TITLE IV—AERONAUTICS 
SEC. 401. DEFINITION. 
For purposes of this title, the term ‘‘institution of 
higher education’’ has the meaning given that term by sec-
tion 101 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 
1001). 
Subtitle 
A—National 
Policy 
for 
Aeronautics Research and De-
velopment 
SEC. 411. POLICY. 
It shall be the policy of the United States to reaffirm 
the National Aeronautics and Space Act of 1958 and its 
identification of aeronautical research and development as 
a core mission of NASA. Further, it shall be the policy 
of the United States to promote aeronautical research and 
development that will expand the capacity, ensure the 
safety, and increase the efficiency of the Nation’s air 
transportation system, promote the security of the Nation, 
protect the environment, and retain the leadership of the 
United States in global aviation.
Subtitle B—NASA Aeronautics 
Breakthrough Research Initiatives 
SEC. 421. ENVIRONMENTAL AIRCRAFT RESEARCH AND DE-
VELOPMENT INITIATIVE. 
(a) OBJECTIVE.—The Administrator may establish 
an initiative with the objective of developing, and dem-
onstrating in a relevant environment, within 10 years after 
the date of enactment of this Act, technologies to enable 
the following commercial aircraft performance characteris-
tics: 
(1) NOISE.—Noise levels on takeoff and on air-
port approach and landing that do not exceed ambi-
ent noise levels in the absence of flight operations in 
the vicinity of airports from which such commercial 
aircraft would normally operate. 
(2) ENERGY CONSUMPTION.—Twenty-five per-
cent reduction in the energy required for medium to 
long range flights, compared to aircraft in commer-
cial service as of the date of enactment of this Act. 
This reduction may be achieved by a combination of 
improvements to—
(A) specific fuel consumption; 
(B) lift-to-drag ratio; and 
(C) structural weight fraction.
(3) EMISSIONS.—Nitrogen oxides on take-off 
and landing that are reduced by 50 percent relative 
to aircraft in commercial service as of the date of 
enactment of this Act. 
(b) STUDY.—
(1) REQUIREMENT.—The Administrator shall 
enter into an arrangement for the National Research 
Council to conduct a study to identify and quantify 
new markets that would be created, as well as exist-
ing markets that would be expanded, by the incorpo-
ration of the technologies developed pursuant to this 
section into future commercial aircraft. The study 
shall identify whether any of the performance char-
acteristics specified in subsection (a) would need to 
be made more stringent in order to create new mar-
kets or expand existing markets. The National Re-
search Council shall seek input from at least the air-
craft manufacturing industry, academia, and the air-
lines in carrying out the study. 
(2) REPORT.—A report containing the results 
of the study conducted under paragraph (1) shall be 
provided to Congress not later than 18 months after 
the date of enactment of this Act.
SEC. 422. CIVIL SUPERSONIC TRANSPORT RESEARCH AND 
DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVE. 
The Administrator may establish an initiative with 
the objective of developing, and demonstrating in a rel-
evant environment, within 20 years after the date of enact-
ment of this Act, technologies to enable overland flight of 
supersonic civil transport aircraft with at least the fol-
lowing performance characteristics: 
(1) Mach number of at least 1.4. 
(2) Range of at least 4,000 nautical miles. 
(3) Payload of at least 24 passengers. 
(4) Noise levels on takeoff and on airport ap-
proach and landing that meet community noise 
standards in place at airports from which such com-
mercial supersonic aircraft would normally operate 
at the time the aircraft would enter commercial serv-
ice. 
(5) Shaped sonic boom signatures sufficiently 
low to permit overland flight over populated areas. 
(6) Nitrogen oxide, carbon dioxide, and water 
vapor emissions consistent with regulations likely to 
be in effect at the time of this aircraft’s introduc-
tion.
SEC. 
423. 
ROTORCRAFT 
AND 
OTHER 
RUNWAY-INDE-
PENDENT AIR VEHICLES RESEARCH AND DE-
VELOPMENT INITIATIVE. 
The Administrator may establish a rotorcraft and 
other runway-independent air vehicles initiative with the 
objective of developing and demonstrating in a relevant en-
vironment, within 10 years after the date of enactment 
of this Act, technologies to enable significantly safer, 
quieter, and more environmentally compatible operation 
from a wider range of airports under a wider range of 
weather conditions than is the case for rotorcraft and 
other runway-independent air vehicles in service as of the 
date of enactment of this Act. 
Subtitle 
C—Other 
NASA 
Aero-
nautics Research and Develop-
ment Activities 
SEC. 431. FUNDAMENTAL RESEARCH AND TECHNOLOGY 
BASE PROGRAM. 
(a) OBJECTIVE.—In order to ensure that the Nation 
maintains needed capabilities in fundamental areas of 
aeronautical research, the Administrator shall establish a 
program of long-term fundamental research in aero-
nautical sciences and technologies that is not tied to spe-
cific development projects. 
(b) ASSESSMENT.—The Administrator shall enter 
into an arrangement with the National Research Council
for an assessment of the Nation’s future requirements for 
fundamental aeronautics research and whether the Nation 
will have a skilled research workforce and research facili-
ties commensurate with those requirements. The assess-
ment shall include an identification of any projected gaps, 
and recommendations for what steps should be taken by 
the Federal Government to eliminate those gaps. 
(c) REPORT.—The Administrator shall transmit the 
assessment, along with NASA’s response to the assess-
ment, to Congress not later than 2 years after the date 
of enactment of this Act. 
SEC. 432. AIRSPACE SYSTEMS RESEARCH. 
(a) OBJECTIVE.—The Airspace Systems Research 
program shall pursue research and development to enable 
revolutionary improvements to and modernization of the 
National Airspace System, as well as to enable the intro-
duction of new systems for vehicles that can take advan-
tage of an improved, modern air transportation system. 
(b) ALIGNMENT.—Not later than 2 years after the 
date of enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall 
align the projects of the Airspace Systems Research pro-
gram so that they directly support the objectives of the 
Joint Planning and Development Office’s Next Generation 
Air Transportation System Integrated Plan.