§50504 Use of Government Facilities

Summary

Federal agencies, including the Administration and the Department of Defense, can let non‑federal groups use government space facilities and charge them for it if the agency head finds five things true: it will support commercial space activity; existing or planned federal resources can handle it; it won’t interfere with federal work; similar commercial services aren’t available on reasonable terms; and it fits public safety, national security, and treaty obligations. When checking the safety, security, and treaty parts, the agency head must talk with other federal officials. The fee can cover the direct costs caused by the private use, including U.S. civilian and contractor pay. “Direct costs” means actual costs clearly tied to that use that the government wouldn’t have had otherwise. Any money paid must go back into the same budget account that paid for the facility.