An Act to authorize appropriations to the National Aeronautics and Space administration for research and development, construction of facilities, and research and program management, and for other purposes
PL 92-68 (H.R.7109), enacted 08/06/1971

174 
PUBLIC LAW 92-68-AUG. 6, 1971 
[85 STAT. 
August 6,1971 
[H. R. 7109] 
Public Law 92-68 
AN ACT 
To authorize appropriations to the National Aeronautics and Space Administra-
tion for research and development, construction of facilities, and research and 
program management, and for other purposes. 
National Aero-
nautics and Space 
Administration 
Authorization Act, 
1972. 
Research and 
development. 
Facilities, 
construction. 
Research and 
program manage-
ment. 
Program speci-
fications. 
Be it enacted hy the Senate and House of Representatives 
of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled, That there is hereby 
authorized to be appropriated to the National Aeronautics and Space 
Administration: 
(a) For "Research and development", for the following programs: 
1) Apollo, $612,200,000; 
2) Space flight operations, $702,775,000; 
(3) Advanced missions $5,500,000; 
(4) Physics and astronomy, $112,800,000; 
5) Lunar and planetary exploration, $301,500,000; 
6) Space applications, $185,000,000; 
(7) Launch vehicle procurement, $146,100,000; 
(8) Aeronautical research and technology, $122,500,000; 
(9) Space research and technology, $75,105,000; 
(10) Nuclear 
power 
and 
propulsion, 
$70,720,000 
of 
which 
$58,000,000 is to be used only for NERVA engine development and 
related nuclear propulsion activities; 
(11) Tracking and data acquisition, $264,000,000; 
(12) Technology utilization, $5,000,000. 
(b) For "Construction of facilities," including land acquisitions, as 
follows: 
(1) Modernization of the 40 x 80-foot Wind Tunnel, Ames Research 
Center, $6,500,000; 
(2) Centaur Modifications to Titan I I I launch area, John F. Ken-
nedy Space Center, $10,700,000; 
(3) Alterations to Launch Complex 17, John F. Kennedy Space 
Center, $4,500,000; 
(4) Space Shuttle Facilities, as follows: 
Main engine sea level test stands (2), Mississippi Test Facility, 
$11,000,000, 
Main engine altitude test facility. Air Force Arnold Engineer-
ing Development Center, $2,000,000, 
Auxiliary propulsion test facilities, undesignated location, 
$1,500,000, 
Thermal protection system development facilities, 
Ames 
Research Center, $3,000,000, Langley Research Center, $500,000, 
Manned Spacecraft Center, $1,200,000, Undesignated location, 
$800,000; 
(5) Power Plant Replacements, Goldstone, Calif., $370,000 and 
Santiago. Chile, $230,000; 
(6) AST Ground Station, Western Europe, $500,000; 
(7) Facility rehabilitations and modifications, various locations, 
$10,000,000; 
(8) Expansion of the Visitors Information Center, John F. Ken-
nedv Space Center, $2,100,000; 
(9) Facility Planning and Design, $3,500,000. 
(c) For "Research and program management," $693,350,000, of 
which not to exceed $529,916,000 to be available for personnel and 
related costs. 
(d) Appropriations for "Research and development" may be used 
(1) for any items of a capital nature (other than acquisition of land) 
which may be required for the performance of research and develop-
ment contracts, and (2) for grants to nonprofit institutions of higher 
85 STAT. ] 
PUBLIC LAW 92-68-AUG. 6, 1971 
175 
education, or to nonprofit organizations whose prima i-y purpose is the 
conduct of scientific research, for purchase or construction of addi-
tional 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 Adminis-
trator shall determine to be required to insure that the United States 
wall receive therefrom benefit adequate to justify the making of that 
grant. None of the funds appropriated for "Research and develop- ^^°slona°cVm' 
ment" pursuant to this Act may be used for construction of any major mittees. 
facility, the estimated cost of which, including collateral equipment, 
exceeds $250,000, unless the Administrator or his designee has notified 
the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President of the 
Senate and the Committee on Science and Astronautics of the House 
of Representatives and the Committee on Aeronautical and Space 
Sciences of the Senate of the nature, location, and estimated cost of 
such facility. 
(e) When so specified in an appropriation Act, (1) any amount 
appropriated for "Research and development" or for "Construction 
of facilities" may remain available without fiscal year limitation, and 
(2) maintenance and operation of facilities, and support services con-
tracts may be entered into under the "Research and program manage-
ment" appropriation for periods not in excess of twelve months 
beginning at any time during the fiscal year. 
(f) Appropriations made pursuant to subsection 1(c) may be used, 
but not to exceed $35,000, for scientific consultations or extraordinary 
expenses upon the approval or authority of the Administrator and his 
determination shall be final and conclusive upon the accounting offi-
cers of the Government. 
(g) No part of the funds appropriated pursuant to subsection 1(c) 
Funds, limita-
tion. 
for maintenance, repairs, alterations, and minor construction shall be 
used for the construction of any new facility the estimated cost of 
which, including collateral equipment, exceeds $100,000. 
(h) No part of the funds appropriated pursuant to subsection (a) biuon"'^' ^''°^^' 
of this section may be used for grants to anj^ nonprofit institution of 
higher learning unless the Administrator or his designee determines at 
the time of the grant that recruiting personnel of any of the Armed 
Forces of the United States are not being barred from the premises or 
property of such institution except that this subsection shall not 
apply if the Administrator or his designee determines that the grant is 
a continuation or renewal of a previous grant to such institution which 
is likely to make a significant contribution to the aeronautical and 
space activities of the United States. The Secretary of Defense shall 
Rfport to Ad-
furnish to the Administrator or his designee within sixty days after 
the date of enactment of this Act and each January 30 and June 30 
thereafter the names of any nonprofit institutions of higher learning 
which the Secretary of Defense determines on the date of each such 
report are barring such recruiting personnel from premises or prop-
erty of any such institution. 
SEC. 2. Authorization is hereby granted whereby the total of any 
of the amounts prescribed by paragraphs (1), (2), (3), (4), (5), (6), 
(7), and (8) of subsection 1(b) may, in the discretion of the Admin-
istrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, be 
varied upward of 5 per centum to meet unusual cost variations, but 
the total cost of all work authorized under such paragraphs shall not 
exceed the total of the amounts specified in such paragraphs. 
176 
PUBLIC LAW 92-68-AUG. 6, 197L 
[85 STAT. 
Transfer of 
funds. 
Report to con-
gressional com-
mittees. 
Funds, 
tions. 
Notice to con-
gressional com-
mittees. 
Research funds, 
geographical dis-
tribution. 
SEC. 3. Not to exceed one-half of 1 per centiiin of the funds appro-
priated pursuant to subsection 1(a) hereof may be transferred to the 
"Construction of facilities" appropriation, and, when so transferred, 
together with $10,000,000 of the funds appropriated pursuant to sub-
section 1(b) hereof (other than funds appropriated pursuant to para-
graph (9) of such subsection) shall be available for expenditure to 
construct, expand, or modify laboratories and other installations at any 
location (including locations specified in subsection 1(b)), if (1) the 
Administrator determines such action to be necessary because of 
changes in the national program of aeronautical and space activities 
or new scientific or engineering developments, and (2) he determines 
that deferral of such action until the enactment of the next authoriza-
tion Act would be inconsistent with the interest of the Nation in aero-
nautical and space activities. The funds so made available may be 
expended to acquire, construct, convert, rehabilitate, or install perma-
nent or temporary public works including land acquisition, site prepa-
ration, 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) a 
period of thirty days has passed after the Administrator or his designee 
has transmitted to the Speaker of the House of Representatives and 
to the President of the Senate and to the Committee on Science and 
Astronautics of the House of Representatives and to the Committee on 
Aeronautical and Space Sciences of the Senate a written report con-
taining a full and complete statement concerning (1) the nature of 
such construction, expansion, or modification, (2) the cost thereof 
including the cost of any real estate action pertaining thereto, and (3) 
the reason why such construction, expansion, or modification is neces-
sary in the national interest, or (B) each such committee before the 
expiration of such period has transmitted to the Administrator writ-
ten notice to the effect that such committee has no objection to the 
proposed action. 
SEC. 4. (a) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Act— 
(1) no amount appropriated pursuant to this Act may be used 
for anv program deleted by the Congress from requests as origi-
nally made to either the House Committee on Science and Astro-
nautics or the Senate Committee on Aeronautical and Space 
Sciences, 
(2) no amount appropriated pursuant to this Act may be used 
for any program in excess of the amount actually authorized for 
that particular program by sections 1(a) and 1(c), and 
(3) no amount appropriated pursuant to this Act may be used 
for any program which has not been presented to or requested of 
either such committee, 
unless (A) 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 Administrator 
or his designee containing a full and complete statement of the action 
proposed to be taken and the facts and circumstances relied upon in 
support of such proposed action, or (B) each such committee before 
the expiration of such period has transmitted to the Administrator 
written notice to the effect that such committee has no objection to the 
proposed action. 
(b) Nothing in this section shall be construed to authorize the 
expenditure of amounts for personnel and related costs pursuant to 
section 1(c) to exceed amounts authorized for such costs. 
SEC. 5. It is the sense of the Congress that it is in the national inter-
est 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 dis-
tributing its research and development funds whenever feasible. 
72 Stat. 426. 
42 u s e 2451 
85 STAT. ] 
PUBLIC LAW 92-68-AUG. 6, 1971 
177 
SEC. 6. (a) If an institution of higher education determines, after ers^deniai^o^pay-
affording notice and opportunity for hearing to an individual attend- ment. 
ing, or employed by, such institution, that such individual has been 
convicted by any court of record of any crime which was committed 
^after the date of enactment of this Act and which involved the use of 
(or assistance to others in the use of) force, disruption, or the seizure 
of property under control of any institution of higher education to 
prevent officials or students in such institution from engaging in their 
duties or pursuing their studies, and that such crime was of a serious 
nature and contributed to a substantial disruption of the administra-
tion of the institution with respect to which such crime was committed, 
then the institution which such individual attends, or is employed by, 
shall deny for a period of two years any further payment to, or for 
the direct benefit of, such individual under any of the programs 
authorized by the National Aeronautics and Space Act of 1958, the 
funds for which are authorized pursuant to this Act. If an institution note. 
denies an individual assistance under the authority of the preceding 
sentence of this subsection, then any institution which such individual 
subsequently attends shall deny for the remainder of the two-year 
period any further payment to, or for the direct benefit of, such indi-
vidual under any of the programs authorized by the National Aero-
nautics and Space Act of 1958, the funds for which are authorized 
pursuant to this Act. 
(b) If an institution of higher education determines, after affording 
notice and opportunity for hearing to an individual attending, or 
employed by, such institution, that such individual has willfully 
refused to obey a lawful regulation or order of such institution after 
the date of enactment of this Act, and that such refusal was of a seri-
ous nature and contributed to a substantial disruption of the adminis-
tration of such institution, then such institution shall deny, for a 
period of two years, any further payment to, or for the direct benefit 
of, such individual under any of the programs authorized by the 
National Aeronautics and Space Act of 1958, the funds for which are 
authorized pursuant to this Act. 
(c) (1) Nothing in this Act shall be construed to prohibit any insti-
tution of higher education from refusing to award, continue, or extend 
any financial assistance under any such Act to any individual because 
of any misconduct which in its judgment bears adversely on his fitness 
for such assistance. 
(2) Nothing in this section shall be construed as limiting or preju-
dicing the rights and prerogatives of any institution of higher educa-
tion to institute and carry out an independent, disciplinary proceeding 
pursuant to existing authority, practice, and law. 
(3) Nothing in this section shall be construed to limit the freedom 
Freedom o
f 
of any student to verbal expression of individual views or opinions, ^P^^*"^-
SEC. 7. Section 206 of the National Aeronautics and Space Act of 
1958 (42 U.S.C. 2476J, is amended as follows: (1^ subsection (a) is 
f2lTau432. 
hereby repealed, and (2) subsections (b), (c), and (d) are renumbered 
as subsections (a), (b),and (c), respectively. 
SEC. 8. This Act may be cited as the "National Aeronautics and 
^^°''^ t^ti^. 
Space Administration Authorization Act, 1972". 
Approved August 6, 1971.