Aeronautics Innovation Act

I 116TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION H. R. 5136 To secure the technological edge of the United States in civil and military aviation, and for other purposes. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES NOVEMBER 18, 2019 Mr. MARSHALL (for himself and Ms. STEVENS) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology A BILL To secure the technological edge of the United States in civil and military aviation, and for other purposes. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa- 1 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 2 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 3 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Aeronautics Innovation 4 Act’’. 5 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 6 Congress makes the following findings: 7 (1) The United States aircraft manufacturing 8 industry produced $342,682,000,000 in economic ac- 9 VerDate Sep 11 2014 03:27 Nov 27, 2019 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H5136.IH H5136 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS 2 •HR 5136 IH tivity from manufacture of aircraft and parts sales 1 and supported 547,900 direct jobs in 2016. 2 (2) Growth in the civil aircraft market is pro- 3 jected to offer $8,000,000,000,000 to 4 $10,000,000,000,000 in new aircraft sales, parts, 5 and services over the next 17 years. International 6 governments are boosting their research and devel- 7 opment investments to give their domestic industries 8 competitive advantages in the aircraft market. 9 (3) In 2015, the Department of Defense spent 10 $10,600,000,000 on jet fuel and $441,600,000 on 11 jet fuel transportation to support the warfighter. 12 NASA’s research into ultra-efficient air transport is 13 important to the military’s efforts to reduce fuel 14 costs, logistics pressures, and the level of human 15 risk involved with providing worldwide energy solu- 16 tions. 17 (4) NASA’s aeronautics research and collabo- 18 rative ventures yield innovations that can eventually 19 be utilized in the aviation sector, opening up entirely 20 new markets, enabling the United States aviation in- 21 dustry to grow and maintain global competitiveness, 22 providing high-quality engineering and manufac- 23 turing jobs, and benefiting the quality of life for our 24 citizens. 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 03:27 Nov 27, 2019 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H5136.IH H5136 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS 3 •HR 5136 IH (5) Continued progress in the science and tech- 1 nology of aeronautics is crucial to the United States 2 sustained economic success and the protection of the 3 United States security interests at home and around 4 the world, as acknowledged in the 2006 National 5 Aeronautics Research and Development Policy. To 6 ensure Federal efforts remain on a disciplined path 7 to meet national objectives, the Director of the Of- 8 fice of Science and Technology Policy is responsible 9 for the implementation and biennial review of the 10 aeronautics research and development plan of the 11 United States. 12 (6) All of NASA’s other directorates and capa- 13 bilities, including those in space, depend on research 14 and technology that originated and is maintained in 15 NASA’s Aeronautics Centers. 16 (7) Aeronautics plays a central role in our na- 17 tional security strategy, and our technological advan- 18 tage over potential adversaries must be maintained 19 with sustained and focused research and develop- 20 ment. 21 (8) NASA Aeronautics Research Mission Direc- 22 torate’s 6 strategic thrusts (safe, efficient growth in 23 global operations; innovation in civil supersonic air- 24 craft; ultra-efficient subsonic vehicles; quiet and af- 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 03:27 Nov 27, 2019 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H5136.IH H5136 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS 4 •HR 5136 IH fordable vertical lift air vehicles; real-time, system- 1 wide safety assurance; and assured autonomy for 2 aviation transformation) are effective and necessary 3 research areas for the development of next genera- 4 tion aeronautics technology that will preserve the 5 United States lead in the global aviation industry. 6 (9) Aeronautics research is focused on funda- 7 mental capabilities that have the potential to open 8 entirely new industries, including low-cost electric 9 propulsion, advanced composite material manufac- 10 turing, simplified air vehicle operation, and in- 11 creased vertical takeoff and landing, that will allow 12 for safer and more efficient aviation products and 13 support mobility and economic growth. 14 (10) To meet the challenges of the 21st cen- 15 tury, the United States needs to support NASA’s 16 Aeronautics Research Program at funding levels 17 that are commensurate with its past, present, and 18 future contributions to the economic competitiveness 19 and national security of the United States. 20 SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS. 21 In this Act: 22 (1) ADMINISTRATOR.—The term ‘‘Adminis- 23 trator’’ means the Administrator of NASA. 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 03:27 Nov 27, 2019 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H5136.IH H5136 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS 5 •HR 5136 IH (2) AERONAUTICS STRATEGIC IMPLEMENTA- 1 TION PLAN.—The term ‘‘Aeronautics Strategic Im- 2 plementation Plan’’ means the Aeronautics Strategic 3 Implementation Plan issued by the NASA Aero- 4 nautics Research Mission Directorate. 5 (3) AIR TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT SYSTEM.—The 6 term ‘‘air traffic management system’’ means the 7 procedures, technology, and human resources to 8 guide aircraft through the sky and on the ground 9 and to manage low- and high-altitude airspace use. 10 (4) NASA.—The term ‘‘NASA’’ means the Na- 11 tional Aeronautics and Space Administration. 12 (5) UNMANNED AIRCRAFT.—The term ‘‘un- 13 manned aircraft’’ means an aircraft that is operated 14 without the possibility of direct human intervention 15 from within or on the aircraft. 16 (6) UNMANNED AIRCRAFT SYSTEM.—The term 17 ‘‘unmanned aircraft system’’ means an unmanned 18 aircraft and associated elements (including commu- 19 nication links and the components that control the 20 unmanned aircraft) that are required for the pilot in 21 command to operate safely and efficiently in the na- 22 tional airspace system. 23 VerDate Sep 11 2014 03:27 Nov 27, 2019 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H5136.IH H5136 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS 6 •HR 5136 IH SEC. 4. EXPERIMENTAL PLANE PROGRAMS. 1 (a) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of Con- 2 gress that— 3 (1) developing high-risk, precompetitive aero- 4 nautics technologies and demonstration aircraft for 5 which there is not yet a profit rationale is a funda- 6 mental NASA role; 7 (2) near-full-scale to laboratory and flight vehi- 8 cle flight test experimentation and validation are 9 necessary for— 10 (A) transitioning new technologies and ma- 11 terials, as well as their associated manufac- 12 turing processes, for general aviation, commer- 13 cial, and military aeronautics use; and 14 (B) capturing the full breadth of benefits 15 from the Aeronautics Research Mission Direc- 16 torate’s investments in priority programs called 17 for in— 18 (i) the National Aeronautics Research 19 and Development Plan issued by the Na- 20 tional Science and Technology Council in 21 February 2010; 22 (ii) the NASA 2014 Strategic Plan; 23 (iii) the Aeronautics Strategic Imple- 24 mentation Plan; and 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 03:27 Nov 27, 2019 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H5136.IH H5136 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS 7 •HR 5136 IH (iv) any updates to the programs 1 called for in the plans described in clauses 2 (i) through (iii); and 3 (3) a level of funding that adequately supports 4 full-scale experimentation and related infrastructure 5 must be assured over a sustained period of time to 6 restore NASA’s capacity to see legacy priority pro- 7 grams through to completion and achieve national 8 economic and security objectives. 9 (b) NATIONAL POLICY.—It is the policy of the United 10 States to maintain world leadership in military and civil- 11 ian aeronautical science and technology, global air power 12 projection, and industrial leadership. To this end, one of 13 the fundamental objectives of NASA aeronautics research 14 is the steady progression and expansion of flight research 15 and capabilities, including the science and technology of 16 critical underlying disciplines and competencies, chief 17 among which are computational-based analytical and pre- 18 dictive tools and methodologies, aerothermodynamics, 19 flight propulsion, high-temperature structures and mate- 20 rials, and flight controls. 21 (c) ESTABLISHMENT OF PROGRAMS OR PROJECTS.— 22 The Administrator shall establish the following programs 23 or projects: 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 20:29 Nov 27, 2019 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00007 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H5136.IH H5136 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS 8 •HR 5136 IH (1) A low-boom supersonic aircraft program or 1 project that will— 2 (A) demonstrate supersonic aircraft de- 3 signs and technologies that reduce sonic boom 4 noise to levels that encourage the repeal of do- 5 mestic and international bans on supersonic 6 flight overland; and 7 (B) gather the data needed to support in- 8 formed decisions of the Federal Aviation Ad- 9 ministration regarding overland supersonic 10 flight. 11 (2) A subsonic flight program of flight tech- 12 nology demonstrations that use existing aircraft and 13 multiple large-scale X-Plane demonstrators devel- 14 oped sequentially or in parallel, each of which is 15 based on a set of new configuration concepts or 16 technologies determined by the Administrator— 17 (A) to demonstrate aircraft vehicle and 18 propulsion concepts and technologies and re- 19 lated advances in alternative propulsion and en- 20 ergy; and 21 (B) to enable significant increases in en- 22 ergy efficiency and lower life-cycle emissions in 23 the aviation system while achieving a step 24 change in noise emissions. 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 20:29 Nov 27, 2019 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00008 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H5136.IH H5136 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS 9 •HR 5136 IH (3) An advanced structures, materials, and 1 manufacturing program that— 2 (A) leverages advances in composite mate- 3 rial and structures design, certification, and 4 manufacturing technologies for use in commer- 5 cial and military aircraft that have been en- 6 abled by the Advanced Composites Project and 7 the Advanced Composite Consortium; 8 (B) drastically reduces the nonrecurring 9 time and cost for design, manufacturing tech- 10 nology development, and certification of ad- 11 vanced and nontraditional composite materials 12 and manufacturing processes; 13 (C) makes time reduction improvements to 14 increase recurring production rates; and 15 (D) includes, as focus areas— 16 (i) the leveraging of advances in com- 17 puter modeling and simulation in virtual 18 allowables, automated design tools, and 19 manufacturing process development; 20 (ii) the enabling of rapid design, auto- 21 mated manufacturing technology, inspec- 22 tion, process control, and certification for 23 nonorthogonal lay-ups, nontraditional pre- 24 forms, thermoplastics, ceramics, advanced 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 03:27 Nov 27, 2019 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00009 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H5136.IH H5136 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS 10 •HR 5136 IH resin infusion processes, and additive man- 1 ufacturing for primary aircraft structure; 2 and 3 (iii) the advancement of manufac- 4 turing processes, technologies, inspection 5 methods, and certification pathways for 6 bonded and integrated fail-safe damage 7 tolerant aircraft structures. 8 (d) PROGRAM ELEMENTS.— 9 (1) For each of the programs established under 10 subsection (c), the Administrator shall— 11 (A) include development of experimental 12 aircraft (X–Plane), experimental systems (X– 13 System), multiple technologies, and all nec- 14 essary supporting flight assets; 15 (B) pursue a robust technology maturation 16 and flight validation program that addresses 17 challenges in technology development and matu- 18 ration; 19 (C) improve necessary facilities, flight test- 20 ing capabilities, and computational tools to sup- 21 port the program; 22 (D) only award primary contracts for de- 23 sign, procurement, and manufacture to United 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 03:27 Nov 27, 2019 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00010 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H5136.IH H5136 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS 11 •HR 5136 IH States companies, consistent with international 1 obligations and commitments; 2 (E) coordinate research and flight dem- 3 onstration activities with other Federal agen- 4 cies, as appropriate, and the United States 5 aviation manufacturing community; and 6 (F) ensure that the program remains 7 aligned with the Aeronautics Strategic Imple- 8 mentation Plan, and any updates to such plan. 9 (2) For the advanced structures, materials, and 10 manufacturing program, the Administrator shall— 11 (A) offer to enter into a public-private 12 partnership, which shall be known as the ‘‘Ad- 13 vanced Structures, Materials, and Manufac- 14 turing Program’’, between— 15 (i) NASA; and 16 (ii) appropriate public and private en- 17 tities; 18 (B) ensure a 50-percent Federal cost share 19 for applicable research; 20 (C) include as a key partner the Federal 21 Aviation Administration; 22 (D) include as a partner any other Federal 23 agency the participation of which the Adminis- 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 03:27 Nov 27, 2019 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00011 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H5136.IH H5136 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS 12 •HR 5136 IH trator determines will further the purpose of 1 the partnership; and 2 (E) provide a structure for managing intel- 3 lectual property generated by the program 4 based on or consistent with the structure estab- 5 lished for NASA’s Advanced Composites Con- 6 sortium. 7 (e) ON-DEMAND AVIATION.—Congress makes the fol- 8 lowing findings: 9 (1) Fuller utilization of high-speed air transpor- 10 tation, small airports, helipads, vertical flight infra- 11 structure, and other infrastructure can alleviate 12 transportation congestion and support economic 13 growth within cities. 14 (2) NASA should continue to develop and test 15 air vehicles, different propulsion systems, network 16 systems, unmanned aircraft system traffic manage- 17 ment systems, and technology that can be utilized in 18 on-demand air transportation. 19 (3) NASA should actively support the research 20 around the use of airspace for on-demand aviation. 21 (4) This work should leverage NASA’s ongoing 22 efforts in developing advanced technologies for large, 23 high-volume commercial aircraft applications and 24 airspace operations. The Administrator sh [Text truncated for display. Full text available on Congress.gov.]