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National Aeronautics and Space Administration Authorization Act of 2020
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116TH CONGRESS
2D SESSION
S. 2800
AN ACT
To authorize programs of the National Aeronautics and
Space Administration, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
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tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
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SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS.
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(a) SHORT TITLE.—This Act may be cited as the
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‘‘National Aeronautics and Space Administration Author-
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ization Act of 2020’’.
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(b) TABLE OF CONTENTS.—The table of contents of
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this Act is as follows:
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Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents.
Sec. 2. Definitions.
TITLE I—AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS
Sec. 101. Authorization of appropriations.
TITLE II—HUMAN SPACEFLIGHT AND EXPLORATION
Sec. 201. Advanced cislunar and lunar surface capabilities.
Sec. 202. Space launch system configurations.
Sec. 203. Advanced spacesuits.
Sec. 204. Acquisition of domestic space transportation and logistics resupply
services.
Sec. 205. Rocket engine test infrastructure.
Sec. 206. Indian River Bridge.
Sec. 207. Pearl River maintenance.
Sec. 208. Value of International Space Station and capabilities in low-Earth
orbit.
Sec. 209. Extension and modification relating to International Space Station.
Sec. 210. Department of Defense activities on International Space Station.
Sec. 211. Commercial development in low-Earth orbit.
Sec. 212. Maintaining a national laboratory in space.
Sec. 213. International Space Station national laboratory; property rights in in-
ventions.
Sec. 214. Data first produced during non-NASA scientific use of the ISS na-
tional laboratory.
Sec. 215. Payments received for commercial space-enabled production on the
ISS.
Sec. 216. Stepping stone approach to exploration.
Sec. 217. Technical amendments relating to Artemis missions.
TITLE III—SCIENCE
Sec. 301. Science priorities.
Sec. 302. Lunar discovery program.
Sec. 303. Search for life.
Sec. 304. James Webb Space Telescope.
Sec. 305. Wide-Field Infrared Survey Telescope.
Sec. 306. Study on satellite servicing for science missions.
Sec. 307. Earth science missions and programs.
Sec. 308. Life science and physical science research.
Sec. 309. Science missions to Mars.
Sec. 310. Planetary Defense Coordination Office.
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Sec. 311. Suborbital science flights.
Sec. 312. Earth science data and observations.
Sec. 313. Sense of Congress on small satellite science.
Sec. 314. Sense of Congress on commercial space services.
Sec. 315. Procedures for identifying and addressing alleged violations of sci-
entific integrity policy.
TITLE IV—AERONAUTICS
Sec. 401. Short title.
Sec. 402. Definitions.
Sec. 403. Experimental aircraft projects.
Sec. 404. Unmanned aircraft systems.
Sec. 405. 21st Century Aeronautics Capabilities Initiative.
Sec. 406. Sense of Congress on on-demand air transportation.
Sec. 407. Sense of Congress on hypersonic technology research.
TITLE V—SPACE TECHNOLOGY
Sec. 501. Space Technology Mission Directorate.
Sec. 502. Flight opportunities program.
Sec. 503. Small Spacecraft Technology Program.
Sec. 504. Nuclear propulsion technology.
Sec. 505. Mars-forward technologies.
Sec. 506. Prioritization of low-enriched uranium technology.
Sec. 507. Sense of Congress on next-generation communications technology.
Sec. 508. Lunar surface technologies.
TITLE VI—STEM ENGAGEMENT
Sec. 601. Sense of Congress.
Sec. 602. STEM education engagement activities.
Sec. 603. Skilled technical education outreach program.
Sec. 604. National space grant college and fellowship program.
TITLE VII—WORKFORCE AND INDUSTRIAL BASE
Sec. 701. Appointment and compensation pilot program.
Sec. 702. Establishment of multi-institution consortia.
Sec. 703. Expedited access to technical talent and expertise.
Sec. 704. Report on industrial base for civil space missions and operations.
Sec. 705. Separations and retirement incentives.
Sec. 706. Confidentiality of medical quality assurance records.
TITLE VIII—MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS
Sec. 801. Contracting authority.
Sec. 802. Authority for transaction prototype projects and follow-on production
contracts.
Sec. 803. Protection of data and information from public disclosure.
Sec. 804. Physical security modernization.
Sec. 805. Lease of non-excess property.
Sec. 806. Cybersecurity.
Sec. 807. Limitation on cooperation with the People’s Republic of China.
Sec. 808. Consideration of issues related to contracting with entities receiving
assistance from or affiliated with the People’s Republic of
China.
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Sec. 809. Small satellite launch services program.
Sec. 810. 21st century space launch infrastructure.
Sec. 811. Missions of national need.
Sec. 812. Drinking water well replacement for Chincoteague, Virginia.
Sec. 813. Passenger carrier use.
Sec. 814. Use of commercial near-space balloons.
Sec. 815. President’s Space Advisory Board.
Sec. 816. Initiative on technologies for noise and emissions reductions.
Sec. 817. Remediation of sites contaminated with trichloroethylene.
Sec. 818. Report on merits and options for establishing an institute relating to
space resources.
Sec. 819. Report on establishing center of excellence for space weather tech-
nology.
Sec. 820. Review on preference for domestic suppliers.
Sec. 821. Report on utilization of commercial spaceports licensed by Federal
Aviation Administration.
Sec. 822. Active orbital debris mitigation.
Sec. 823. Study on commercial communications services.
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.
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In this Act:
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(1) ADMINISTRATION.—The term ‘‘Administra-
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tion’’ means the National Aeronautics and Space
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Administration.
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(2) ADMINISTRATOR.—The term ‘‘Adminis-
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trator’’ means the Administrator of the National
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Aeronautics and Space Administration.
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(3)
APPROPRIATE
COMMITTEES
OF
CON-
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GRESS.—Except as otherwise expressly provided, the
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term
‘‘appropriate
committees
of
Congress’’
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means—
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(A) the Committee on Commerce, Science,
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and Transportation of the Senate; and
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(B) the Committee on Science, Space, and
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Technology of the House of Representatives.
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(4) CISLUNAR
SPACE.—The term ‘‘cislunar
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space’’ means the region of space beyond low-Earth
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orbit out to and including the region around the sur-
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face of the Moon.
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(5) DEEP
SPACE.—The term ‘‘deep space’’
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means the region of space beyond low-Earth orbit,
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including cislunar space.
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(6) DEVELOPMENT COST.—The term ‘‘develop-
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ment cost’’ has the meaning given the term in sec-
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tion 30104 of title 51, United States Code.
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(7) ISS.—The term ‘‘ISS’’ means the Inter-
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national Space Station.
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(8) ISS
MANAGEMENT
ENTITY.—The term
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‘‘ISS management entity’’ means the organization
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with which the Administrator has entered into a co-
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operative agreement under section 504(a) of the Na-
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tional Aeronautics and Space Administration Au-
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thorization Act of 2010 (42 U.S.C. 18354(a)).
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(9) NASA.—The term ‘‘NASA’’ means the Na-
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tional Aeronautics and Space Administration.
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(10) ORION.—The term ‘‘Orion’’ means the
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multipurpose crew vehicle described in section 303 of
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the National Aeronautics and Space Administration
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Authorization Act of 2010 (42 U.S.C. 18323).
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(11) OSTP.—The term ‘‘OSTP’’ means the Of-
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fice of Science and Technology Policy.
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(12) SPACE
LAUNCH
SYSTEM.—The term
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‘‘Space Launch System’’ means the Space Launch
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System authorized under section 302 of the National
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Aeronautics and Space Administration Act of 2010
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(42 U.S.C. 18322).
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TITLE I—AUTHORIZATION OF
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APPROPRIATIONS
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SEC. 101. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
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There are authorized to be appropriated to the Ad-
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ministration for fiscal year 2021 $23,495,000,000 as fol-
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lows:
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(1) For Exploration, $6,706,400,000.
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(2) For Space Operations, $3,988,200,000.
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(3) For Science, $7,274,700,000.
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(4) For Aeronautics, $828,700,000.
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(5) For Space Technology, $1,206,000,000.
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(6) For Science, Technology, Engineering, and
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Mathematics Engagement, $120,000,000.
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(7) For Safety, Security, and Mission Services,
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$2,936,500,000.
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(8) For Construction and Environmental Com-
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pliance and Restoration, $390,300,000.
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(9) For Inspector General, $44,200,000.
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TITLE II—HUMAN SPACEFLIGHT
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AND EXPLORATION
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SEC. 201. ADVANCED CISLUNAR AND LUNAR SURFACE CA-
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PABILITIES.
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(a) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of Con-
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gress that—
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(1) commercial entities in the United States
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have made significant investment and progress to-
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ward the development of human-class lunar landers;
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(2) NASA developed the Artemis program—
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(A) to fulfill the goal of landing United
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States astronauts, including the first woman
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and the next man, on the Moon; and
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(B) to collaborate with commercial and
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international partners to establish sustainable
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lunar exploration by 2028; and
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(3) in carrying out the Artemis program, the
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Administration should ensure that the entire
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Artemis program is inclusive and representative of
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all people of the United States, including women and
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minorities.
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(b) LANDER PROGRAM.—
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(1) IN GENERAL.—The Administrator shall fos-
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ter the flight demonstration of not more than 2
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human-class lunar lander designs through public-pri-
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vate partnerships.
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(2) INITIAL DEVELOPMENT PHASE.—The Ad-
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ministrator may support the formulation of more
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than 2 concepts in the initial development phase.
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(c) REQUIREMENTS.—In carrying out the program
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under subsection (b), the Administrator shall—
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(1) enter into industry-led partnerships using a
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fixed-price, milestone-based approach;
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(2) to the maximum extent practicable, encour-
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age reusability and sustainability of systems devel-
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oped;
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(3) prioritize safety and implement robust
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ground and in-space test requirements;
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(4) ensure availability of 1 or more lunar polar
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science payloads for a demonstration mission; and
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(5) to the maximum extent practicable, offer ex-
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isting capabilities and assets of NASA centers to
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support these partnerships.
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SEC. 202. SPACE LAUNCH SYSTEM CONFIGURATIONS.
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(a) MOBILE LAUNCH PLATFORM.—The Adminis-
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trator is authorized to maintain 2 operational mobile
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launch platforms to enable the launch of multiple configu-
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rations of the Space Launch System.
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(b) EXPLORATION UPPER STAGE.—To meet the ca-
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pability requirements under section 302(c)(2) of the Na-
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tional Aeronautics and Space Administration Authoriza-
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tion Act of 2010 (42 U.S.C. 18322(c)(2)), the Adminis-
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trator shall continue development of the Exploration
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Upper Stage for the Space Launch System with a sched-
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uled availability sufficient for use on the third launch of
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the Space Launch System.
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(c) BRIEFING.—Not later than 90 days after the date
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of the enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall brief
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the appropriate committees of Congress on the develop-
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ment and scheduled availability of the Exploration Upper
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Stage for the third launch of the Space Launch System.
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(d) MAIN PROPULSION TEST ARTICLE.—To meet the
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requirements under section 302(c)(3) of the National Aer-
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onautics and Space Administration Authorization Act of
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2010 (42 U.S.C. 18322(c)(3)), the Administrator shall—
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(1) immediately on completion of the first full-
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duration integrated core stage test of the Space
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Launch System, initiate development of a main pro-
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pulsion test article for the integrated core stage pro-
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pulsion elements of the Space Launch System, con-
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sistent with cost and schedule constraints, particu-
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larly for long-lead propulsion hardware needed for
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flight;
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(2) not later than 180 days after the date of
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the enactment of this Act, submit to the appropriate
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committees of Congress a detailed plan for the devel-
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opment and operation of such main propulsion test
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article; and
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(3) use existing capabilities of NASA centers
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for the design, manufacture, and operation of the
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main propulsion test article.
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SEC. 203. ADVANCED SPACESUITS.
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(a) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of Con-
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gress that next-generation advanced spacesuits are a crit-
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ical technology for human space exploration and use of
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low-Earth orbit, cislunar space, the surface of the Moon,
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and Mars.
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(b) DEVELOPMENT PLAN.—The Administrator shall
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establish a detailed plan for the development and manu-
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facture of advanced spacesuits, consistent with the deep
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space exploration goals and timetables of NASA.
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(c) DIVERSE ASTRONAUT CORPS.—The Adminis-
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trator shall ensure that spacesuits developed and manufac-
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tured after the date of the enactment of this Act are capa-
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ble of accommodating a wide range of sizes of astronauts
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so as to meet the needs of the diverse NASA astronaut
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corps.
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(d) ISS USE.—Throughout the operational life of the
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ISS, the Administrator should fully use the ISS for testing
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advanced spacesuits.
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(e) PRIOR INVESTMENTS.—
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(1) IN GENERAL.—In developing an advanced
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spacesuit, the Administrator shall, to the maximum
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extent practicable, partner with industry-proven
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spacesuit design, development, and manufacturing
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suppliers and leverage prior and existing investments
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in advanced spacesuit technologies and existing ca-
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pabilities at NASA centers to maximize the benefits
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of such investments and technologies.
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(2) AGREEMENTS WITH PRIVATE ENTITIES.—In
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carrying out this subsection, the Administrator may
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enter into 1 or more agreements with 1 or more pri-
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vate entities for the manufacture of advanced
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spacesuits, as the Administrator considers appro-
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priate.
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(f) BRIEFING.—Not later than 180 days after the
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date of the enactment of this Act, and semiannually there-
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after until NASA procures advanced spacesuits under this
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section, the Administrator shall brief the appropriate com-
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mittees of Congress on the development plan in subsection
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(b).
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SEC. 204. ACQUISITION OF DOMESTIC SPACE TRANSPOR-
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TATION AND LOGISTICS RESUPPLY SERV-
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ICES.
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(a) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in subsection
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(b), the Administrator shall not enter into any contract
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with a person or entity that proposes to use, or will use,
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a foreign launch provider for a commercial service to pro-
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vide space transportation or logistics resupply for—
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(1) the ISS; or
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(2) any Government-owned or Government-
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funded platform in Earth orbit or cislunar space, on
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the lunar surface, or elsewhere in space.
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(b) EXCEPTION.—The Administrator may enter into
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a contract with a person or an entity that proposes to use,
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or will use, a foreign launch provider for a commercial
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service to carry out an activity described in subsection (a)
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if—
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(1) a domes
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