priate committees of Congress a report that evaluates the 
risk posed by a potential gap in access to low-Earth orbit 
on science and technology research and development con-
ducted by NASA and private entities. The report shall de-
scribe the following: 
(1) The NASA science and exploration programs 
that may be adversely affected by the lack of a United 
States presence in low-Earth orbit. 
(2) The effects that a gap in low-Earth orbit 
would have on the United States’ competitiveness in 
science and technology and in the development of the 
United States-based commercial space industry. 
(3) Potential options and associated costs for 
preventing such a gap, including the following: 
(A) Implementing the strategy described in 
section 306. 
(B) Supporting the operation of the Inter-
national Space Station beyond 2030. 
(C) Increasing investment in and accel-
erating development of commercial space sta-
tions. 
(D) Working with international partners to 
establish alternative means for conducting re-
search in low-Earth orbit. 
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SEC. 308. MAINTENANCE OF SERVICE FOR INTERNATIONAL 
SPACE STATION. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Subject to appropriations for such 
purpose, the Administrator shall maintain a flight cadence 
necessary to support the health and safety of the Inter-
national Space Station crew and the full and productive 
utilization of the International Space Station through its 
operational lifetime, consistent with the certification date 
of the International Space Station. In maintaining such 
flight cadence, the Administrator shall seek to carry out not 
less than the average annual cadence for the immediately 
preceding three fiscal years of crew and cargo flights on 
United States vehicles certified under NASA’s Commercial 
Crew and Cargo Program as of the date of the enactment 
of this Act. 
(b) WAIVER.—The Administrator may waive the re-
quirement under subsection (a) upon submission of a writ-
ten determination to Congress that— 
(1) the health and safety of the International 
Space Station requires a reduction in flights; or 
(2) the International Space Station has con-
cluded its operational lifetime. 
SEC. 309. ORBITAL DEBRIS RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT. 
(a) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of Congress 
that NASA’s research and development activities related to 
understanding and mitigating the hazards posed by orbital 
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debris are critical to ensuring the continued safe operation 
of NASA missions, including the safety of humans living 
and working in space, and such activities further enable 
scientific and technological advances that can be leveraged 
by the broader space operations community to foster a sus-
tainable space environment. 
(b) RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT.—The Adminis-
trator shall, to the extent practicable, conduct research and 
development to advance scientific understanding and tech-
nological capabilities related to orbital debris characteriza-
tion and mitigation. 
(c) CONSIDERATIONS.—In conducting the research and 
development described in subsection (b), the Administrator 
may consider activities that— 
(1) improve the characterization and modeling of 
the space environment, including the characterization 
and modeling of objects of both natural and anthropo-
genic origins that cannot be directly characterized by 
ground-based measurements; 
(2) leverage space weather research and develop-
ment elements within NASA’s Heliophysics program, 
to the extent appropriate and in accordance with the 
priorities established in the most recent solar and 
space physics decadal survey; and 
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(3) support the application of relevant research, 
tools, and technologies to advance orbital debris char-
acterization and mitigation and the transfer of such 
research, tools, and technologies to stakeholders, as ap-
propriate and practicable. 
SEC. 310. RESTRICTION ON FEDERAL FUNDS RELATING TO 
CERTAIN CHINESE SPACE AND SCIENTIFIC 
ACTIVITIES. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—No Federal funds authorized in this 
Act may be obligated or expended for the following: 
(1) For the National Aeronautics and Space Ad-
ministration (NASA), the Office of Science and Tech-
nology Policy (OSTP), or the National Space Council 
(NSC) to develop, design, plan, promulgate, imple-
ment, or execute a bilateral policy, program, order, or 
contract of any kind to participate, collaborate, or co-
ordinate bilaterally in any way with China or any 
Chinese-owned company unless such activities are 
specifically authorized by a law enacted after the date 
of the enactment of this Act. 
(2) To effectuate the hosting of official Chinese 
visitors at facilities belonging to or utilized by NASA. 
(b) EXCEPTION.—The restrictions described in sub-
section (a) shall not apply to activities with respect to 
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which NASA, OSTP, or NSC, after consultation with the 
Federal Bureau of Investigation, have certified— 
(1) pose no risk of resulting in the transfer of 
technology, data, or other information with national 
security or economic security implications to China 
or a Chinese-owned company; and 
(2) will not involve knowing interactions with 
officials who have been determined by the United 
States to have direct involvement with violations of 
human rights. 
(c) SUBMISSION.—Any certification made under sub-
section (b) shall be submitted to the Committee on Science, 
Space, and Technology and the Committee on Appropria-
tions of the House of Representatives, the Committee on 
Commerce, Science, and Transportation and the Committee 
on Appropriations of the Senate, and the Federal Bureau 
of Investigation, not later than 30 days prior to the activity 
in question. Any such certification shall include a descrip-
tion of the purpose of such activity, its agenda, its major 
participants, and its location and timing. 
TITLE IV—SPACE TECHNOLOGY 
SEC. 401. SBIR PHASE II FLEXIBILITY. 
Section 9 of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 638) 
is amended in subsection (cc) by striking ‘‘and the Depart-
ment of Education’’ and inserting ‘‘the Department of Edu-
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cation, and the National Aeronautics and Space Adminis-
tration’’. 
SEC. 402. LUNAR POWER PURCHASE AGREEMENT PRO-
GRAM. 
(a) STUDY.—The Administrator may enter into an ar-
rangement with an independent entity with appropriate ex-
pertise to conduct a study evaluating the feasibility of using 
power purchase agreements to facilitate the development 
and deployment of lunar surface power. 
(b) CONTENTS.—The study conducted under subsection 
(a) may include the following: 
(1) An identification of facilities and technical 
capabilities needed to support lunar surface power 
production. 
(2) A demand forecast for lunar surface power, 
including the following: 
(A) Forecasted demand of both govern-
mental and nongovernmental users. 
(B) To support the following: 
(i) Near-term exploration activities. 
(ii) Long-duration activities. 
(3) Potential policy and legal issues associated 
with lunar power purchase agreements between pro-
viders and the United States Government, inter-
national partners, and other private sector entities. 
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(c) COORDINATION.—In conducting the study under 
this section, the Administrator may consult with the fol-
lowing: 
(1) The Lunar Surface Innovation Consortium. 
(2) The Department of Energy, the Department 
of Commerce, and other Federal agencies, as deter-
mined appropriate by the Administrator. 
(3) International partners. 
(4) Relevant private sector entities. 
(d) REPORT.—Not later than 24 months after the date 
of the enactment of this Act, the Administrator may submit 
to the appropriate committees of Congress a report that de-
scribes the results of the study conducted pursuant to sub-
section (a). 
SEC. 403. CRYOGENIC FLUID VALVE TECHNOLOGY REVIEW. 
(a) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of Congress 
that advancing cryogenic fluid valve technology would sup-
port the Administration’s efforts to improve cryogenic fluid 
management and improve space vehicle reliability and effi-
ciency. 
(b) TECHNOLOGY AND RESEARCH REVIEW.—Not later 
than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, 
subject to the availability of appropriations, the Adminis-
trator shall enter into an agreement with an independent 
research and development center or other independent non-
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profit organization, as determined appropriate by the Ad-
ministrator, to conduct a review of cryogenic fluid valve 
technology in accordance with this section. The organiza-
tion shall review recent advances in technologies related to 
cryogenic fluid valve use in space applications and assess 
opportunities to improve cryogenic fluid valve technologies, 
including support for research and development activities 
to advance materials engineering for cryogenic fluid valves. 
(c) REPORT.—Not later than 18 months after the date 
of the enactment of this Act, the organization conducting 
the review shall submit to the Administrator and the appro-
priate committees of Congress a report detailing the results 
of the review conducted under this section. 
SEC. 404. LUNAR COMMUNICATIONS. 
(a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds the following: 
(1) Reliable communication and navigation ca-
pabilities are essential for sustainable human and 
robotic exploration of the Moon. 
(2) Fostering the development of commercial ca-
pabilities can accelerate the deployment of lunar com-
munication and navigation services. 
(b) IN GENERAL.—The Administrator is authorized to 
develop a robust and resilient architecture for lunar com-
munications and navigation to support the Administra-
tion’s human and robotic lunar exploration activities. 
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(c) STUDY AND PLAN.—To inform the development in 
subsection (a), the Administrator shall develop a study and 
prepare a plan to— 
(1) enable interoperable communications and 
navigation services for cislunar missions; 
(2) work with the private sector, other Federal 
agencies, and, as appropriate, international partners 
to establish technical standards, consistent with sec-
tion 12(d) of the National Technology Transfer and 
Advancement Act of 1995 (Public Law 104–113), pro-
tocols, and interface requirements for cislunar com-
munications and navigation services and systems; 
(3) support NASA lunar activities; 
(4) leverage NASA’s space technology research, 
development, and demonstration activities related to 
space communications and navigation; and 
(5) evaluate the opportunities, benefits, feasi-
bility, and challenges of potentially using commercial 
cislunar communication and navigation services, as 
appropriate, by United States commercial providers. 
SEC. 405. CELESTIAL TIME STANDARDIZATION. 
(a) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of Congress 
that— 
(1) United States leadership of a sustained pres-
ence on the Moon and in deep space exploration is 
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important for advancing science, exploration, com-
mercial growth, and international partnership; 
(2) the Artemis and Moon to Mars program of 
the National Aeronautics and Space Administration 
(NASA) will involve governmental, commercial, aca-
demic, and international partners where there is a 
need for interoperability between systems; 
(3) the use of Coordinated Universal Time has 
challenges when used beyond Earth at other celestial 
bodies, due to relativistic effects; 
(4) the United States should lead in developing 
time standardization for the Moon and other celestial 
bodies other than Earth to support interoperability 
and safe and sustainable operations; and 
(5) development of such standardization will ad-
vance United States leadership in standards setting 
for global competitiveness, and will benefit other 
spacefaring countries and entities. 
(b) DEVELOPMENT OF CELESTIAL TIME STANDARD-
IZATION.—The Administrator of NASA, in consultation 
with the Director of the Office of Science and Technology 
Policy, shall carry out the following: 
(1) Enable the development of celestial time 
standardization, including by leading the study and 
definition of a coordinated lunar time. 
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