51 U.S.C. § 70502 — Exploration plan and programs

Page 172 TITLE 51—NATIONAL AND COMMERCIAL SPACE PROGRAMS § 70502 and workload between the Centers to mitigate the brunt of job losses being borne by only certain Centers; (3) new workload, tasks, initiatives, and missions being secured for the affected Centers; and (4) overall projec- tions of future civil service and contractor workforce levels at the affected Centers. The Administrator shall transmit this strategy to Congress not later than 90 days after the date of enactment of this Act [Dec. 26, 2007]. The Administrator shall update and transmit to Congress this strategy not less than every six months thereafter until the successor human-rated space trans- port vehicle is fully operational.’’ Pub. L. 109–155, title V, § 502, Dec. 30, 2005, 119 Stat. 2928, provided that: ‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Administrator [of the Na- tional Aeronautics and Space Administration] shall, to the fullest extent possible consistent with a successful development program, use the personnel, capabilities, assets, and infrastructure of the Space Shuttle program in developing the Crew Exploration Vehicle, Crew Launch Vehicle, and a heavy-lift launch vehicle. ‘‘(b) PLAN.—Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act [Dec. 30, 2005], the Administrator shall transmit to the Committee on Science [now Com- mittee on Science, Space, and Technology] of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Com- merce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate a plan describing how NASA [National Aeronautics and Space Administration] will proceed with its human space flight programs, which, at a minimum, shall de- scribe— ‘‘(1) how NASA will deploy personnel from, and use the facilities of, the Space Shuttle program to ensure that the Space Shuttle operates as safely as possible through its final flight and to ensure that personnel and facilities from the Space Shuttle program are used in NASA’s exploration programs in accordance with subsection (a); ‘‘(2) the planned number of flights the Space Shut- tle will make before its retirement; ‘‘(3) the means, other than the Space Shuttle and the Crew Exploration Vehicle, including commercial vehicles, that may be used to ferry crew and cargo to and from the ISS [International Space Station]; ‘‘(4) the intended purpose of lunar missions and the architecture for those missions; and ‘‘(5) the extent to which the Crew Exploration Vehi- cle will allow for the escape of the crew in an emer- gency. ‘‘(c) PERSONNEL.—The Administrator shall consult with other appropriate Federal agencies and with NASA contractors and employees to develop a transi- tion plan for any Federal and contractor personnel en- gaged in the Space Shuttle program who can no longer be retained because of the retirement of the Space Shuttle. The plan shall include actions to assist Fed- eral and contractor personnel in taking advantage of training, retraining, job placement and relocation pro- grams, and any other actions that NASA will take to assist the employees. The plan shall also describe how the Administrator will ensure that NASA and its con- tractors will have an appropriate complement of em- ployees to allow for the safest possible use of the Space Shuttle through its final flight. The Administrator shall transmit the plan to the Committee on Science [now Committee on Science, Space, and Technology] of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate not later than March 31, 2006.’’ § 70502. Exploration plan and programs The Administrator shall— (1) construct an architecture and implemen- tation plan for the Administration’s human exploration program that is not critically de- pendent on the achievement of milestones by fixed dates; (2) implement an exploration research and technology development program to enable human and robotic operations consistent with section 20302(b) of this title; (3) conduct an in-situ resource utilization technology program to develop the capability to use space resources to increase independ- ence from Earth, and sustain exploration be- yond low-Earth orbit; and (4) pursue aggressively automated ren- dezvous and docking capabilities that can sup- port the International Space Station and other mission requirements. (Pub. L. 111–314, § 3, Dec. 18, 2010, 124 Stat. 3430; Pub. L. 115–10, title IV, § 415, Mar. 21, 2017, 131 Stat. 34.) HISTORICAL AND REVISION NOTES Revised Section Source (U.S. Code) Source (Statutes at Large) 70502 .......... 42 U.S.C. 16763. Pub. L. 109–155, title V, § 503, Dec. 30, 2005, 119 Stat. 2929. Editorial Notes AMENDMENTS 2017—Par. (2). Pub. L. 115–10 amended par. (2) gen- erally. Prior to amendment, par. (2) read as follows: ‘‘implement an exploration technology development program to enable lunar human and robotic operations consistent with section 20302(b) of this title, including surface power to use on the Moon and other loca- tions;’’. § 70503. Ground-based analog capabilities (a) IN GENERAL.—The Administrator may es- tablish a ground-based analog capability in re- mote United States locations in order to assist in the development of lunar operations, life sup- port, and in-situ resource utilization experience and capabilities. (b) ENVIRONMENTAL CHARACTERISTICS.—The Administrator shall select locations for the ac- tivities described in subsection (a) that— (1) are regularly accessible; (2) have significant temperature extremes and range; and (3) have access to energy and natural re- sources (including geothermal, permafrost, volcanic, or other potential resources). (c) INVOLVEMENT OF LOCAL POPULATIONS AND PRIVATE SECTOR PARTNERS.—In carrying out this section, the Administrator shall involve local populations, academia, and industrial part- ners as much as possible to ensure that ground- based benefits and applications are encouraged and developed. (Pub. L. 111–314, § 3, Dec. 18, 2010, 124 Stat. 3430.) HISTORICAL AND REVISION NOTES Revised Section Source (U.S. Code) Source (Statutes at Large) 70503 .......... 42 U.S.C. 16764. Pub. L. 109–155, title V, § 504, Dec. 30, 2005, 119 Stat. 2929. § 70504. Stepping stone approach to exploration (a) IN GENERAL.—The Administration— (1) may conduct missions to intermediate destinations in sustainable steps in accord- ance with section 20302(b) of this title, and on