generation of young people in the same way as the
Apollo program did.
(19) Properly constructed, a bold and sustained
human space exploration initiative has the potential
to engage the international community in peaceful
cooperation in space.
(20) Completion of the International Space Sta-
tion with a full crew complement of 7 astronauts
and robust research capabilities is essential if the
United States is to carry out successfully a com-
prehensive initiative of scientific exploration of the
solar system that involves human space flight.
SEC. 3. DEFINITION.
For purposes of this Act the term ‘‘Administrator’’
means the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and
Space Administration.
SEC. 4. HUMAN SPACE FLIGHT INITIATIVE.
(a) GOALS.—The Administrator shall set the fol-
lowing goals for the future activities of the National Aero-
nautics and Space Administration’s human space flight
program:
(1) Within 8 years after the date of enactment
of this Act, the development and flight demonstra-
tion of a reusable space vehicle capable of carrying
humans from low Earth orbit to the L 1 and L 2
Earth-Sun libration points and back for the pur-
poses of assembling large-scale space structures such
as would be required for scientific observatories, to
the Earth-Moon libration points and back, and to
lunar orbit and back.
(2) Within 10 years after the date of enactment
of this Act, the development and flight demonstra-
tion of a reusable space vehicle capable of carrying
humans from low Earth orbit to and from an Earth-
orbit crossing asteroid and rendezvousing with it.
(3) Within 15 years after the date of enactment
of this Act, the development and flight demonstra-
tion of a reusable space vehicle capable of carrying
humans from lunar orbit to the surface of the Moon
and back, as well as the development and deploy-
ment of a human-tended habitation and research fa-
cility on the lunar surface.
(4) Within 20 years after the date of enactment
of this Act, the development and flight demonstra-
tion of a reusable space vehicle capable of carrying
humans from low Earth orbit to and from Martian
orbit, the development and deployment of a human-
tended habitation and research facility on the sur-
face of one of the moons of Mars, and the develop-
ment and flight demonstration of a reusable space
vehicle capable of carrying humans from Martian
orbit to the surface of Mars and back.
(b) OFFICE OF EXPLORATION.—
(1) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Administrator shall
establish an Office of Exploration, which shall be
headed by an Associate Administrator reporting di-
rectly to the Administrator.
(2) FUNCTIONS.—The Office of Exploration
shall, in coordination with the Office of Space
Flight, the Office of Space Science, and all other rel-
evant Offices, be responsible for planning, budg-
eting, and managing activities undertaken by the
National Aeronautics and Space Administration to
accomplish the goals stated in subsection (a).
(c) IMPLEMENTATION.—
(1) COMPETITIONS.—The Administrator shall
establish a process for conducting competitions for
innovative, cost-efficient mission concepts to accom-
plish each of the goals stated in subsection (a). The
competitions shall be open to entities or consortia
from industry, academia, nongovernmental research
organizations, National Aeronautics and Space Ad-
ministration Centers, and other governmental orga-
nizations. Mission concepts may include the provi-
sion of a commercial item or service sufficient to ac-
complish all or part of the relevant goal. Mission
concepts that include international participation and
cost-sharing shall be encouraged. The Administrator
shall solicit proposals for the competition with re-
spect to the goal stated in subsection (a)(1) not later
than 180 days after the date of the enactment of
this Act, and shall determine when it is appropriate
to conduct competitions with respect to each of the
other goals stated in subsection (a).
(2) INDEPENDENT REVIEW OF PROPOSALS.—
The Administrator shall establish an independent
panel to conduct a merit-based competitive review of
the proposals submitted under each competition con-
ducted under this subsection, and to submit a rank-
ordered evaluation of the proposals to the Adminis-
trator.
(3) CONTENTS.—Each proposal submitted as
part of a competition under this subsection shall
contain a proposed implementation plan that
includes—
(A) the mission concept;
(B) a cost estimate;
(C) a funding profile;
(D) a schedule; and
(E) a technological risk reduction roadmap
for any required technologies not currently
available for use in the proposed mission con-
cept.
(4) REVIEW OF COST ESTIMATE AND FUNDING
PROFILE.—The Administrator shall provide for the
completion of an independent external review of the
cost estimate and funding profile of the competi-
tively selected proposal for each of the competitions
conducted under this subsection within 60 days after
the completion of the competitive selection process.
(5) REPORT TO CONGRESS.—The Administrator
shall provide to the Committee on Science of the
House of Representatives and to the Committee on
Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Sen-
ate the implementation plan of the competitively se-
lected proposal, along with the results of the inde-
pendent external review under paragraph (4), for
each competition conducted under this subsection,
within 90 days after the completion of the competi-
tive selection process.
(d) IMPLEMENTATION PLAN UPDATES
AND RE-
VIEWS.—
(1) UPDATES.—The implementation plans of
the competitively selected proposals under subsection
(c) shall be updated every year by the manager of
the project, as designated by the original implemen-
tation plan.
(2) UPDATED
IMPLEMENTATION
PLAN
RE-
VIEW.—The Administrator shall have an inde-
pendent external review panel review each of the up-
dated implementation plans required by paragraph
(1), and shall provide the results of those reviews to
the Committee on Science of the House of Rep-
resentatives and to the Committee on Commerce,
Science, and Transportation of the Senate within 30
days after each review is completed.
(3) REVIEW ELEMENTS.—Reviews under para-
graph (2) shall address at least the following:
(A) The reasonableness of the assumed
schedule for the cost estimate and funding pro-
file.
(B) The degree to which the implementa-
tion plan is consistent with the competitively se-
lected mission concept.
(C) The degree to which the relevant areas
of technical and programmatic risk are ad-
dressed and risk mitigation plans are in place.
(D) The extent to which the implementa-
tion plan utilizes commercially available goods
and services when available and appropriate to
achieve the goal.
(E) The extent to which the plan makes
use of existing capabilities developed in previous
phases of the human space flight initiative or in
other National Aeronautics and Space Adminis-
tration programs when available and appro-
priate in lieu of undertaking new development
programs.
(e) AUTHORIZATION
OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There
are authorized to be appropriated to the Administrator for
carrying out this Act—
(1) $50,000,000 for fiscal year 2003; and
(2) $200,000,000 for fiscal year 2004.
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