# 119-s-1457: Engine Testing for Exploration Act

119-s-1457, Engine Testing for Exploration Act, is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Sen. Wicker, Roger F. [R-MS] (R-MS); status introduced; PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-09-10).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-1457
- As of: 2026-09-10
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 119-s-1457
- Congress: 119
- Title: Engine Testing for Exploration Act
- Status: introduced
- Introduced: 2025-04-10
- Sponsor: Sen. Wicker, Roger F. [R-MS] (R-MS)
- Cosponsors: 0
- Policy area: Science, Technology, Communications
- Touches household money: yes
- Last recorded action: 2026-09-10

## Summary

**Prioritizes and preserves NASA's rocket engine testing capacity at the Stennis Space Center.** This bill would require NASA to maintain the rocket propulsion testing and internal expertise needed for the Space Launch System and future deep-space crewed rockets, keep testing programs managed at Stennis, partner with the private sector, and brief Congress within 180 days on testing plans. - Would require the NASA Administrator to maintain rocket propulsion system testing capabilities that support human spaceflight exploration goals and evaluation of engines for crewed missions. - Would keep rocket propulsion testing programs managed by the Stennis Space Center, reinforcing its role as NASA's primary and largest ground-testing facility. - Would promote partnerships with private-sector developers so NASA retains the expertise to test and assess commercially developed rocket engines before purchase. - Would require a briefing to the appropriate congressional committees within 180 days on testing and evaluation plans for low-Earth orbit and deep-space missions and for vehicles certified to carry government astronauts.

## Provisions PRIA read

- Keep NASA rocket testing at Stennis: benefit, low. This bill would require the NASA Administrator to keep rocket engine testing capabilities needed for NASA's human spaceflight goals. It would require NASA to keep internal testing expertise and to partner with private companies. The Stennis Space Center would continue to manage NASA's rocket propul…

## Related bills

- 119-s-2296: National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026
- 119-s-4784: National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2027
- 119-s-1541: SHIPS for America Act of 2025
- 119-s-3597: National Quantum Initiative Reauthorization Act of 2026
- 119-s-688: Fighting Foreign Illegal Seafood Harvests Act of 2025
- 119-s-4952: Protecting American Taxpayers Act

## Sources
- [119-s-1457 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/1457)

## Related
- [119-s-2296: National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-2296)
- [119-s-4784: National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2027](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-4784)
- [119-s-1541: SHIPS for America Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-1541)
- [119-s-3597: National Quantum Initiative Reauthorization Act of 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-3597)
- [119-s-688: Fighting Foreign Illegal Seafood Harvests Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-688)
- [119-s-4952: Protecting American Taxpayers Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-4952)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-1457 (as of 2026-09-10).