42 U.S.C. § 18383 — In-space servicing

Page 9159 TITLE 42—THE PUBLIC HEALTH AND WELFARE § 18385 § 18374. Instrument test-beds and venture class missions The Administrator shall pursue innovative ways to fly instrument-level payloads for early demonstration or as co-manifested payloads. The Congress encourages the use of the ISS as an accessible platform for the conduct of such activities. Additionally, in order to address the cost and schedule challenges associated with large flight systems, NASA should pursue small- er systems where practicable and warranted. (Pub. L. 111–267, title VII, § 706, Oct. 11, 2010, 124 Stat. 2831.) SUBCHAPTER VII—SPACE SCIENCE § 18381. Technology development The Administrator shall ensure that the Science Mission Directorate maintains a long term technology development program for space and Earth science. This effort should be coordi- nated with an overall Agency technology invest- ment approach, as authorized in section 905 of this Act. (Pub. L. 111–267, title VIII, § 801, Oct. 11, 2010, 124 Stat. 2832.) Editorial Notes REFERENCES IN TEXT Section 905 of this Act, referred to in text, is Pub. L. 111–267, title IX, § 905, Oct. 11, 2010, 124 Stat. 2836, which is not classified to the Code. § 18382. Suborbital research activities (a) In general The report of the National Academy of Sciences, Revitalizing NASA’s Suborbital Pro- gram: Advancing Science, Driving Innovation and Developing Workforce, found that sub- orbital science missions were absolutely critical to building an aerospace workforce capable of meeting the needs of current and future human and robotic space exploration. (b) Management The Administrator shall designate an officer or employee of the Science Mission Directorate to act as the responsible official for all Sub- orbital Research in the Science Mission Direc- torate. The designee shall be responsible for the development of short- and long term strategic plans for maintaining, renewing and extending suborbital facilities and capabilities, monitoring progress towards goals in the plans, and be re- sponsible for integration of suborbital activities and workforce development within the agency, thereby ensuring the long term recognition of their combined value to the directorate, to NASA, and to the Nation. (c) Establishment of Suborbital Research Pro- gram The Administrator shall establish a Sub- orbital Research Program within the Science Mission Directorate that shall include the use of sounding rockets, aircraft, high altitude bal- loons, suborbital reusable launch vehicles, and commercial launch vehicles to advance science and train the next generation of scientists and engineers in systems engineering and systems integration which are vital to maintaining crit- ical skills in the aerospace workforce. The pro- gram shall integrate existing suborbital re- search programs with orbital missions at the discretion of the designated officer or employee and shall emphasize the participation of under- graduate and graduate students and post-doc- toral researchers when formulating announce- ments of opportunity. (d) Report The Administrator shall report to the appro- priate committees of Congress on the number and type of suborbital missions conducted in each fiscal year and the number of under- graduate and graduate students participating in the missions. The report shall be made annually for each fiscal year under this section. (e) Authorization There are authorized to be appropriated to the Administrator such sums as may be necessary to carry out this section. (Pub. L. 111–267, title VIII, § 802, Oct. 11, 2010, 124 Stat. 2832.) § 18383. In-space servicing The Administrator shall continue to take all necessary steps to ensure that provisions are made for in-space or human servicing and repair of all future observatory-class scientific space- craft intended to be deployed in Earth-orbit or at a Lagrangian point to the extent practicable and appropriate. The Administrator should en- sure that agency investments and future capa- bilities for space technology, robotics, and human space flight take the ability to service and repair these spacecraft into account, where appropriate, and incorporate such capabilities into design and operational plans. (Pub. L. 111–267, title VIII, § 804, Oct. 11, 2010, 124 Stat. 2833.) § 18384. Decadal results NASA shall take into account the current decadal surveys from the National Academies’ Space Studies Board when submitting the Presi- dent’s budget request to the Congress. (Pub. L. 111–267, title VIII, § 805, Oct. 11, 2010, 124 Stat. 2833.) § 18385. On-going restoration of radioisotope thermoelectric generator material produc- tion (a) Findings The Congress finds the following: (1) The United States has led the world in the scientific exploration of space for nearly 50 years. (2) Missions such as Viking, Voyager, Cassini, and New Horizons have greatly ex- panded knowledge of our solar system and planetary characteristics and evolution. (3) Radioisotope power systems are the only available power sources for deep space mis- sions making it possible to travel to such dis- tant destinations as Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Pluto, and beyond and maintain operational