§18382 Suborbital Research Activities

Summary

NASA must set up a Suborbital Research Program inside the Science Mission Directorate. The program will use sounding rockets, aircraft, high‑altitude balloons, suborbital reusable launch vehicles, and commercial launch vehicles to advance science and train future scientists and engineers in systems engineering and systems integration. It can link suborbital work with orbital missions when the responsible official decides. The program should emphasize involving undergraduate students, graduate students, and post‑doctoral researchers when it issues opportunities. The NASA Administrator must pick an officer or employee in the Science Mission Directorate to run and plan the program. That person must make short‑ and long‑term plans to keep and improve suborbital facilities, track progress, and connect suborbital activities with workforce development across NASA. NASA must report each fiscal year to the appropriate congressional committees on how many and what types of suborbital missions were done and how many undergraduates and graduate students took part. Congress may provide whatever money is needed to carry out the program.