Title 42, The Public Health and WelfareRelease 119-110

§18382 Suborbital Research Activities

Title 42 › CHAPTER 159 — SPACE EXPLORATION, TECHNOLOGY, AND SCIENCE › SUBCHAPTER VII — SPACE SCIENCE › § 18382

Last updated Sep 22, 2026|Official source

Summary

Requires NASA to create a Suborbital Research Program and name one person in the Science Mission Directorate to run it. That person must make short- and long-term plans to keep and improve suborbital facilities, track progress, and link suborbital work to workforce training so NASA and the Nation benefit. The program must use sounding rockets, aircraft, high-altitude balloons, suborbital reusable launch vehicles, and commercial launch vehicles to advance science and train undergraduates, graduate students, and post‑doctoral researchers in systems engineering and systems integration. The program can combine existing suborbital and orbital projects as the lead decides. NASA must report to Congress each fiscal year on the number and types of missions and the number of students involved. Congress may provide whatever funds are needed.

Full Legal Text

Title 42, §18382

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

(a)In general

The report of the National Academy of Sciences, Revitalizing NASA’s Suborbital Program: Advancing Science, Driving Innovation and Developing Workforce, found that suborbital science missions were absolutely critical to building an aerospace workforce capable of meeting the needs of current and future human and robotic space exploration.

(b)Management

The Administrator shall designate an officer or employee of the Science Mission Directorate to act as the responsible official for all Suborbital Research in the Science Mission Directorate. The designee shall be responsible for the development of short- and long term strategic plans for maintaining, renewing and extending suborbital facilities and capabilities, monitoring progress towards goals in the plans, and be responsible for integration of suborbital activities and workforce development within the agency, thereby ensuring the long term recognition of their combined value to the directorate, to NASA, and to the Nation.

(c)Establishment of Suborbital Research Program

The Administrator shall establish a Suborbital Research Program within the Science Mission Directorate that shall include the use of sounding rockets, aircraft, high altitude balloons, suborbital reusable launch vehicles, and commercial launch vehicles to advance science and train the next generation of scientists and engineers in systems engineering and systems integration which are vital to maintaining critical skills in the aerospace workforce. The program shall integrate existing suborbital research programs with orbital missions at the discretion of the designated officer or employee and shall emphasize the participation of undergraduate and graduate students and post-doctoral researchers when formulating announcements of opportunity.

(d)Report

The Administrator shall report to the appropriate committees of Congress on the number and type of suborbital missions conducted in each fiscal year and the number of undergraduate and graduate students participating in the missions. The report shall be made annually for each fiscal year under this section.

(e)Authorization

There are authorized to be appropriated to the Administrator such sums as may be necessary to carry out this section.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

42 U.S.C. § 18382

Title 42, The Public Health and Welfare

Last Updated

Sep 22, 2026

Release point: 119-110