I 
114TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 4752 
To require the National Aeronautics and Space Administration to investigate 
and promote the exploration and development of space leading to human 
settlements beyond Earth, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MARCH 16, 2016 
Mr. ROHRABACHER introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Science, Space, and Technology 
A BILL 
To require the National Aeronautics and Space Administra-
tion to investigate and promote the exploration and de-
velopment of space leading to human settlements beyond 
Earth, 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. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Space Exploration, De-
velopment, and Settlement Act of 2016’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
The Congress finds that— 
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(1) America’s activities in space have challenged 
mankind to travel beyond planet Earth and have 
provided us the opportunity to expand human knowl-
edge, to extend the limits of human consciousness, 
and to improve the human condition; 
(2) Section 217(a) of the National Aeronautics 
and Space Administration Authorization Act, Fiscal 
Year 1989 states, ‘‘The Congress declares that the 
extension of human life beyond Earth’s atmosphere, 
leading ultimately to the establishment of space set-
tlements, will fulfill the purposes of advancing 
science, exploration, and development and will en-
hance the general welfare.’’; 
(3) numerous independent commissions, char-
tered by Congress or established by the President, 
have declared space settlements as a long-range ob-
jective of the American space program; 
(4) exploring, developing, and settling new 
physical areas are parts of our heritage and will 
most assuredly be parts of our future; 
(5) United States space policy requires long- 
range goals and strategic direction in order to pro-
vide context for near-term space projects and pro-
grams; 
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(6) increasing awareness of planetary-scale exis-
tential risks to human civilization and the survival of 
the species make it prudent to develop a means to 
diversify the human population beyond Earth; 
(7) the development of space will create new 
jobs, catalyze new industries, accelerate innovation 
and new technologies, and enable America to tap 
vast new resources that will generate new wealth, 
enhance national security, and provide Americans 
with new and limitless opportunities; 
(8) the establishment of space settlements will 
inspire generations of future Americans; 
(9) the human settlement of space is fully con-
sistent with the policies and objectives articulated in 
the National Aeronautics and Space Act of 1958; 
and 
(10) the adoption of a ‘‘pioneering’’ orientation 
by the National Aeronautics and Space Administra-
tion is an essential step toward enabling the estab-
lishment of space settlements. 
SEC. 3. AMENDMENTS TO THE NATIONAL AERONAUTICS 
AND SPACE ACT. 
(a) DECLARATION OF POLICY AND PURPOSE.—Sec-
tion 20102 of title 51, United States Code, is amended— 
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(1) by redesignating subsections (d) through (h) 
as subsections (e) through (i), respectively; 
(2) by inserting after subsection (c) the fol-
lowing new subsection: 
‘‘(d) EXPLORATION, DEVELOPMENT, AND SETTLE-
MENT OF SPACE.—The Congress declares that expanding 
permanent human presence beyond low-Earth orbit in a 
way that enables human settlement and a thriving space 
economy will enhance the general welfare of the United 
States and requires the Administration to encourage and 
support the development of permanent space settle-
ments.’’; 
(3) in subsection (e), as so redesignated by 
paragraph (1) of this subsection, by inserting after 
paragraph (9) the following new paragraph: 
‘‘(10) The expansion of permanent human pres-
ence beyond low-Earth orbit in a way that enables 
human settlement and a thriving space economy.’’; 
and 
(4) in subsection (i), as so redesignated by 
paragraph (1) of this subsection, by striking ‘‘to 
(g)’’ and inserting in lieu thereof ‘‘to (h)’’. 
(b) DEFINITIONS.—Section 20103 of title 51, United 
States Code, is amended— 
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(1) by inserting, in paragraph (1)(D), ‘‘and de-
velopment’’ after ‘‘exploration’’; and 
(2) by adding at the end the following new 
paragraph: 
‘‘(3) SPACE
SETTLEMENT.—The term ‘space 
settlement’ means any community of humans living 
beyond Earth’s atmosphere that is able to economi-
cally sustain its population through a neutral or 
positive balance of trade of goods and services, and 
is able to expand its habitable real estate as need 
and desire of the community may warrant and inter-
national law permits.’’. 
SEC. 4. SPACE SETTLEMENT ACTIVITIES. 
(a) SPACE DEVELOPMENT AND SETTLEMENT INFOR-
MATION.—Consistent with the national security interests 
of the United States, the National Aeronautics and Space 
Administration shall, in close cooperation with other ap-
propriate agencies, the private sector, academia, and the 
international community, obtain, produce, and provide in-
formation relating to all issues important for the develop-
ment of a thriving space economy and the development 
and establishment of human space settlements. 
(b) REPORT.—Once every two years after the date 
of enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall submit 
a report to the President, the Committee on Science, 
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Space, and Technology of the House of Representatives, 
and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transpor-
tation of the Senate which describes the progress made 
toward expanding permanent human presence beyond low- 
Earth orbit in a way that enables human settlement and 
a thriving space economy. 
(c) METRICS.—The National Aeronautics and Space 
Administration shall, as part of its first report as required 
by subsection (b), include one or more metrics by which 
to determine progress made toward space settlement 
against which all subsequent reports as required by sub-
section (b) shall be compared. The metrics may be revised 
as appropriate over time to reflect emerging technological, 
economic, and other trends. 
SEC. 5. REVIEW OF NATIONAL SPACE POLICY AS IT MAY RE-
LATE TO SPACE SETTLEMENT AND A THRIV-
ING SPACE ECONOMY. 
It is the sense of Congress that the President should 
conduct a review of national space policy to incorporate 
as a long-term goal of the human spaceflight and explo-
ration program to expand human presence beyond low- 
Earth orbit in a way that will enable human settlement 
and a thriving space economy. 
Æ 
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