(1) Studies of Europa, Jupiter’s moon, indicate 
that Europa may provide a habitable environment, 
as it contains key ingredients known to support life. 
(2) In 2012, using the Hubble Space Telescope, 
NASA scientists observed water vapor around the 
south polar region of Europa, which provides poten-
tial evidence of water plumes in that region. 
(3) For decades, the Europa mission has con-
sistently ranked as a high priority mission for the 
scientific community. 
(4) The Europa mission was ranked as the top 
priority mission in the previous Planetary Science 
Decadal Survey and ranked as the second highest 
priority in the current Planetary Science Decadal 
Survey. 
(b) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of Con-
gress that— 
(1) the Europa mission could provide another 
avenue in which to capitalize on our Nation’s cur-
rent investment in the Space Launch System that 
would significantly reduce the transit time for such 
a deep space mission; and 
(2) a scientific, robotic exploration mission to 
Europa, as prioritized in both Planetary Science 
Decadal Surveys, should be supported. 
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SEC. 507. CONGRESSIONAL DECLARATION OF POLICY AND 
PURPOSE. 
Section 20102(d) of title 51, United States Code, is 
amended by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(10) The search for life’s origin, evolution, dis-
tribution, and future in the universe.’’. 
SEC. 508. EXTRASOLAR PLANET EXPLORATION STRATEGY. 
(a) STRATEGY.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—The Administrator shall 
enter into an arrangement with the National Acad-
emies to develop a science strategy for the study and 
exploration of extrasolar planets, including the use 
of the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite, the 
James Webb Space Telescope, a potential Wide- 
Field Infrared Survey Telescope mission, or any 
other telescope, spacecraft, or instrument, as appro-
priate. 
(2) REQUIREMENTS.—The strategy shall— 
(A) outline key scientific questions; 
(B) identify the most promising research 
in the field; 
(C) indicate the extent to which the mis-
sion priorities in existing decadal surveys ad-
dress the key extrasolar planet research and ex-
ploration goals; 
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(D) identify opportunities for coordination 
with international partners, commercial part-
ners, and not-for-profit partners; and 
(E) make recommendations regarding the 
activities under subparagraphs (A) through 
(D), as appropriate. 
(b) USE OF STRATEGY.—The Administrator shall use 
the strategy— 
(1) to inform roadmaps, strategic plans, and 
other activities of the Administration as they relate 
to extrasolar planet research and exploration; and 
(2) to provide a foundation for future activities 
and initiatives related to extrasolar planet research 
and exploration. 
(c) REPORT
TO CONGRESS.—Not later than 18 
months after the date of enactment of this Act, the Na-
tional Academies shall submit to the Administrator and 
to the appropriate committees of Congress a report con-
taining the strategy developed under subsection (a). 
SEC. 509. ASTROBIOLOGY STRATEGY. 
(a) STRATEGY.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—The Administrator shall 
enter into an arrangement with the National Acad-
emies to develop a science strategy for astrobiology 
that would outline key scientific questions, identify 
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the most promising research in the field, and indi-
cate the extent to which the mission priorities in ex-
isting decadal surveys address the search for life’s 
origin, evolution, distribution, and future in the Uni-
verse. 
(2) RECOMMENDATIONS.—The strategy shall 
include recommendations for coordination with inter-
national partners. 
(b) USE OF STRATEGY.—The Administrator shall use 
the strategy developed under subsection (a) in planning 
and funding research and other activities and initiatives 
in the field of astrobiology. 
(c) REPORT
TO CONGRESS.—Not later than 18 
months after the date of enactment of this Act, the Na-
tional Academies shall submit to the Administrator and 
to the appropriate committees of Congress a report con-
taining the strategy developed under subsection (a). 
SEC. 510. ASTROBIOLOGY PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS. 
Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment 
of this Act, the Administrator shall submit to the appro-
priate committees of Congress a report describing how the 
Administration can expand collaborative partnerships to 
study life’s origin, evolution, distribution, and future in 
the universe. 
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SEC. 511. NEAR-EARTH OBJECTS. 
Section 321 of the National Aeronautics and Space 
Administration Authorization Act of 2005 (51 U.S.C. note 
prec. 71101) is amended by adding at the end the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(e) PROGRAM REPORT.—The Director of the Office 
of Science and Technology Policy and the Administrator 
shall submit to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and 
Transportation of the Senate and the Committee on 
Science, Space, and Technology of the House of Rep-
resentatives, not later than 1 year after the date of enact-
ment of the National Aeronautics and Space Administra-
tion Transition Authorization Act of 2016, an initial re-
port that provides— 
‘‘(1) recommendations for carrying out the Sur-
vey program and an associated proposed budget; 
‘‘(2) an analysis of possible options that the Ad-
ministration could employ to divert an object on a 
likely collision course with Earth; and 
‘‘(3) a description of the status of efforts to co-
ordinate and cooperate with other countries to dis-
cover hazardous asteroids and comets, plan a mitiga-
tion strategy, and implement that strategy in the 
event of the discovery of an object on a likely colli-
sion course with Earth. 
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‘‘(f) ANNUAL REPORTS.—After the initial report 
under subsection (e), the Administrator shall annually 
transmit to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and 
Transportation of the Senate and the Committee on 
Science, Space, and Technology of the House of Rep-
resentatives a report that includes— 
‘‘(1) a summary of all activities carried out 
under subsection (d) since the date of enactment of 
the National Aeronautics and Space Administration 
Transition Authorization Act of 2016, including the 
progress toward achieving 90 percent completion of 
the survey described in subsection (d); and 
‘‘(2) a summary of expenditures for all activi-
ties carried out under subsection (d) since the date 
of enactment of the National Aeronautics and Space 
Administration Transition Authorization Act of 
2016. 
‘‘(g) ASSESSMENT.—The Administrator, in collabora-
tion with other relevant Federal agencies, shall carry out 
a technical and scientific assessment of the capabilities 
and resources— 
‘‘(1) to accelerate the survey described in sub-
section (d); and 
‘‘(2) to expand the Administration’s Near-Earth 
Object Program to include the detection, tracking, 
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cataloguing, and characterization of potentially haz-
ardous near-Earth objects less than 140 meters in 
diameter. 
‘‘(h) TRANSMITTAL.—Not later than 270 days after 
the date of enactment of the National Aeronautics and 
Space Administration Transition Authorization Act of 
2016, the Administrator shall transmit the results of the 
assessment under subsection (g) to the Committee on 
Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate and 
the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of the 
House of Representatives.’’. 
SEC. 512. NEAR-EARTH OBJECTS PUBLIC-PRIVATE PART-
NERSHIPS. 
(a) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of Con-
gress that the Administration should seek to leverage the 
capabilities of the private sector and philanthropic organi-
zations to the maximum extent practicable in carrying out 
the Near-Earth Object Survey Program in order to meet 
the goal of that program under section 321(d)(1) of the 
National Aeronautics and Space Administration Author-
ization Act of 2005 (51 U.S.C. note prec. 71101(d)(1)). 
(b) REPORT.—Not later than 180 days after the date 
of enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall submit 
to the appropriate committees of Congress a report de-
scribing how the Administration can expand collaborative 
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partnerships to detect, track, catalogue, and categorize 
near-Earth objects. 
SEC. 513. ASSESSMENT OF SCIENCE MISSION EXTENSIONS. 
Section 30504 of title 51, United States Code, is 
amended to read as follows: 
‘‘§ 30504. Assessment of science mission extensions 
‘‘(a) ASSESSMENTS.— 
‘‘(1) IN
GENERAL.—The Administrator shall 
carry out triennial reviews within each of the Science 
divisions to assess the cost and benefits of extending 
the date of the termination of data collection for 
those missions that exceed their planned missions’ 
lifetime. 
‘‘(2) CONSIDERATIONS.—In conducting an as-
sessment under paragraph (1), the Administrator 
shall consider whether and how extending missions 
impacts the start of future missions. 
‘‘(b) CONSULTATION AND CONSIDERATION OF PO-
TENTIAL BENEFITS OF INSTRUMENTS ON MISSIONS.— 
When deciding whether to extend a mission that has an 
operational component, the Administrator shall— 
‘‘(1) consult with any affected Federal agency; 
and 
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‘‘(2) take into account the potential benefits of 
instruments on missions that are beyond their 
planned mission lifetime. 
‘‘(c) REPORTS.—The Administrator shall submit to 
the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation 
of the Senate and the Committee on Science, Space, and 
Technology of the House of Representatives, at the same 
time as the submission to Congress of the Administra-
tion’s annual budget request for each fiscal year, a report 
detailing any assessment under subsection (a) that was 
carried out during the previous year.’’. 
SEC. 514. STRATOSPHERIC OBSERVATORY FOR INFRARED 
ASTRONOMY. 
The Administrator may not terminate science oper-
ations of the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared As-
tronomy before December 31, 2017. 
SEC. 515. RADIOISOTOPE POWER SYSTEMS. 
(a) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of Con-
gress that— 
(1) exploration of the outer reaches of the solar 
system is enabled by radioisotope power systems; 
(2) establishing continuity in the production of 
the material needed for radioisotope power systems 
is essential to maintaining the availability of such 
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systems for future deep space exploration missions; 
and 
(3) Federal agencies supporting the Adminis-
tration through the production of such material 
should do so in a cost-effective manner so as not to 
impose excessive reimbursement requirements on the 
Administration. 
(b) ANALYSIS OF REQUIREMENTS AND RISKS.—The 
Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy 
and the Administrator, in consultation with other Federal 
agencies, shall conduct an analysis of— 
(1) the requirements of the Administration for 
radioisotope power system material that is needed to 
carry out planned, high priority robotic missions in 
the solar system and other surface exploration activi-
ties beyond low-Earth orbit; and 
(2) the risks to missions of the Administration 
in meeting those requirements, or any additional re-
quirements, due to a lack of adequate radioisotope 
power system material. 
(c) CONTENTS
OF ANALYSIS.—The analysis con-
ducted under subsection (b) shall— 
(1) detail the Administration’s current pro-
jected mission requirements and associated time-
frames for radioisotope power system material; 
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(2) explain the assumptions used to determine 
the Administration’s requirements for the material, 
including— 
(A) the planned use of advanced thermal 
conversion 
technology 
such 
as 
advanced 
thermocouples and Stirling generators and con-
verters; and 
(B) the risks and implications of, and con-
tingencies for, any delays or unanticipated tech-
nical challenges affecting or related to the Ad-
ministration’s mission plans for the anticipated 
use of advanced thermal conversion technology; 
(3) assess the risk to the Administration’s pro-
grams of any potential delays in achieving the sched-
ule and milestones for planned domestic production 
of radioisotope power system material; 
(4) outline a process for meeting any additional 
Administration requirements for the material; 
(5) estimate the incremental costs required to 
increase the amount of material produced each year, 
if such an increase is needed to support additional 
Administration requirements for the material; 
(6) detail how the Administration and other 
Federal agencies will manage, operate, and fund 
production facilities and the design and development 
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