National Aeronautics and Space Administration Authorization Act of 1986
PL 99-170 (H.R.1714), enacted 12/05/1985

99 STAT. 1012 
PUBLIC LAW 99-170—DEC. 5, 1985 
Public Law 99-170 
99th Congress 
An Act 
Dec. 5, 1985 
[H.R. 1714] 
National 
Aeronautics and 
Space 
Administration 
Authorization 
Act of 1986. 
To authorize appropriations to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration 
for research and development, space flight, control and data communications, 
construction of facilities, and research and program management, and for other 
purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled, That this Act may 
be cited as the "National Aeronautics and Space Administration 
Authorization Act of 1986". 
TITLE I—NASA AUTHORIZATION 
SEC. 101. There is hereby authorized to be appropriated to the 
National Aeronautics and Space Administration to become available 
October 1,1985: 
(a) For "Research and development", for the following programs: 
(1) Space station, $205,000,000; 
(2) Space transportation capability development, $437,300,000; 
(3) Physics and astronomy, $620,400,000; 
(4) Life sciences, $68,000,000; 
(5) Planetary exploration, $354,000,000; 
(6) Space applications, $537,800,000; 
(7) Technology utilization, $11,100,000; 
(8) Commercial use of space, $17,000,000; 
(9) Aeronautical research and technology, $354,000,000; 
(10) Space research and technology, $166,000,000; and 
(11) Tracking and data advanced systems, $16,200,000. 
(b) For "Space flight, control and data communications", for the 
following programs: 
(1) Space shuttle production and operational capability, 
$961,500,000; 
(2) Space transportation operations, $1,710,100,000; and 
(3) Space and ground network, communications and data 
systems, $701,300,000. 
(c) Except as provided in the last sentence of this subsection for 
"Construction of facilities", including land acquisition, as follows: 
(1) Space transportation facilities at various locations as 
follows: 
(A) Construction of orbiter modification and refurbish-
ment facility, John F. Kennedy Space Center, $14,000,000; 
(B) Construction of thermal protection system facility, 
John F. Kennedy Space Center, $3,600,000; 
(C) Modifications for advanced technology engine test 
stand S-IC, George C. Marshall Space Flight Center, 
$6,500,000; 
(D) Modification for enhanced life support systems test-
ing, Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, $1,100,000; 
(E) Modifications to Pad A payload change-out room, 
John F. Kennedy Space Center, $2,200,000; and 
PUBLIC LAW 99-170—DEC. 5, 1985 
99 STAT. 1013 
(F) Modifications to space shuttle main engine support 
systems, 
National 
Space 
Technology 
Laboratories, 
$2,500,000; 
(2) Space shuttle payload facilities at various locations £is 
follows: 
(A) Construction of payload control rooms, John F. Ken-
nedy Space Center, $1,200,000; and 
(B) Construction of spacecraft systems development and 
integration 
facility, 
Goddard 
Space 
Flight 
Center, 
$8,000,000; 
(3) Construction of additions to research projects laboratory, 
Goddard Space Flight Center, $3,800,000; 
(4) Construction of microdevices laboratory, Jet Propulsion 
Laboratory, $8,900,000; 
(5) Construction of numerical aerodynamic simulation facil-
ity, Ames Research Center, $8,200,000; 
(6) Modifications to the 16-foot transonic tunnel for improved 
productivity and research capability, Langley Research Center, 
$4,900,000; 
(7) Modification of 64-meter antenna, DSS-14, Goldstone, 
California, $8,500,000; 
(8) Modification of 64-meter antenna, DSS-43, Canberra, Aus-
tralia, $8,900,000; 
(9) Repair of facilities at various locations, not in excess of 
$750,000 per project, $22,000,000; 
(10) Rehabilitation and modification of facilities at various 
locations, not in excess of $750,000 per project, $27,000,000; 
(11) Minor construction of new facilities and additions to 
existing facilities at various locations, not in excess of $500,000 
per project, $6,000,000; and 
(12) Facility plemning and design not otherwise provided for, 
$12,000,000. 
Notwithstanding paragraphs (1) through (12), the total amount 
authorized by this subsection shall not exceed $139,300,000. 
(d) For "Research and program management", $1,367,000,000, and 
such additional or supplemental amounts as may be necessary for 
increases in salary, pay, retirement, or other employee benefits 
authorized by law. 
(e) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (h), appropria-
tions hereby authorized for "Research and development" and 
"Space flight, control and data communications" may be used (1) for 
any items of a capital nature (other than acquisition of land) which 
may be required at locations other than installations of the 
Administration for the performance of research and development 
contracts, and (2) for grants to nonprofit institutions of higher 
education, or to nonprofit organizations whose primary purpose is 
the conduct of scientific research, for purchase or construction of 
additional research facilities; and title to such facilities shall be 
vested in the United States unless the Administrator determines 
that the national program of aeronautical and space activities will 
best be served by vesting title in any such grantee institution or 
organization. Each such grant shall be made under such conditions 
as the Administrator shall determine to be required to ensure that 
the United States will receive therefrom benefit adequate to justify 
the making of that grant. None of the funds appropriated for 
"Research and development" and "Space flight, control and data 
communications" pursuant to this Act may be used in accordance 
Contracts. 
Grants. 
Prohibition. 
99 STAT. 1014 
PUBLIC LAW 99-170—DEC. 5, 1985 
42 use 2459a. 
Report. 
with this subsection for the construction of any major facility, the 
estimated cost of which, including collateral equipment, exceeds 
$500,000, unless the Administrator or the Administrator's designee 
has notified the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the 
President of the Senate and the Committee on Science and Tech-
nology of the House of Representatives and the Committee on 
Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate of the nature, 
location, and estimated cost of such facility. 
(f) When so specified and to the extent provided in an appropria-
tion .Act, (1) any amount appropriated for "Research and develop-
ment", for "Space flight, control and data communications" or for 
"Construction of facilities" may remain available without fiscal year 
limitation, and (2) maintenance and operation of facilities and sup-
port services contracts may be entered into under the "Research and 
program management" appropriation for periods not in excess of 12 
months beginning at any time during the fiscal year. 
(g) Appropriations made pursuant to subsection (d) may be used, 
but not to exceed $35,000, for scientific consultations or extraor-
dinary expenses upon the approval or authority of the Adminis-
trator, and the Administrator's determination shall be final and 
conclusive upon the accounting officers of the Government. 
(h) Of the funds appropriated pursuant to subsections (a), (b), and 
(d), not in excess of $100,000 for each project, including collateral 
equipment, may be used for construction of new facilities and 
additions to existing facilities, and for repair, rehabilitation, or 
modification of facilities: Provided, That, of the funds appropriated 
pursuant to subsection (a) or (b), not in excess of $500,000 for each 
project, including collateral equipment, may be used for any of the 
foregoing for unforeseen programmatic needs. 
SEC. 102. Authorization is hereby granted whereby any of the 
amounts prescribed in paragraphs (1) through (11), inclusive, of 
section 101(c)— 
(1) in the discretion of the Administrator or the Administra-
tor's designee, may be varied upward 10 percent, or 
(2) following a report by the Administrator or the Administra-
tor's designee to the Committee on Science and Technology of 
the House of Representatives and the Committee on Commerce, 
Science, and Transportation of the Senate on the circumst£inces 
of such action, may be varied upward 25 per centum, to meet 
unusual cost variations, but the total cost of all work author-
ized under such paragraphs shall not exceed the total of the 
amounts specified in such paragraphs. 
SEC. 103. Not to exceed one-half of 1 per centum of the funds 
appropriated pursuant to section 101(a) or lOlOt)) may be transferred 
to and merged with the "Construction of facilities" appropriation, 
and, when so transferred, together with $10,000,000 of funds appro-
priated pursuant to section 101(c) (other than funds appropriated 
pursuant to paragraph (12) of such section) shall be available for 
expenditure to construct, expand, and modify laboratories and other 
installations at any location (including locations specified in section 
101(c)), if (1) the Administrator determines such action to be nec-
essary because of changes in the national program of aeronautical 
and space activities or new scientific or engineering developments, 
and (2) the Administrator determines that deferral of such action 
until the enactment of the next authorization Act would be 
inconsistent with the interest of the Nation in aeronautical and 
space activities. The funds so made available may be expended to 
PUBLIC LAW 99-170—DEC. 5, 1985 
99 STAT. 1015 
acquire, construct, convert, rehabilitate, or install permanent or 
temporary public works, including land acquisition, site prepara-
tion, appurtenances, utilities, and equipment. No portion of such 
sums may be obligated for expenditure or expended to construct, 
expand, or modify laboratories and other installations unless a 
period of 30 days has passed after the Administrator or the Adminis-
trator's designee has transmitted to the Speaker of the House of 
Representatives and to the President of the Senate and the Commit-
tee on Science and Technology of the House of Representatives and 
to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the 
Senate a written report containing a full and complete statement 
concerning (i) the nature of such construction, expansion, or modi-
fication, (ii) the cost thereof including the cost of any real estate 
action pertaining thereto, and (iii) the reason why such construction, 
expansion, or modification is necessary in the national interest. 
SEC. 104. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Act, no 
amount appropriated pursuant to this Act may be used for any 
program— 
(1) deleted by the Congress from requests as originally made 
either to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transpor-
tation of the Senate or the Committee on Science and Tech-
nology of the House of Representatives; 
(2) in excess of the amount actually authorized for that 
particular program by subsections (a), QD), and (d) of section 101; 
and 
(3) which has not been presented to either such committee, 
unless a period of thirty days has passed after the receipt by the 
Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President of the 
Senate and each such committee of notice given by the Adminis-
trator or the Administrator's designee containing a full and com-
plete statement of the action proposed to be taken and the facts and 
circumstances relied upon in support of such proposed action. 
SEC. 105. It is the sense of the Congress that it is in the national 
interest that consideration be given to geographical distribution of 
Federal research funds whenever feasible, and that the National 
Aeronautics and Space Administration should explore ways and 
means of distributing its research and development funds whenever 
feasible. 
SEC. 106. No civil space station authorized under section 101(a)(1) 
may be used to carry or place in orbit any nuclear weapon or any 
other weapon of mass destruction, to install any such weapon on any 
celestial body, or to station any such weapon in space in any other 
manner. This civil space station may be used only for peaceful 
purposes. 
SEC. 107. On and after the date of enactment of this Act, the 
Inspector General of the National Aeronautics and Space Adminis-
tration may administer to or take from any person an oath, affirma-
tion or affidavit, whenever necessary in the performance of the 
functions assigned by the Inspector General Act of 1978 (5 U.S.C. 
App.). Any such oath, affirmation or affidavit, when administered or 
taken by or before an investigator or such other employee of the 
Office of the Inspector General as may be designated by the Inspec-
tor General, shall have the same force and effect as if administered 
or taken by or before an officer having a seal. 
SEC. 108. The authorization for space shuttle production and 
operational capability includes provisions for the production activi-
ties necessary to provide for a fleet of four space shuttle orbiters. 
Prohibition. 
Report. 
Prohibition. 
42 u s e 2459 
note. 
Prohibition. 
99 STAT. 1016 
PUBLIC LAW 99-170—DEC. 5, 1985 
42 u s e 2451 
note. 
Report. 
Study. 
Handicapped 
persons. 
42 u s e 2451 
note. 
Report. 
42 u s e 2466c 
note. 
Study. 
Report. 
42 u s e 2466c 
note. 
Banks and 
banking. 
eontracts. 
eontracts. 
President of U.S. 
Report. 
including the production of structural and component spares, nec-
essary to ensure confident and cost effective operation of the four 
orbiter fleet as well as provisions for maintaining production readi-
ness for a fifth orbiter vehicle. 
SEC. 109. Section 204(c) of the National Aeronautics and Space 
Administration Authorization Act, 1985 (Public Law 98-361; 98 Stat. 
430) is amended by striking "twelve" and inserting in lieu thereof 
"18". 
SEC. 110. Within ninety days of the date of enactment of this Act, 
the Administrator shall review those recommendations of the Presi-
dent's Private Sector Survey on Cost Control and such other rec-
ommendations as may be included in the Office of Management and 
Budget report "Management of the United States Government— 
1986" and shall submit a report to the Speaker of the House of 
Representatives and the President of the Senate and the Committee 
on Science and Technology of the House of Representatives and the 
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate 
on the implementation status of each such recommendation which 
affects the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and 
which are within the authority and control of the Administrator. 
SEC. H I . The Administrator shall initiate an immediate feasibil-
ity study to ensure flight opportunities for a diverse segment of the 
American public, including a physically disabled American. 
SEC. 112. The Administrator shall examine and report to the 
Congress on the feasibility of providing space shuttle launch services 
on a basis of royalty recovery over the economic life of commercial 
products produced or processed in space. 
SEC. 113. The Administrator shall conduct a study and report to 
the Congress on a proposed pricing policy for certain services such 
as on-orbit service, repair or recovery of spacecraft. 
SEC. 114. (a) In accordance with the provisions of this section, 
during fiscal year 1986 the National Aeronautics and Space 
Administration shall defer payment to the Federal Financing Bank 
of the amount attributable to principal for which the Administra-
tion is obligated during such fiscal year as a result of the contract 
regarding tracking and data relay satellite services (NAS 5-25,000) 
entered into under section 6 of the National Aeronautics and Space 
Administration Authorization Act, 1978 (42 U.S.C. 2463). 
Ot)) The amount of any pa3niient deferred under subsection (a) shall 
be added to the amount of principal for which the Administration is 
obligated during fiscal year 1993 as a result of such contract. After 
the addition of such amount, if the total amount of repayments and 
prepayments under such contract for which the Administration is 
obligated during fiscal year 1993 exceeds the total amount of repay-
ments and prepa3mients under such contract for which the Adminis-
tration was obligated during fiscal year 1992, the Administration 
may defer payment of such excess until fiscal year 1994. 
(c) The Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space 
Administration is authorized to renegotiate such contract, if the 
Administrator determines that such renegotiation is necessary to 
enable the Administration to defer pa3mients as provided in this 
section. 
SEC. 115. The President shall submit to the Congress at the 
earliest practicable date, but not later than May 1,1986, a report on 
any action taken with respect to the establishment in 1992 of an 
International Space Year. Such report shall include descriptions of 
possible international missions and related research and edu-
PUBLIC LAW 99-170—DEC. 5, 1985 
99 STAT. 1017 
cational activities and such other activities as the President may 
deem appropriate. 
TITLE II—SHUTTLE PRICING POLICY FOR COMMERCIAL 
AND FOREIGN USERS 
SEC. 201. The Congress finds and declares that— 
(1) the Space Transportation System is a vital element of the 
United States space program, contributing to the United States 
leadership in space research, technology, and development; 
(2) the Space Transportation System is the primary space 
launch system for both United States national security and civil 
government missions; 
(3) the Space Transportation System contributes to the expan-
sion of United States private sector investment and involve-
ment in space and therefore should serve commercial users; 
(4) the availability of the Space Transportation System to 
foreign users for peaceful purposes is an important means of 
promoting international cooperative activities in the national 
interest and in maintaining access to space for activities which 
enhance the security and welfare of mankind; 
(5) the United States is committed to maintaining world 
leadership in space transportation; 
(6) making the Space Transportation System fully operational 
and cost effective in providing routine access to space will 
maximize the national economic benefits of the system; and 
(7) national goals and the objectives for the Space Transpor-
tation System can be furthered by a stable and fair pricing 
policy for the Space Transportation System. 
SEC. 202. The purpose of this title is to set the reimbursement 
pricing policy for the Space Transportation System for commercial 
and foreign users which is consistent with the findings included in 
section 201, encourages the full and effective use of space, and is 
designed to achieve the following goals— 
(1) the preservation of the role of the United States as a 
leader in space research, technology, and development; 
(2) the efficient and cost effective use of the Space Transpor-
tation System; 
(3) the achievement of greatly increased commercial space 
activity; and 
(4) the enhgmcement of the international competitive position 
of the United States. 
SEC. 203. For purposes of this title, the term— 
(1) "Administrator" means the Administrator of the National 
Aeronautics and Space Administration; and 
(2) "additive cost" means the average direct and indirect costs 
to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration of 
providing additional flights of the Space Transportation System 
beyond the costs associated with those flights necessary to 
meet the space transportation needs of the United States 
Government. 
SEC. 204. (a) The Administrator shall establish and implement a 
pricing system to recover reimbursement in accordance with the 
pricing policy under section 202 from each commercial or foreign 
user of the Space Transportation System, which except as provided 
in subsections (c), (d), and (e) shall include a base price of not less 
Space 
Transportation 
System. 
42 use 2466. 
42 use 2466a. 
42 use 2466b. 
42 u s e 2466c. 
99 STAT. 1018 
PUBLIC LAW 99-170—DEC. 5, 1985 
than $74,000,000 for each flight of the Space Transportation System 
in 1982 dollars. 
Report. 
(b) Each year the Administrator shall submit to the President of 
the Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the 
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the 
Senate, and the Committee on Science and Technology of the House 
of Representatives, a report, transmitted contemporaneously with 
the annual budget request of the President, which shall inform the 
Congress how the policy goals contained in section 202 are being 
furthered by the shuttle price for foreign and commercial users. 
(cXD If at any time the Administrator finds that the policy goals 
contained in section 202 are not being achieved, the Administrator 
shall have authority to reduce the base price established in subsec-
tion (a) after forty-five days following receipt by the President of the 
Senate, the Speaker of the House, the Committee on Commerce, 
Science, and Transportation of the Senate, and the Committee on 
Science and Technology of the House of Representatives of a notice 
by the Administrator containing a description of the proposed reduc-
tion together with a full and complete statement of the facts and 
circumstances which necessitate such proposed reduction. 
(2) In no case shall the minimum price established under subsec-
tion (c)(1) be less than additive cost. 
(d) The Administrator may set a price lower than the price 
determined under subsection (a) or (c), or provide no-cost flights, for 
any commercial or foreign user of the Space Transportation System 
who is involved in research, development or demonstration pro-
grams with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. 
(e) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (a), the Adminis-
trator shall have the authority to offer reasonable customer incen-
tives consistent with the policy goals in section 202. 
42 use 2466 
SEC. 205. This title shall apply to flights of the Space Transpor-
^°^- 
tation System beginning on and after October 1,1988. 
TITLE III—OFFICE OF COMMERCIAL SPACE 
TRANSPORTATION 
49 use app. 
SEC. 301. Section 24 of the Commercial Space Launch Act (Public 
2623. 
Law 98-575; 98 Stat. 3064) is amended by adding at the end thereof 
the following: "There is authorized to be appropriated to the Sec-
retary to carry out this Act $586,000 for fiscal year 1986.". 
Approved December 5, 1985. 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY—H.R. 1714: 
HOUSE REPORTS: No. 99-32 (Comm. on Science and Technology) and No. 99-379 
(Comm. of Conference). 
SENATE REPORT No. 99-91 (Comm. on Commerce, Science, and Transportation). 
CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, Vol. 131 (1985): 
Apr. 3, considered and passed House. 
June 27, considered and passed Senate, Eunended. 
Nov. 21, Senate and House agreed to conference report.