such time as a certification under this subtitle is 
issued. 
‘‘(b) RESCISSION OR TRANSFER OF A PENDING COV-
ERED LICENSE.—For operations of a space object of a 
United States entity that are not subject to an exemption 
under section 80111, and that are set forth in an applica-
tion for a covered license that is pending approval on the 
effective date of this section, the applicant may elect to— 
‘‘(1) rescind its application for a covered license 
without prejudice; or 
‘‘(2) transfer the portions of such application 
that are related to operations governed by this sub-
title to the Office of Space Commerce, at which the 
application shall be deemed to be a pending applica-
tion for certification under this chapter. 
‘‘(c) COVERED LICENSE.—In this subtitle, the term 
‘covered license’ means any of the following: 
‘‘(1) An approval of a payload for launch or re-
entry under section 50904 as part of a license issued 
under chapter 509. 
‘‘(2) A license for spectrum use issued under 
the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 151 et 
seq.). 
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‘‘(3) A license for operation of a space-based re-
mote sensing system issued under subchapter III of 
chapter 601 of title 51. 
‘‘(d) EFFECTIVE DATE.—This section shall take ef-
fect on the date that is one year after the date of the en-
actment of the Commercial Space Act of 2023. 
‘‘§ 80110. Private Space Activity Advisory Committee 
‘‘(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Secretary shall estab-
lish a Private Space Activity Advisory Committee (in this 
section referred to as the ‘Committee’). 
‘‘(b) CHAIR.—The Committee shall designate one 
member as the chair of the Committee for one year. 
‘‘(c) MEMBERSHIP.—The Committee shall be com-
posed of 15 members, as follows: 
‘‘(1) Three members appointed by the Sec-
retary. 
‘‘(2) Three members appointed by the chair of, 
and three members appointed by the ranking mem-
ber of, the Committee on Commerce, Science, and 
Transportation of the Senate. 
‘‘(3) Three members appointed by the chair of, 
and three members appointed by the ranking mem-
ber of, the Committee on Science, Space, and Tech-
nology of the House of Representatives. 
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‘‘(d) LIMITATION.—Members of the Committee may 
not be Federal Government employees or officials, or em-
ployed by or affiliated with a federally funded research 
and development center. 
‘‘(e) TRAVEL EXPENSES.—Members of the Com-
mittee shall receive travel expenses, including per diem in 
lieu of subsistence, in accordance with the applicable pro-
visions under subchapter I of chapter 57 of title 5. 
‘‘(f) QUALIFICATIONS.—Members of the Committee 
shall include a variety of space professionals, including 
policy, engineering, technical, science, legal, and finance 
professionals. Not fewer than half of the members shall 
have significant experience working in the commercial 
space industry. 
‘‘(g) TERMS.—Each member of the Committee— 
‘‘(1) shall serve for a term of four years; and 
‘‘(2) may not serve as a member for the two- 
year period following the date of completion of each 
such term. 
‘‘(h) DUTIES.—The duties of the Committee are the 
following: 
‘‘(1) To analyze the status and recent develop-
ments of nongovernmental space activities. 
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‘‘(2) To analyze the effectiveness and efficiency 
of the implementation of the certification process 
under this chapter. 
‘‘(3) To provide recommendations to the Sec-
retary and Congress regarding how the United 
States can facilitate and promote a robust and inno-
vative private sector that is investing in, developing, 
and operating space objects. 
‘‘(4) To identify any challenges the United 
States private sector is experiencing with respect to 
the following: 
‘‘(A) The authorization and supervision of 
the operation of space objects under this chap-
ter. 
‘‘(B) More generally, international obliga-
tions of the United States relevant to private 
sector activities in outer space. 
‘‘(C) Harmful interference to private sector 
activities in outer space. 
‘‘(D) Access to adequate, predictable, and 
reliable radio frequency spectrum for certified 
operations. 
‘‘(E) Competing on the international mar-
ketplace. 
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‘‘(5) To review existing best practices for 
United States entities to avoid the harmful contami-
nation of the Moon and other celestial bodies. 
‘‘(6) To review existing best practices for 
United States entities to avoid adverse changes in 
the environment of the Earth resulting from the in-
troduction of extraterrestrial matter. 
‘‘(7) To review existing best practices for 
United States entities to support the responsible 
launch, deployment, and operation of space objects 
to avoid the creation of persistent space debris. 
‘‘(8) To provide information, advice, and rec-
ommendations on matters relating to United States 
private sector activities in outer space. 
‘‘(9) To provide information, advice, and rec-
ommendations on matters related to the authority of 
the Secretary under this chapter, or to private sector 
space activities authorized pursuant to this chapter, 
that the Committee determines necessary. 
‘‘(i) ANNUAL REPORT.—The Committee shall submit 
to Congress, the President, and the Secretary an annual 
report that includes the information, analysis, findings, 
and recommendations described in subsection (h). 
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‘‘(j) SUNSET.—The Committee shall terminate on the 
date that is 20 years after the date on which the Com-
mittee is established. 
‘‘§ 80111. Exemptions 
‘‘A certification is not required under this chapter for 
any of the following operations: 
‘‘(1) Space activities authorized by another 
country that is a party to the Outer Space Treaty. 
‘‘(2) Launch or reentry vehicle activities li-
censed by the Department of Transportation under 
chapter 509. 
‘‘(3) Spectrum use licensed by the Federal 
Communications Commission under the Communica-
tions Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 151 et seq.).’’. 
SEC. 4. ADMINISTRATIVE PROVISIONS RELATED TO CER-
TIFICATION. 
Title 51, United States Code, as amended by section 
3, is further amended by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘CHAPTER 802—ADMINISTRATIVE PROVI-
SIONS RELATED TO CERTIFICATION 
‘‘80201. Administrative authority. 
‘‘80202. Consultation. 
‘‘80203. Appeal of denial or condition of certification. 
‘‘80204. Exclusive authority for determination of international obligations. 
‘‘80205. Limitation on certain agency supervision. 
‘‘80206. Commercial exploration and use of outer space. 
‘‘80207. Federal jurisdiction. 
‘‘80208. Global commons. 
‘‘80209. Regulatory authority. 
‘‘80210. Consultation with relevant agencies. 
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‘‘§ 80201. Administrative authority 
‘‘(a) FUNCTIONS.—In order to carry out the respon-
sibilities specified in this chapter, the Secretary may— 
‘‘(1) seek an order of injunction or similar judi-
cial determination from a district court of the 
United States with personal jurisdiction over a cer-
tification holder to terminate certifications under 
this subtitle and terminate certified operations on an 
immediate basis, if the Secretary determines that 
the certification holder has substantially failed to 
comply with any provisions of this subtitle, or with 
any terms of a certification; 
‘‘(2) provide for civil penalties not to exceed 
$10,000 (each day of operation constituting a sepa-
rate violation) and not to exceed $500,000 in total, 
for— 
‘‘(A) noncompliance with the certification 
requirements, conditions, or regulations issued 
under this subtitle; or 
‘‘(B) the operation of a space object with-
out the applicable certification issued under this 
subtitle; 
‘‘(3) compromise, modify, or remit any such 
civil penalty; 
‘‘(4) seize any object, record, or report, or cop-
ies of materials, documents, or records, pursuant to 
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a warrant from a magistrate based on a showing of 
probable cause to believe that such object, record, or 
report was used, is being used, or is likely to be used 
in violation of this subtitle or the requirements of a 
certification or regulation issued thereunder; and 
‘‘(5) make investigations and inquiries con-
cerning any matter relating to the enforcement of 
this subtitle. 
‘‘(b) REVIEW OF AGENCY ACTION.—Any holder of, 
or applicant for, a certification who makes a timely re-
quest for review of an adverse action taken pursuant to 
paragraph (2) or (4) of subsection (a) shall be entitled 
to adjudication by the Secretary on the record after an 
opportunity for any agency hearing with respect to such 
adverse action. Any final action by the Secretary under 
this subsection shall be subject to judicial review under 
chapter 7 of title 5, as provided in section 80203 of this 
chapter. 
‘‘(c) NO COST FOR CERTIFICATION.—The Secretary 
may not impose a fee or other cost on a holder of, or appli-
cant for, a certification under chapter 801. 
‘‘(d) NO AUTHORITY TO SET CONDITIONS.—The 
Secretary may not impose a substantive condition on, or 
any other requirement for, the issuance of a certification 
except as specifically provided in this subtitle. 
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‘‘(e) FOIA EXEMPTION.—Notwithstanding any other 
provision of law, the Secretary may withhold from public 
disclosure information submitted as part of any filing re-
lating to a certification under this subtitle. For purposes 
of section 552 of title 5, this subsection shall be considered 
a statute described in subsection (b)(3) of such section 
and is intended to exempt information within this subtitle 
from disclosure. Nothing in this subsection may be con-
strued as authorizing the withholding of information from 
Congress. 
‘‘(f) LIMITATION ON EXCEPTIONS TO ADMINISTRA-
TIVE
PROCEDURES.—The 
exceptions 
under 
section 
553(a)(1), section 553(b)(B), or section 554(a)(4) of title 
5 shall not apply with respect to a certification under this 
subtitle. 
‘‘§ 80202. Consultation 
‘‘(a) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of the 
Congress that— 
‘‘(1) the United States Government has assets 
in outer space that are critical to national security, 
scientific research, economic growth, and explo-
ration; 
‘‘(2) such assets represent a considerable in-
vestment of United States taxpayers; and 
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‘‘(3) it is in the national interest of the United 
States to facilitate opportunities to provide for the 
protection of such assets. 
‘‘(b) REVIEW.—Not later than 30 days after the Sec-
retary issues a certification under chapter 801, the Sec-
retary shall review the operations of any space objects cov-
ered by the certification to determine whether the inter-
action between such operations and the operations of a 
Federal Government space object present a substantial 
risk to the physical safety of a space object operated by 
either party. 
‘‘(c) REQUIREMENT TO PARTICIPATE IN CONSULTA-
TION.—If the Secretary makes a determination that a sub-
stantial risk identified under subsection (b) exists, the 
Secretary may require that the certification holder partici-
pate in a consultation under this section. 
‘‘(d) PARTIES TO A CONSULTATION.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—A consultation under this 
section may be held, with respect to a substantial 
safety risk identified under subsection (b), be-
tween— 
‘‘(A) a certification holder responsible for 
the certified space object operations; and 
‘‘(B) any entity of the Federal Government 
operating a potentially affected space object. 
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‘‘(2) PARTICIPATION.—The Secretary may not 
impose any requirement on a party pursuant to par-
ticipation in the consultation. 
‘‘(e) MITIGATION OF SAFETY RISK.—In carrying out 
a consultation, the Secretary shall— 
‘‘(1) facilitate a discussion among the parties to 
the consultation; 
‘‘(2) encourage a mutual understanding of the 
safety risk; and 
‘‘(3) encourage, to the maximum extent prac-
ticable, voluntary agreements between the parties to 
the consultation to improve the physical safety of af-
fected space object operations or mitigate the phys-
ical safety risk. 
‘‘(f) DURATION OF CONSULTATION; NOTICE.—Not 
later than 90 days after the Secretary requires a consulta-
tion under this section, the Secretary shall— 
‘‘(1) complete all activities related to the con-
sultation; and 
‘‘(2) submit to Congress a written notification 
with respect to such consultation, that includes— 
‘‘(A) the names of each party to the con-
sultation; 
‘‘(B) a description of the physical safety 
risk at issue; 
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‘‘(C) whether any voluntary agreement was 
made by the parties; and 
‘‘(D) the content of any such agreement. 
‘‘(g) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing in this sec-
tion may be construed to grant any additional authority 
to the Secretary to regulate, or place conditions on, any 
activity conducted by a space object for which a certifi-
cation is required under this subtitle. 
‘‘§ 80203. Appeal of denial or condition of certifi-
cation 
‘‘An applicant who is denied a certification under sec-
tion 80103(b)(2)(B), or an applicant whose certification 
is conditioned pursuant to section 80103(c), respectively, 
may appeal the denial or placement of a condition to the 
Secretary. The Secretary shall affirm or reverse the denial 
or placement of a condition after providing the applicant 
notice and an opportunity to be heard. The Secretary shall 
dispose of the appeal not later than 60 days after the ap-
peal is submitted. If the Secretary denies the appeal, the 
applicant may seek review in the United States Court of 
Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit or in the 
court of appeals of the United States for the circuit in 
which the person resides or has its principal place of busi-
ness. 
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‘‘§ 80204. Exclusive authority for determination of 
international obligations 
‘‘Except for the Secretary as authorized by this sub-
title, no agency may impose a requirement with regard to 
an international obligation of the United States pertaining 
to a nongovernmental entity of the United States under 
the Outer Space Treaty relating to the following: 
‘‘(1) The operation of a space object certified 
under chapter 801. 
‘‘(2) The carrying out of a space debris mitiga-
tion plan of a space object for which a certification 
was issued under chapter 801. 
‘‘§ 80205. Limitation on certain agency supervision 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than one year after the 
date of the enactment of the Commercial Space Act of 
2023, no other agency shall have the authority to author-
ize, place conditions on, or supervise the operation of space 
objects required to be certified under chapter 801, except 
as set forth in this subtitle. 
‘‘(b) AGREEMENT LIMITATIONS.—Nothing in this 
section may be construed to prevent an agency from in-
cluding additional terms, conditions, limitations, or re-
quirements, consistent with applicable provisions of law, 
beyond those required in this subtitle, in a contract or 
other agreement with the holder of a certification under 
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chapter 801 for the operation of the applicable space ob-
ject. 
‘‘§ 80206. Commercial exploration and use of outer 
space 
‘‘To the maximum extent practicable, the President, 
acting through appropriate Federal agencies, shall inter-
pret and fulfill international obligations, including obliga-
tions under the covered treaties on outer space, to mini-
mize regulations and limitations on the freedom of United 
States nongovernmental entities to explore and use outer 
space. 
‘‘§ 80207. Federal jurisdiction 
‘‘The district courts shall have original jurisdiction, 
exclusive of the courts of the States, over any civil action 
resulting from the operation of a space object for which 
a certification is required under this subtitle. 
‘‘§ 80208. Global commons 
‘‘Notwithstanding any other provision of law, outer 
space may not be considered a global commons. 
‘‘§ 80209. Regulatory authority 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 10 months after 
the date of the enactment of the Commercial Space Act 
of 2023, the Secretary shall issue such regulations as are 
necessary to carry out this subtitle. 
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‘‘(b) REDUCING REGULATORY BURDEN.—In issuing 
regulations to carry out this subtitle, the Secretary shall 
avoid, to the maximum extent practicable, the placement 
of inconsistent, duplicative, or otherwise burdensome re-
quirements on the operations of United States nongovern-
mental entities in outer space. 
‘‘§ 80210. Consultation with relevant agencies 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—Subject to subsection (b), the 
Secretary may, as the Secretary considers necessary, con-
sult with the heads of other relevant agencies in carrying 
out this subtitle. 
‘‘(b) EXCLUSIVE AUTHORITY OF THE SECRETARY.— 
The consultation authority under subsection (a) may not 
be interpreted to alter the exclusive authority of the Sec-
retary to authorize, place conditions on, and supervise the 
operation of space objects under this chapter, as provided 
in and subject to the limitations of section 80205.’’. 
SEC. 5. TECHNICAL AND CONFORMING AMENDMENTS. 
(a) TABLE OF CHAPTERS.—The table of chapters of 
title 51, United States Code, is amended by adding at the 
end the following: 
‘‘Subtitle VIII—Authorization and Supervision of 
Nongovernmental Space Activities 
‘‘801. Certification to Operate Space Objects ........................80101
‘‘802. Administrative Provisions Related to Certification 80201’’. 
(b) REPEALS.— 
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(1) IN
GENERAL.—Title 51, United States 
Code, is amended as follows: 
(A) Subchapter III of chapter 601 is re-
pealed. 
(B) The table of sections for chapter 601 
is amended by striking the items relating to 
subchapter III. 
(2) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made 
by paragraph (1) shall take effect on the date that 
is one year after the date of the enactment of this 
Act. 
(c) TECHNICAL CORRECTIONS.—Title 51, United 
States Code, is amended— 
(1) in section 20302(c)(2), by striking ‘‘means 
has the meaning’’ and inserting ‘‘has the meaning’’; 
(2) in section 50702(c)(5), by striking ‘‘Space- 
Based Position’’ and inserting ‘‘Space-Based Posi-
tioning’’; and 
(3) in section 71102(1), by striking ‘‘tracking 
device’’ and inserting ‘‘tracking device to’’. 
SEC. 6. OFFICE OF SPACE COMMERCE. 
Section 50702 of title 51, United States Code, is 
amended— 
(1) in subsection (b)— 
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(A) by striking ‘‘The Office shall be head-
ed’’ and inserting the following: 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Office shall be head-
ed’’; and 
(B) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(2) DIRECT REPORT.—The Director shall re-
port directly to the Secretary of Commerce.’’; and 
(2) in subsection (c)— 
(A) in paragraph (4), by striking ‘‘and’’ at 
the end; 
(B) in paragraph (5), by striking the pe-
riod at the end and inserting a semicolon; and 
(C) by adding at the end the following new 
paragraphs: 
‘‘(6) to authorize and supervise the operations 
of United States nongovernmental entities in outer 
space, pursuant to chapter 801 of this title; and 
‘‘(7) to facilitate and promote the development 
of best practices among operators of space objects to 
address substantial risks to the physical safety of 
Federal Government space objects, including the risk 
of on-orbit collisions.’’. 
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SEC. 7. SPACE SITUATIONAL AWARENESS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Chapter 507 of title 51, United 
States Code, is amended by adding at the end the fol-
lowing new sections: 
‘‘§ 50704. Space situational awareness 
‘‘(a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
‘‘(1) INSTITUTION OF HIGHER EDUCATION.— 
The term ‘institution of higher education’ has the 
meaning given such term in section 101(a) of the 
Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001(a)). 
‘‘(2) NONPROFIT
ORGANIZATION.—The term 
‘nonprofit organization’ means an organization that 
is described in section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Rev-
enue Code of 1986 and that is exempt from taxation 
under section 501(a) of such Code. 
‘‘(3) 
NOT-FOR-PROFIT
ORGANIZATION.—The 
term ‘not-for-profit organization’ means an organiza-
tion that is described in section 501(c)(7) of the In-
ternal Revenue Code of 1986 and that is exempt 
from taxation under section 501(a) of such Code. 
‘‘(4) SPACE
SITUATIONAL
AWARENESS.—The 
term ‘space situational awareness’ means— 
‘‘(A) the identification and characterization 
of space objects and orbital debris; and 
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‘‘(B) the understanding of the manner in 
which space objects and orbital debris behave in 
outer space. 
‘‘(b) AUTHORITY.—Pursuant to the authority pro-
vided in section 50702, the Director of the Office of Space 
Commerce shall— 
‘‘(1) not later than one year after the date of 
the enactment of the Commercial Space Act of 2023, 
competitively award a cooperative agreement to an 
entity eligible under subsection (d) to establish a 
consortium to provide data, information, and serv-
ices for space situational awareness; and 
‘‘(2) coordinate with the heads of other relevant 
agencies to transfer unclassified space situational 
awareness data and information to the consortium 
established pursuant to paragraph (1). 
‘‘(c) PROHIBITION.—The Secretary may not promul-
gate regulations for space situational awareness or space 
traffic management. 
‘‘(d) ELIGIBLE ENTITIES.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in para-
graph (3), to be eligible for a cooperative agreement 
under this section, an entity shall be a United States 
entity that is any of the following: 
‘‘(A) An institution of higher education. 
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‘‘(B) A nonprofit organization. 
‘‘(C) A not-for-profit organization. 
‘‘(2) CONSIDERATIONS.—In awarding a cooper-
ative agreement to any entity under this section, the 
Director shall consider, at a minimum, the following 
with respect to such entity: 
‘‘(A) Demonstrated expertise in space situ-
ational awareness. 
‘‘(B) Financial contributions, including 
non-Federal cost-sharing. 
‘‘(C) Public-private collaboration experi-
ence. 
‘‘(D) International coordination potential. 
‘‘(3) PROHIBITION.—An entity that is a feder-
ally funded research and development center is not 
an eligible entity for a cooperative agreement under 
this section. 
‘‘(e) CONSORTIUM MEMBERSHIP.—The entity award-
ed a cooperative agreement under subsection (b) shall seek 
consortium membership and participation from the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(1) Commercial entities. 
‘‘(2) Other institutions of higher education, 
nonprofit organizations, or not-for-profit organiza-
tions. 
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‘‘(3) States. 
‘‘(4) Political subdivisions of States. 
‘‘(5) Governments of foreign countries. 
‘‘(f) CONSORTIUM ACTIVITIES.—The entity awarded 
a cooperative agreement under subsection (b)(1) shall, in 
consultation with the consortium members specified in 
subsection (e)— 
‘‘(1) provide publicly available data, informa-
tion, and services for space situational awareness, 
including— 
‘‘(A) a validated and synthesized catalog of 
space objects; and 
‘‘(B) conjunction notifications; 
‘‘(2) coordinate information sharing agreements 
between consortium members; 
‘‘(3) seek broad consortium membership, par-
ticipation, and information sharing from both do-
mestic and international spacecraft operators and 
commercial and nongovernmental data providers; 
‘‘(4) seek to maximize cost sharing and enable 
the commercialization of private sector products and 
services in order to promote a more robust commer-
cial space situational awareness industry, including 
further privatization of space situational awareness 
services; 
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‘‘(5) facilitate opportunities for United States 
commercial entities to participate in and contribute 
to the consortium; and 
‘‘(6) promote voluntary consensus standards 
and best practices for space situational awareness. 
‘‘(g) IMMUNITY.—The entity awarded the cooperative 
agreement under subsection (b)(1) shall be immune from 
any suit in any court for any cause of action arising from 
the provision or receipt of data, information, or services 
for space situational awareness pursuant to such coopera-
tive agreement. 
‘‘§ 50705. Authorization of appropriations 
‘‘There is authorized to be appropriated to the Office 
of Space Commerce $70,000,000 for fiscal year 2024 to 
carry out this chapter.’’. 
(b) TECHNICAL AND CONFORMING AMENDMENT.— 
The table of sections for chapter 507 of title 51, United 
States Code, is amended by inserting after the item relat-
ing to section 50703 the following new items: 
‘‘50704. Space situational awareness. 
‘‘50705. Authorization of appropriations.’’. 
SEC. 8. NASA SPACE SITUATIONAL AWARENESS INSTITUTE. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Chapter 315 of title 51, United 
States Code, is amended by amending section 31501 to 
read as follows: 
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‘‘§ 31501. Orbital debris space situational awareness 
‘‘(a) ORBITAL DEBRIS.—The Administrator, in con-
junction with the heads of other Federal agencies, shall 
take steps to assess, develop, or acquire technologies that 
will decrease the risks associated with orbital debris. 
‘‘(b) SPACE SITUATIONAL AWARENESS INSTITUTE.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Subject to appropriations, 
the Administrator shall award a cooperative agree-
ment to an eligible entity to establish a Space Situa-
tional Awareness Institute (in this section referred 
to as the ‘Institute’) to advance scientific, techno-
logical, and transdisciplinary research in space situa-
tional awareness. 
‘‘(2) PURPOSE.—The Institute shall— 
‘‘(A) conduct transdisciplinary research, 
development, and demonstration projects re-
lated to orbital mechanics, astrodynamics, and 
the detecting, tracking, identifying, character-
izing, and modeling, of orbital debris and space 
objects to improve— 
‘‘(i) space situational awareness and 
the development of open-architecture re-
sources; 
‘‘(ii) the unique identification, track-
ing, classification, prediction, and modeling 
of orbital debris and space objects; 
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‘‘(iii) the monitoring, quantification, 
assessment, modeling, and prediction of 
space operations and hazards, including in- 
space collisions; 
‘‘(iv) peer exchange and documenta-
tion of evidence-based practices for orbital 
debris mitigation and remediation; and 
‘‘(v) sharing, modeling, and curation 
of data related to orbital debris and space 
objects; 
‘‘(B) leverage non-Federal sources of sup-
port to improve space situational awareness and 
minimize space safety, security, and sustain-
ability risks; 
‘‘(C) draw on commercial capabilities and 
data, as appropriate; and 
‘‘(D) coordinate with— 
‘‘(i) NASA’s Orbital Debris Program 
Office located at the Johnson Space Cen-
ter; 
‘‘(ii) NASA’s Conjunction Assessment 
and Risk Analysis program located at the 
Goddard Space Flight Center; 
‘‘(iii) the consortium established pur-
suant to section 50704; and 
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‘‘(iv) any other government agencies 
as determined by the Administrator. 
‘‘(3) ELIGIBLE ENTITIES.— 
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—To be eligible for a 
cooperative agreement under this section, an 
entity shall be led by any of the following: 
‘‘(i) An institution of higher edu-
cation. 
‘‘(ii) A nonprofit organization. 
‘‘(iii) A not-for-profit organization. 
‘‘(B) MEMBERSHIP.—The Institute shall 
seek to include membership from the following: 
‘‘(i) Commercial entities. 
‘‘(ii) Federal laboratories. 
‘‘(iii) Other institutions of higher edu-
cation, nonprofit organizations, or not-for- 
profit organizations. 
‘‘(4) CONSIDERATIONS.—In awarding a cooper-
ative agreement under this section, the Secretary 
shall consider, at a minimum the following: 
‘‘(A) The potential to improve the science 
and technology of space situational awareness. 
‘‘(B) The commitment of financial support, 
advice, participation, and other contributions 
from non-Federal sources. 
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‘‘(5) COOPERATIVE
AGREEMENT
PERIOD.—A 
cooperative agreement awarded under this section 
shall be awarded for a period of 10 years. 
‘‘(6) AUTHORIZATION.—Of the funds author-
ized to be appropriated to NASA for the Office of 
Safety and Mission Assurance, Agency Technical 
Authority, $10,000,000 is authorized to be appro-
priated to carry out this section for fiscal year 2024. 
‘‘(c) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
‘‘(1) INSTITUTION OF HIGHER EDUCATION.— 
The term ‘institution of higher education’ has the 
meaning given such term in section 101(a) of the 
Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001(a)). 
‘‘(2) NONPROFIT
ORGANIZATION.—The term 
‘nonprofit organization’ means an organization that 
is described in section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Rev-
enue Code of 1986 and that is exempt from taxation 
under section 501(a) of such Code. 
‘‘(3) 
NOT-FOR-PROFIT
ORGANIZATION.—The 
term ‘not-for-profit organization’ means an organiza-
tion that is described in section 501(c)(7) of the In-
ternal Revenue Code of 1986 and that is exempt 
from taxation under section 501(a) of such Code. 
‘‘(4) SPACE
SITUATIONAL
AWARENESS.—The 
term ‘space situational awareness’ means— 
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‘‘(A) the identification and characterization 
of space objects and orbital debris; and 
‘‘(B) the understanding of the manner in 
which space objects and orbital debris behave in 
outer space.’’. 
(b) TECHNICAL AND CONFORMING AMENDMENT.— 
In the table of sections for chapter 315 of title 51, United 
States Code, the item relating to section 31501 is amend-
ed by inserting ‘‘space situational awareness’’ after ‘‘de-
bris’’. 
SEC. 9. LAUNCH AND REENTRY. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Chapter 509 of title 51, United 
States Code, is amended— 
(1) in 50901— 
(A) in subsection (a)(7), by striking ‘‘to 
ensure compliance with international obligations 
of the United States and to protect the public 
health and safety, safety of property, and na-
tional security and foreign policy interests of 
the United States’’ and inserting ‘‘to protect 
the public health and safety or safety of prop-
erty, prevent violations of the international obli-
gations of the United States, and prevent sub-
stantial harm to the national security of the 
United States’’; and 
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(B) in subsection (b)(3), by striking ‘‘, 
safety of property, and national security and 
foreign policy interests of the United States’’ 
and inserting ‘‘ or safety of property, prevent 
violations of the international obligations of the 
United States, and prevent substantial harm to 
the national security of the United States’’; 
(2) in 50904(c)— 
(A) by striking ‘‘, safety of property, or 
national security or foreign policy interests of 
the United States’’ and inserting ‘‘or safety of 
property, violate United States international ob-
ligations, or cause substantial harm to the na-
tional security of the United States’’; and 
(B) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘No launch or reentry may be prevented under 
this subsection on the basis of international ob-
ligations of the United States, including under 
the covered treaties on outer space (as such 
term is defined in section 80101) if the payload 
is included in certification under chapter 801.’’; 
(3) in 50905— 
(A) in subsection (a)(1)— 
(i) in the second sentence, by striking 
‘‘Consistent with the public health and 
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safety, safety of property, and national se-
curity and foreign policy interests of the 
United States, the’’ and inserting ‘‘The’’; 
and 
(ii) by striking ‘‘criteria established 
pursuant to subsection (b)(2)(D)’’ each 
place it appears and inserting ‘‘criteria es-
tablished 
pursuant 
to 
subsection 
(b)(2)(E)’’; 
(B) in subsection (b)— 
(i) in paragraph (2)(B), by striking ‘‘, 
safety of property, national security inter-
ests, and foreign policy interest of the 
United States’’ and inserting ‘‘and safety 
of property, or to prevent a violation of 
United States international obligations, or 
to prevent substantial harm to the national 
security of the United States’’; 
(ii) in paragraph (2)(C), by striking ‘‘, 
safety of property, national security inter-
ests, or foreign policy interests of the 
United States’’ and inserting ‘‘or safety of 
property, to prevent a violation of United 
States international obligations, or to pre-
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vent substantial harm to the national secu-
rity of the United States’’; and 
(iii) in paragraph (3), in the first sen-
tence, by striking ‘‘, safety of property, 
and national security and foreign policy in-
terests of the United States’’ and inserting 
‘‘or safety of property, violate United 
States international obligations, or cause 
substantial harm to the national security 
of the United States’’; and 
(C) in subsection (c)— 
(i) in paragraph (5)— 
(I) by striking ‘‘2016’’ and in-
serting ‘‘2024’’; and 
(II) by striking ‘‘2021’’ and in-
serting ‘‘2031’’; 
(ii) by striking paragraph (6); 
(iii) by redesignating paragraphs (7) 
through (10) as paragraphs (6) through 
(9), respectively; 
(iv) in paragraph (6), as so redesig-
nated, by striking ‘‘each of 2018 and 
2022’’ and inserting ‘‘, 2031,’’; 
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(v) in paragraph (7), as so redesig-
nated, by striking ‘‘identified by the report 
under paragraph (6)’’; 
(vi) in paragraph (8), as so redesig-
nated, by striking ‘‘January 1, 2024’’ and 
inserting ‘‘October 1, 2031’’; and 
(vii) in paragraph (9), as so redesig-
nated, by striking ‘‘, safety of property, or 
national security or foreign policy interests 
of the United States’’ and inserting ‘‘or 
safety of property, to prevent a violation of 
United States international obligations, or 
to prevent substantial harm to the national 
security of the United States’’; 
(5) in 50908(c)(2), by striking ‘‘or a national 
security or foreign policy interest of the United 
States’’ and inserting ‘‘or to prevent a violation of 
the international obligations of the United States, or 
prevent substantial harm to the national security of 
the United States’’; 
(6) in 50909(a), by striking ‘‘, the safety of 
property, or a national security or foreign policy in-
terest of the United States’’ and inserting ‘‘ or the 
safety of property, violates an international obliga-
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tion of the United States, or causes substantial 
harm to the national security of the United States’’; 
(7) in 50914— 
(A) in subsection (a)(5), by striking 
‘‘2025’’ and inserting ‘‘2031’’; and 
(B) in subsection (b)(1)(C), by striking 
‘‘2025’’ and inserting ‘‘2031’’; 
(8) in 50915— 
(A) in subsection (a)(3)(B), by striking 
‘‘2025’’ and inserting ‘‘2033’’; and 
(B) in subsection (f), by striking ‘‘2025’’ 
and inserting ‘‘2033’’; 
(9) in 50918— 
(A) in subsection (a), in the second sen-
tence— 
(i) by striking ‘‘of a national security 
interest’’ and inserting ‘‘of substantial 
harm to national security’’; and 
(ii) by striking ‘‘foreign policy interest 
or obligation’’ and inserting ‘‘of any poten-
tial violations of the international obliga-
tions of the United States’’; and 
(B) by adding at the end the following new 
subsection: 
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‘‘(d) TIMING.—The Secretary shall conclude any con-
sultations described in this section not later than 120 days 
after receiving an application for a license submitted pur-
suant to this chapter.’’; and 
(10) by adding at the end the following new 
section: 
‘‘§ 50924. Prohibition 
‘‘No agency may prohibit the launch or operation of 
a private sector space object in order to comply with a 
treaty obligation that is not self-executing.’’; and 
(b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sections 
for chapter 509 of title 51, United States Code, is amend-
ed by adding at the end the following new item: 
‘‘50924. Prohibition.’’. 
SEC. 10. REPORT ON REGISTRATION OF SPACE OBJECTS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than one year after the 
date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Com-
merce, acting through the Office of Space Commerce and 
in consultation with the Private Space Activity Advisory 
Committee established pursuant to section 80110 of title 
51, United States Code, as added by this Act, shall submit 
to the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of 
the House of Representatives and the Committee on Com-
merce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate a report 
on the implementation of the space object registration ob-
ligations of the United States and other countries under 
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Article VIII of the Outer Space Treaty and the Convention 
on Registration of Space Objects. 
(b) CONTENTS OF REPORT.—The report required 
under subsection (a) shall include the following: 
(1) An identification of the practices and proce-
dures among countries that are members of the 
Outer Space Treaty and the Convention on Registra-
tion of Space Objects in implementing and com-
plying with the registration obligations contained in 
the the Treaty and Convention. 
(2) A description of any existing practices and 
procedures of the Federal Government for the reg-
istration of nongovernmental space objects. 
(3) Recommendations on how the registration 
of space objects in the United States could be im-
proved to benefit the United States, including by im-
proving United States leadership in commercial 
space activities. 
SEC. 11. COMMERCIAL SPACE LAUNCH AND REENTRY ACCI-
DENT INVESTIGATIONS. 
(a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds that— 
(1) safety oversight under existing law con-
tinues to encourage innovation and enables the 
United States to maintain leadership in space tech-
nology; 
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(2) several government agencies provide signifi-
cant expertise in the conduct of commercial space 
launch or reentry mishap investigations; and 
(3) commercial space launch and reentry is not 
a common carrier industry. 
(b) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of Con-
gress that— 
(1) the commercial space launch and reentry in-
vestigation regime authorized under section 50917 
of title 51, United States Code, is effective and 
should not be substantially modified; 
(2) manufacturers and operators bring unique 
expertise and technical understanding to the com-
mercial space launch and reentry investigation proc-
ess; 
(3) this regime is, and should remain, focused 
on protecting public safety and avoid regulating a 
nascent industry that continues to innovate; and 
(4) pursuant to section 50917 of title 51, 
United States Code, other agencies should be al-
lowed to participate, as appropriate, in commercial 
space launch and reentry investigations. 
SEC. 12. IN-SPACE SERVICING, ASSEMBLY, AND MANUFAC-
TURING. 
It is the sense of Congress that— 
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(1) in-space servicing, assembly, and manufac-
turing capabilities are of vital importance to the 
United States; 
(2) the Federal Government should continue to 
promote and foster the development of commercial, 
crewed and autonomous in-space servicing, assembly, 
and manufacturing capabilities; 
(3) the Federal Government should cooperate 
and coordinate with private industry to develop and 
deploy in-space servicing, assembly, and manufac-
turing capabilities and utilize such capabilities for 
government missions as appropriate; and 
(4) Federal agencies with space procurement 
authorities and strategies should be encouraged, as 
appropriate, to reduce any barriers in current fed-
eral government procurement policies that limit the 
acquisition of such technologies or the inclusion of 
such technologies in federal procurement strategies. 
SEC. 13. SPACE NUCLEAR SYSTEMS. 
(a) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of Con-
gress that— 
(1) the ability to use space nuclear power and 
propulsion systems safely, securely, and sustainably 
is a significant part of maintaining and advancing 
United States leadership in space; 
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(2) the United States should use all commercial 
means to safely and sustainably advance space ex-
ploration, including nuclear propulsion; 
(3) the authorization for launches of spacecraft 
containing space nuclear systems should follow a 
three-tiered process based upon the characteristics of 
the system, as defined in the Presidential Memo-
randum on Launch of Spacecraft Containing Space 
Nuclear Systems (NSPM–20), issued on August 20, 
2019; and 
(4) licensing for in all three tiers for commer-
cial launches of spacecraft containing space nuclear 
systems should be consistent with chapter 509 of 
title 51, United States Code. 
(b) REPORTS.— 
(1) BY SECRETARY OF TRANSPORTATION.—Not 
later than 180 days after the date of the enactment 
of this Act, the Secretary of Transportation, in co-
ordination with the Interagency Nuclear Safety Re-
view Board, shall submit to the Committee on 
Science, Space, and Technology of the House of 
Representatives, the Committee on Commerce, 
Science, and Transportation of the Senate, and the 
Commercial Space Transportation Advisory Com-
mittee a report containing a proposal for the process 
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for licensing the launch of commercial spacecraft 
containing space nuclear systems that includes the 
following: 
(A) Any proposed nuclear safety analysis 
necessary to enable the launch of a commercial 
space nuclear system. 
(B) Proposed requirements for indem-
nification and insurance. 
(2) BY COMMERCIAL SPACE TRANSPORTATION 
ADVISORY
COMMITTEE.—Not later than 180 days 
after the submission of the report under paragraph 
(1), the Commercial Space Transportation Advisory 
Committee shall submit to the Committee on 
Science, Space, and Technology of the House of 
Representatives and the Committee on Commerce, 
Science, and Transportation of the Senate a report 
detailing industry and stakeholder perspectives on 
the report under paragraph (1). 
SEC. 14. LIMITATION ON INTERNATIONAL AGREEMENTS 
CONCERNING OUTER SPACE ACTIVITIES. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Chapter 307 of title 51, United 
States Code, is amended by adding at the end the fol-
lowing new section: 
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