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Title 51 — National and Commercial Space ProgramsRelease 119-73not60

§30703 Foreign Launch Vehicles

Title 51 › Subtitle Subtitle III— Administrative Provisions › Chapter 307— INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION AND COMPETITION › § 30703

Last updated Apr 5, 2026|Official source

Summary

The Administration must follow the Space Transportation Policy announced December 21, 2004 to use foreign launch vehicles, and must start interagency coordination at least 90 days before development contract. The President may waive this; payloads begun before December 30, 2005, including the James Webb Space Telescope, are excluded.

Full Legal Text

Title 51, §30703

National and Commercial Space Programs — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)The Administration shall not launch a payload on a foreign launch vehicle except in accordance with the Space Transportation Policy announced by the President on December 21, 2004. This subsection shall not be construed to prevent the President from waiving the Space Transportation Policy.
(b)The Administration shall not launch a payload on a foreign launch vehicle unless the Administration commenced the interagency coordination required by the Space Transportation Policy announced by the President on December 21, 2004, at least 90 days before entering into a development contract for the payload.
(c)This section shall not apply to any payload for which development has begun prior to December 30, 2005, including the James Webb Space Telescope.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Historical and Revision Notes

Revised SectionSource (U.S. Code)Source (Statutes at Large) 3070342 U.S.C. 16614.Pub. L. 109–155, title I, § 105, Dec. 30, 2005, 119 Stat. 2912. In subsection (c), the date “December 30, 2005” is substituted for “the date of enactment of this Act” to reflect the date of enactment of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Authorization Act of 2005 (Public Law 109–155, 119 Stat. 2895).

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

51 U.S.C. § 30703

Title 51 — National and Commercial Space Programs

Last Updated

Apr 5, 2026

Release point: 119-73not60