, 
Mars, and’’; and 
(3) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(c) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
‘‘(1) ORION CREW CAPSULE.—The term ‘Orion 
crew capsule’ refers to the multipurpose crew vehicle 
described in section 303 of the National Aeronautics 
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and Space Administration Authorization Act of 2010 
(42 U.S.C. 18323). 
‘‘(2) SPACE
LAUNCH
SYSTEM.—The term 
‘Space Launch System’ refers to the follow-on Gov-
ernment-owned civil launch system developed, man-
aged, and operated by the Administration to serve as 
a key component to expand human presence beyond 
low-Earth orbit, as described in section 302 of the 
National Aeronautics and Space Administration Au-
thorization Act of 2010 (42 U.S.C. 18322).’’. 
(d) KEY OBJECTIVES.—Section 202(b) of the Na-
tional Aeronautics and Space Administration Authoriza-
tion Act of 2010 (42 U.S.C. 18312(b)) is amended— 
(1) in paragraph (3), by striking ‘‘and’’ after 
the semicolon; 
(2) in paragraph (4), by striking the period at 
the end and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 
(3) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(5) to accelerate the development of capabili-
ties to enable a human exploration mission to the 
surface 
of 
Mars 
and 
beyond 
through 
the 
prioritization of those technologies and capabilities 
best suited for such a mission in accordance with the 
Mars Human Exploration Roadmap under section 
70504 of title 51, United States Code.’’. 
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