Title 42The Public Health and WelfareRelease 119-73

§18363 Disposition of orbiter vehicles

Title 42 › Chapter CHAPTER 159— - SPACE EXPLORATION, TECHNOLOGY, AND SCIENCE › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER V— - SPACE SHUTTLE RETIREMENT AND TRANSITION › § 18363

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

When the Space Shuttle program ends under section 18362, NASA must safely take any remaining shuttle orbiters out of service and prepare them under safety and historic‑preservation rules before calling them surplus government property. The orbiters will be offered for public display and care through a competitive process set by the disposition plan in section 613(a) of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Authorization Act of 2008 (42 U.S.C. 17761(a)). Priority goes to applicants who meet that plan and who will give the best public value, such as improving STEM education or having a historic link to shuttle launch, operations, processing, retrieval, or major contributions to human spaceflight. The Smithsonian Institution, which held the Space Shuttle Enterprise as of October 11, 2001, will decide any new location for Enterprise. Congress may provide whatever funds are needed to carry out these actions. Those funds are in addition to amounts authorized by title I and may be requested by the President as supplemental funding in the appropriate fiscal years.

Full Legal Text

Title 42, §18363

The Public Health and Welfare — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Upon the termination of the Space Shuttle program as provided in section 18362 of this title, the Administrator shall decommission any remaining Space Shuttle orbiter vehicles according to established safety and historic preservation procedures prior to their designation as surplus government property. The orbiter vehicles shall be made available and located for display and maintenance through a competitive procedure established pursuant to the disposition plan developed under section 613(a) of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Authorization Act of 2008 (42 U.S.C. 17761(a)),11 See References in Text note below. with priority consideration given to eligible applicants meeting all conditions of that plan which would provide for the display and maintenance of orbiters at locations with the best potential value to the public, including where the location of the orbiters can advance educational opportunities in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics disciplines, and with an historical relationship with either the launch, flight operations, or processing of the Space Shuttle orbiters or the retrieval of NASA manned space vehicles, or significant contributions to human space flight. The Smithsonian Institution, which, as of October 11, 2001, houses the Space Shuttle Enterprise, shall determine any new location for the Enterprise.
(b)The orbiter vehicles made available under subsection (a) shall be displayed and maintained through agreements and procedures established pursuant to section 613(a) of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Authorization Act of 2008 (42 U.S.C. 17761(a)).1
(c)There are authorized to be appropriated to NASA such sums as may be necessary to carry out this section. The amounts authorized to be appropriated by this subsection shall be in addition to any amounts authorized to be appropriated by title I, and may be requested by the President as supplemental requirements, if needed, in the appropriate fiscal years.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

section 613(a) of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Authorization Act of 2008, referred to in subsecs. (a) and (b), is section 613(a) of Pub. L. 110–422, formerly classified to section 17761(a) of this title, which was transferred and is set out as a note under section 70501 of Title 51, National and Commercial Space Programs. Title I, referred to in subsec. (c), is title I of Pub. L. 111–267, Oct. 11, 2010, 124 Stat. 2809, which is not classified to the Code.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

42 U.S.C. § 18363

Title 42The Public Health and Welfare

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73