I 
109TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 3039 
To enact title 51, United States Code, ‘‘National and Commercial Space 
Programs’’, as positive law. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JUNE 22, 2005 
Mr. SENSENBRENNER (for himself and Mr. CONYERS) introduced the 
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary 
A BILL 
To enact title 51, United States Code, ‘‘National and 
Commercial Space Programs’’, as positive law. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. TABLE OF CONTENTS. 
The table of contents for this Act is as follows: 
Sec. 1. Table of contents. 
Sec. 2. Purpose; conformity with original intent. 
Sec. 3. Enactment of title 51, United States Code. 
Sec. 4. Conforming amendments to other laws. 
Sec. 5. Transitional and savings provisions. 
Sec. 6. Repeals. 
SEC. 2. PURPOSE; CONFORMITY WITH ORIGINAL INTENT. 
(a) PURPOSE.—The purpose of this Act is to codify 
certain existing laws related to national and commercial
space programs as a positive law title of the United States 
Code. 
(b) CONFORMITY WITH ORIGINAL INTENT.—In the 
codification of laws by this Act, the intent is to conform 
to the understood policy, intent, and purpose of Congress 
in the original enactments, with such amendments and 
corrections as will remove ambiguities, contradictions, and 
other imperfections, in accordance with section 205(c)(1) 
of House Resolution No. 988, 93d Congress, as enacted 
into law by Public Law 93–554 (2 U.S.C. 285b(1)). 
SEC. 3. ENACTMENT OF TITLE 51, UNITED STATES CODE. 
Title 51, United States Code, ‘‘National and Com-
mercial Space Programs’’, is enacted as follows: 
TITLE 51—NATIONAL AND COM-
MERCIAL SPACE PROGRAMS 
Chapter 
Sec. 
1. Definitions .............................................................................
101 
3. National Aeronautics and Space Program ...............
301 
5. Adjunct National Space Program Provisions ..........
501 
7. National Space Grant College and Fellowship 
Program.
701 
9. Biomedical Research in Space ......................................
901 
11. Land Remote Sensing Policy .........................................
1101 
13. Space Commerce .................................................................
1301 
15. Commercial Reusable In-Space Transportation .....
1501 
17. Commercial Space Competitiveness ...........................
1701 
CHAPTER 1—DEFINITIONS 
Sec. 
101. Definitions. 
§ 101. Definitions 
In this title:
(1) ADMINISTRATION.—The term ‘‘Administra-
tion’’ means the National Aeronautics and Space 
Administration. 
(2) ADMINISTRATOR.—The term ‘‘Adminis-
trator’’ means the Administrator of the National 
Aeronautics and Space Administration. 
CHAPTER 3—NATIONAL AERONAUTICS 
AND SPACE PROGRAM 
SUBCHAPTER I—SHORT TITLE, DECLARATION OF POLICY, AND 
DEFINITIONS 
Sec. 
301. Short title. 
302. Congressional declaration of policy and purpose. 
303. Definitions. 
SUBCHAPTER II—COORDINATION OF AERONAUTICAL AND SPACE 
ACTIVITIES 
311. National Aeronautics and Space Administration. 
312. Functions of the Administration. 
313. Powers of the Administration in performance of functions. 
314. International cooperation. 
315. Reports to Congress. 
316. Disposal of excess land. 
SUBCHAPTER III—GENERAL ADMINISTRATIVE PROVISIONS 
331. Public access to information. 
332. Security requirements. 
333. Permission to carry firearms. 
334. Arrest authority. 
335. Property rights in inventions. 
336. Contributions awards. 
337. Malpractice and negligence suits against United States. 
338. Insurance and indemnification. 
339. Insurance for experimental aerospace vehicles. 
340. Appropriations. 
341. Misuse of agency name and initials. 
342. Contracts regarding expendable launch vehicles. 
343. Full cost appropriations account structure. 
344. Enhanced-use lease of real property demonstration. 
SUBCHAPTER IV—UPPER ATMOSPHERE RESEARCH 
361. Congressional declaration of purpose and policy. 
362. Definition of upper atmosphere.
363. Program authorized. 
364. International cooperation. 
SUBCHAPTER I—SHORT TITLE, DECLARATION 
OF POLICY, AND DEFINITIONS 
§ 301. Short title 
This chapter may be cited as the ‘‘National Aero-
nautics and Space Act’’. 
§ 302. Congressional declaration of policy and pur-
pose 
(a) DEVOTION OF SPACE ACTIVITIES TO PEACEFUL 
PURPOSES FOR BENEFIT OF ALL HUMANKIND.—Con-
gress declares that it is the policy of the United States 
that activities in space should be devoted to peaceful pur-
poses for the benefit of all humankind. 
(b) AERONAUTICAL
AND SPACE ACTIVITIES
FOR 
WELFARE AND SECURITY OF UNITED STATES.—Congress 
declares that the general welfare and security of the 
United States require that adequate provision be made for 
aeronautical and space activities. Congress further de-
clares that such activities shall be the responsibility of, 
and shall be directed by, a civilian agency exercising con-
trol over aeronautical and space activities sponsored by the 
United States, except that activities peculiar to or pri-
marily associated with the development of weapons sys-
tems, military operations, or the defense of the United 
States (including the research and development necessary
to make effective provision for the defense of the United 
States) shall be the responsibility of, and shall be directed 
by, the Department of Defense; and that determination 
as to which agency has responsibility for and direction of 
any such activity shall be made by the President. 
(c) COMMERCIAL USE OF SPACE.—Congress declares 
that the general welfare of the United States requires that 
the Administration seek and encourage, to the maximum 
extent possible, the fullest commercial use of space. 
(d) OBJECTIVES OF AERONAUTICAL AND SPACE AC-
TIVITIES.—The aeronautical and space activities of the 
United States shall be conducted so as to contribute mate-
rially to one or more of the following objectives: 
(1) The expansion of human knowledge of the 
Earth and of phenomena in the atmosphere and 
space. 
(2) The improvement of the usefulness, per-
formance, speed, safety, and efficiency of aero-
nautical and space vehicles. 
(3) The development and operation of vehicles 
capable of carrying instruments, equipment, sup-
plies, and living organisms through space. 
(4) The establishment of long-range studies of 
the potential benefits to be gained from, the oppor-
tunities for, and the problems involved in the utiliza-
tion of aeronautical and space activities for peaceful 
and scientific purposes. 
(5) The preservation of the role of the United 
States as a leader in aeronautical and space science 
and technology and in the application thereof to the 
conduct of peaceful activities within and outside the 
atmosphere. 
(6) The making available to agencies directly 
concerned with national defense of discoveries that 
have military value or significance, and the fur-
nishing by such agencies, to the civilian agency es-
tablished to direct and control nonmilitary aero-
nautical and space activities, of information as to 
discoveries which have value or significance to that 
agency. 
(7) Cooperation by the United States with other 
nations and groups of nations in work done pursu-
ant to this chapter and in the peaceful application 
of the results thereof. 
(8) The most effective utilization of the sci-
entific and engineering resources of the United 
States, with close cooperation among all interested 
agencies of the United States in order to avoid un-
necessary duplication of effort, facilities, and equip-
ment.