51 U.S.C. § 70504 — Stepping stone approach to exploration

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 Page 173 TITLE 51—NATIONAL AND COMMERCIAL SPACE PROGRAMS § 70506 a timetable determined by the availability of funding, in order to achieve the objective of human exploration of Mars specified in section 202(b)(5) of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Authorization Act of 2010 (42 U.S.C. 18312(b)(5)); and (2) shall incorporate any such missions into the human exploration roadmap under section 432 of the National Aeronautics and Space Ad- ministration Transition Authorization Act of 2017. (b) COST-EFFECTIVENESS.—In order to maxi- mize the cost-effectiveness of the long-term space exploration and utilization activities of the United States, the Administrator shall take all necessary steps, including engaging inter- national, academic, and industry partners, to ensure that activities in the Administration’s human space exploration program balance how those activities might also help meet the re- quirements of future exploration and utilization activities leading to human habitation on the surface of Mars. (c) COMPLETION.—Within budgetary consider- ations, once an exploration-related project en- ters its development phase, the Administrator shall seek, to the maximum extent practicable, to complete that project without undue delays. (d) INTERNATIONAL PARTICIPATION.—In order to achieve the goal of successfully conducting a crewed mission to the surface of Mars, the Presi- dent may invite the United States partners in the ISS program and other nations, as appro- priate, to participate in an international initia- tive under the leadership of the United States. (Pub. L. 111–314, § 3, Dec. 18, 2010, 124 Stat. 3431; Pub. L. 115–10, title IV, § 414, Mar. 21, 2017, 131 Stat. 34.) HISTORICAL AND REVISION NOTES Revised Section Source (U.S. Code) Source (Statutes at Large) 70504 .......... 42 U.S.C. 17731. Pub. L. 110–422, title IV, § 403, Oct. 15, 2008, 122 Stat. 4789. Editorial Notes REFERENCES IN TEXT Section 432 of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Transition Authorization Act of 2017, referred to in subsec. (a)(2), is section 432 of Pub. L. 115–10, which is set out in a note under section 20302 of this title. AMENDMENTS 2017—Pub. L. 115–10 amended section generally. Prior to amendment, text read as follows: ‘‘In order to maxi- mize the cost-effectiveness of the long-term explo- ration and utilization activities of the United States, the Administrator shall take all necessary steps, in- cluding engaging international partners, to ensure that activities in its lunar exploration program shall be de- signed and implemented in a manner that gives strong consideration to how those activities might also help meet the requirements of future exploration and utili- zation activities beyond the Moon. The timetable of the lunar phase of the long-term international explo- ration initiative shall be determined by the avail- ability of funding. However, once an exploration-re- lated project enters its development phase, the Admin- istrator shall seek, to the maximum extent practicable, to complete that project without undue delays.’’ § 70505. Lunar outpost (a) ESTABLISHMENT.—As the Administration works toward the establishment of a lunar out- post, the Administration shall make no plans that would require a lunar outpost to be occu- pied to maintain its viability. Any such outpost shall be operable as a human-tended facility ca- pable of remote or autonomous operation for ex- tended periods. (b) DESIGNATION.—The United States portion of the first human-tended outpost established on the surface of the Moon shall be designated the ‘‘Neil A. Armstrong Lunar Outpost’’. (Pub. L. 111–314, § 3, Dec. 18, 2010, 124 Stat. 3431.) HISTORICAL AND REVISION NOTES Revised Section Source (U.S. Code) Source (Statutes at Large) 70505(a) ...... 42 U.S.C. 17732(a). Pub. L. 110–422, title IV, § 404(a), (b), Oct. 15, 2008, 122 Stat. 4789. 70505(b) ...... 42 U.S.C. 17732(b). § 70506. Exploration technology research The Administrator shall carry out a program of long-term exploration-related technology re- search and development, including such things as in-space propulsion, power systems, life sup- port, and advanced avionics, that is not tied to specific flight projects. The program shall have the funding goal of ensuring that the technology research and development can be completed in a timely manner in order to support the safe, suc- cessful, and sustainable exploration of the solar system. In addition, in order to ensure that the broadest range of innovative concepts and tech- nologies are captured, the long-term technology program shall have the goal of having a signifi- cant portion of its funding available for external grants and contracts with universities, research institutions, and industry. (Pub. L. 111–314, § 3, Dec. 18, 2010, 124 Stat. 3431.) HISTORICAL AND REVISION NOTES Revised Section Source (U.S. Code) Source (Statutes at Large) 70506 .......... 42 U.S.C. 17733(b). Pub. L. 110–422, title IV, § 405(b), Oct. 15, 2008, 122 Stat. 4789. Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries PURPOSE Pub. L. 110–422, title IV, § 405(a), Oct. 15, 2008, 122 Stat. 4789, provided that: ‘‘A robust program of long-term ex- ploration-related technology research and development will be essential for the success and sustainability of any enduring initiative of human and robotic explo- ration of the solar system.’’ INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGIES FOR HUMAN SPACE FLIGHT Pub. L. 106–391, title III, § 313, Oct. 30, 2000, 114 Stat. 1594, provided that: ‘‘(a) ESTABLISHMENT OF PROGRAM.—In order to pro- mote a ‘faster, cheaper, better’ approach to the human exploration and development of space, the Adminis- trator [of the National Aeronautics and Space Adminis- tration] shall establish a Human Space Flight Innova- tive Technologies program of ground-based and space- based research and development in innovative tech- nologies. The program shall be part of the Technology and Commercialization program.