(iv) any updates to the programs 
called for in the plans described in clauses 
(i) through (iii); and 
(3) a level of funding that adequately supports 
full-scale experimentation and related infrastructure 
must be assured over a sustained period of time to 
restore NASA’s capacity to see legacy priority pro-
grams through to completion and achieve national 
economic and security objectives. 
(b) NATIONAL POLICY.—It is the policy of the United 
States to maintain world leadership in military and civil-
ian aeronautical science and technology, global air power 
projection, and industrial leadership. To this end, one of 
the fundamental objectives of NASA aeronautics research 
is the steady progression and expansion of flight research 
and capabilities, including the science and technology of 
critical underlying disciplines and competencies, chief 
among which are computational-based analytical and pre-
dictive tools and methodologies, aerothermodynamics, 
flight propulsion, high-temperature structures and mate-
rials, and flight controls. 
(c) ESTABLISHMENT OF PROGRAMS OR PROJECTS.— 
The Administrator shall establish the following programs 
or projects: 
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(1) A low-boom supersonic aircraft program or 
project that will— 
(A) demonstrate supersonic aircraft de-
signs and technologies that reduce sonic boom 
noise to levels that encourage the repeal of do-
mestic and international bans on supersonic 
flight overland; and 
(B) gather the data needed to support in-
formed decisions of the Federal Aviation Ad-
ministration 
regarding 
overland 
supersonic 
flight. 
(2) A subsonic flight program of flight tech-
nology demonstrations that use existing aircraft and 
multiple large-scale X-Plane demonstrators devel-
oped sequentially or in parallel, each of which is 
based on a set of new configuration concepts or 
technologies determined by the Administrator— 
(A) to demonstrate aircraft vehicle and 
propulsion concepts and technologies and re-
lated advances in alternative propulsion and en-
ergy; and 
(B) to enable significant increases in en-
ergy efficiency and lower life-cycle emissions in 
the aviation system while achieving a step 
change in noise emissions. 
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(3) An advanced structures, materials, and 
manufacturing program that— 
(A) leverages advances in composite mate-
rial and structures design, certification, and 
manufacturing technologies for use in commer-
cial and military aircraft that have been en-
abled by the Advanced Composites Project and 
the Advanced Composite Consortium; 
(B) drastically reduces the nonrecurring 
time and cost for design, manufacturing tech-
nology development, and certification of ad-
vanced and nontraditional composite materials 
and manufacturing processes; 
(C) makes time reduction improvements to 
increase recurring production rates; and 
(D) includes, as focus areas— 
(i) the leveraging of advances in com-
puter modeling and simulation in virtual 
allowables, automated design tools, and 
manufacturing process development; 
(ii) the enabling of rapid design, auto-
mated manufacturing technology, inspec-
tion, process control, and certification for 
nonorthogonal lay-ups, nontraditional pre-
forms, thermoplastics, ceramics, advanced 
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resin infusion processes, and additive man-
ufacturing for primary aircraft structure; 
and 
(iii) the advancement of manufac-
turing processes, technologies, inspection 
methods, and certification pathways for 
bonded and integrated fail-safe damage 
tolerant aircraft structures. 
(d) PROGRAM ELEMENTS.— 
(1) For each of the programs established under 
subsection (c), the Administrator shall— 
(A) include development of experimental 
aircraft (X–Plane), experimental systems (X– 
System), multiple technologies, and all nec-
essary supporting flight assets; 
(B) pursue a robust technology maturation 
and flight validation program that addresses 
challenges in technology development and matu-
ration; 
(C) improve necessary facilities, flight test-
ing capabilities, and computational tools to sup-
port the program; 
(D) only award primary contracts for de-
sign, procurement, and manufacture to United 
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States companies, consistent with international 
obligations and commitments; 
(E) coordinate research and flight dem-
onstration activities with other Federal agen-
cies, as appropriate, and the United States 
aviation manufacturing community; and 
(F) ensure that the program remains 
aligned with the Aeronautics Strategic Imple-
mentation Plan, and any updates to such plan. 
(2) For the advanced structures, materials, and 
manufacturing program, the Administrator shall— 
(A) offer to enter into a public-private 
partnership, which shall be known as the ‘‘Ad-
vanced Structures, Materials, and Manufac-
turing Program’’, between— 
(i) NASA; and 
(ii) appropriate public and private en-
tities; 
(B) ensure a 50-percent Federal cost share 
for applicable research; 
(C) include as a key partner the Federal 
Aviation Administration; 
(D) include as a partner any other Federal 
agency the participation of which the Adminis-
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trator determines will further the purpose of 
the partnership; and 
(E) provide a structure for managing intel-
lectual property generated by the program 
based on or consistent with the structure estab-
lished for NASA’s Advanced Composites Con-
sortium. 
(e) ON-DEMAND AVIATION.—Congress makes the fol-
lowing findings: 
(1) Fuller utilization of high-speed air transpor-
tation, small airports, helipads, vertical flight infra-
structure, and other infrastructure can alleviate 
transportation congestion and support economic 
growth within cities. 
(2) NASA should continue to develop and test 
air vehicles, different propulsion systems, network 
systems, unmanned aircraft system traffic manage-
ment systems, and technology that can be utilized in 
on-demand air transportation. 
(3) NASA should actively support the research 
around the use of airspace for on-demand aviation. 
(4) This work should leverage NASA’s ongoing 
efforts in developing advanced technologies for large, 
high-volume commercial aircraft applications and 
airspace operations. The Administrator should as-
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sess which air traffic concepts perform most effi-
ciently, taking into consideration factors such as ex-
isting city infrastructure, small airports, and current 
airspace operations. 
(f) DEFINITION OF UNITED STATES COMPANY.—In 
this section, the term ‘‘United States company’’ means a 
private entity— 
(1) organized under the laws of the United 
States; and 
(2) that has one or more existing facilities lo-
cated in the continental United States, including in-
frastructure and staffing, capable of meeting the ob-
jectives of the program in which the company seeks 
to participate, as determined by the Administrator. 
SEC. 5. UNMANNED AIRCRAFT SYSTEMS. 
(a) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of Con-
gress that— 
(1) to ensure United States competitiveness on 
the global stage, the Federal Government must work 
with the private sector to safely integrate the in-
creasing number of commercial applications for un-
manned aircraft systems; and 
(2) the sustained, efficient growth of the United 
States transportation system will require harnessing 
the safety and efficiency benefits of automated sys-
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tems to relieve pressure on infrastructure and traffic 
management. 
(b) POLICY.—It is the policy of the United States 
Government to be an active partner with the private sector 
in the development of technologies, capabilities, and oper-
ating procedures for the safe, efficient integration of un-
manned aircraft systems into the national airspace, while 
ensuring current and future air traffic management sys-
tems are able to manage unmanned aircraft systems. 
(c) UNMANNED
AIRCRAFT
SYSTEMS
OPERATION 
PROGRAM.—To advance the national policy described in 
subsection (b), the Administrator shall— 
(1) research, develop, and test capabilities and 
concepts, including unmanned aircraft systems com-
munications for integrating unmanned aircraft sys-
tems into the national airspace system; 
(2) leverage NASA’s partnership with industry 
focused on the advancement of technologies for fu-
ture air traffic management systems for unmanned 
aircraft for low- and high-altitude operations; 
(3) leverage industry’s advancement of tech-
nologies for unmanned aircraft to inform regulatory 
and standards requirements for various sizes of civil 
unmanned aircraft systems; 
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(4) consider the needs of United States indus-
try, especially as operations transition to more auto-
mated systems; and 
(5) continue to align its research and testing 
portfolio to inform unmanned aircraft system inte-
gration consistent with public safety and national se-
curity objectives. 
(d) COORDINATION WITH THE FEDERAL AVIATION 
ADMINISTRATION.—It is the sense of Congress that— 
(1) NASA should continue to coordinate with 
the Federal Aviation Administration on research on 
air traffic management systems for unmanned air-
craft systems and assist in the establishment of the 
pilot program required under section 2208 of the 
FAA Extension, Safety, and Security Act of 2016 
(49 U.S.C. 40101 note) and the subsequent imple-
mentation of unmanned aircraft system traffic man-
agement systems; and 
(2) unmanned aircraft system integration and 
unmanned traffic management research should con-
tinue to leverage the resources available through the 
unmanned aircraft system test ranges designated by 
the Federal Aviation Administration under section 
332 of the FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 
2012 (Public Law 112–95; 49 U.S.C. 40101 note). 
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SEC. 6. 21ST CENTURY AERONAUTICS RESEARCH CAPABILI-
TIES INITIATIVE. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Administrator shall es-
tablish a 21st Century Aeronautics Capabilities Initiative, 
within the Construction and Environmental Compliance 
and Restoration Account, to ensure that NASA possesses 
the infrastructure capabilities and computational tools 
necessary to conduct proposed flight demonstration 
projects across the range of NASA aeronautics interests. 
As part of such Initiative, the Administrator shall carry 
out the following activities: 
(1) Any investments necessary to upgrade and 
create facilities for civil and national security aero-
nautics research to support advancements in long- 
term foundational science and technology, advanced 
aircraft systems, air traffic management systems, 
fuel efficiency and electric propulsion technologies, 
systemwide safety assurance, autonomous aviation, 
and supersonic and hypersonic aircraft design and 
development. 
(2) Any measures supporting flight testing ac-
tivities, to include continuous refinement and devel-
opment of free-flight test techniques and methodolo-
gies, upgrades and improvements to real-time track-
ing and data acquisition, and any other measures re-
lated to aeronautics research support and mod-
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ernization as the Administrator may consider appro-
priate to carry out the scientific study of the prob-
lems of flight, with a view to their practical solution. 
(b) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—For the 
purpose of carrying out this section, there are authorized 
to be appropriated to NASA $100,000,000 for each of fis-
cal years 2020 through 2024, to be derived from amounts 
otherwise authorized to be appropriated to NASA. 
(c) REPORT.— 
(1) REPORT REQUIRED.—Not later than 120 
days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Ad-
ministrator shall transmit to Congress a report con-
taining a 5-year plan for the implementation of the 
21st Century Aeronautics Research Capabilities Ini-
tiative. 
(2) ELEMENTS.—The report required by this 
subsection shall include— 
(A) a description of proposed projects; 
(B) a description of the manner in which 
such projects align with the Aeronautics Stra-
tegic Implementation Plan or the roadmap de-
veloped by the joint technology office on 
hypersonics under section 218(d) of the John 
Warner National Defense Authorization Act for 
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Fiscal Year 2007 (10 U.S.C. note), and any up-
dates to such plan or roadmap; and 
(C) a timetable for carrying out activities 
and initiatives authorized under this section. 
SEC. 7. AUTHORIZATIONS OF APPROPRIATIONS. 
(a) FISCAL YEAR 2020.—There are authorized to be 
appropriated to NASA Aeronautics Research Mission Di-
rectorate for fiscal year 2020, $840,000,000, as follows: 
(1) For Airspace Operations and Safety Pro-
gram, $159,000,000. 
(2) For Advanced Air Vehicles Program, 
$280,000,000. 
(3) For Integrated Aviation Systems Program, 
$251,000,000. 
(4) For Transformative Aero Concepts Pro-
gram, $100,000,000. 
(5) For Advanced Materials and Manufacturing 
Program, $50,000,000. 
(b) FISCAL YEAR 2021.—There are authorized to be 
appropriated to NASA Aeronautics Research Mission Di-
rectorate for fiscal year 2021, $930,000,000, as follows: 
(1) For Airspace Operations and Safety Pro-
gram, $165,000,000. 
(2) For Advanced Air Vehicles Program, 
$303,000,000. 
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(3) For Integrated Aviation Systems Program, 
$300,000,000. 
(4) For Transformative Aero Concepts Pro-
gram, $112,000,000. 
(5) For Advanced Materials and Manufacturing 
Program, $50,000,000. 
(c) FISCAL YEAR 2022.—There are authorized to be 
appropriated to NASA Aeronautics Research Mission Di-
rectorate for fiscal year 2022, $974,000,000, as follows: 
(1) For Airspace Operations and Safety Pro-
gram, $170,000,000. 
(2) For Advanced Air Vehicles Program, 
$290,000,000. 
(3) For Integrated Aviation Systems Program, 
$350,000,000. 
(4) For Transformative Aero Concepts Pro-
gram, $114,000,000. 
(5) For Advanced Materials and Manufacturing 
Program, $50,000,000. 
(d) FISCAL YEAR 2023.—There are authorized to be 
appropriated to NASA Aeronautics Research Mission Di-
rectorate for fiscal year 2023, $996,000,000, as follows: 
(1) For Airspace Operations and Safety Pro-
gram, $175,000,000. 
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(2) For Advanced Air Vehicles Program, 
$295,000,000. 
(3) For Integrated Aviation Systems Program, 
$360,000,000. 
(4) For Transformative Aero Concepts Pro-
gram, $116,000,000. 
(5) For Advanced Materials and Manufacturing 
Program, $50,000,000. 
(e) FISCAL YEAR 2024.—There are authorized to be 
appropriated to NASA Aeronautics Research Mission Di-
rectorate for fiscal year 2024, $1,030,000,000, as follows: 
(1) For Airspace Operations and Safety Pro-
gram, $180,000,000. 
(2) For Advanced Air Vehicles Program, 
$300,000,000. 
(3) For Integrated Aviation Systems Program, 
$382,000,000. 
(4) For Transformative Aero Concepts Pro-
gram, $118,000,000. 
(5) For Advanced Materials and Manufacturing 
Program, $50,000,000. 
Æ 
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