51 U.S.C. § 70904: International Space Station…

Summary

NASA must keep making the International Space Station more useful and beneficial for the United States and its partners. The agency must build and run the station so it meets international partner agreements when the shuttle can safely help. The station must host many kinds of microgravity research (including commercial work), support at least a 6-person crew unless NASA reports within 60 days after December 30, 2005 to the House Science and Technology Committee and the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee explaining why not and what would be needed, allow docking by the Crew Exploration Vehicle and automated cargo vehicles from heavy-lift or commercial rockets, handle on-orbit tests and experiments that can’t be returned to Earth, and be run at an appropriate risk level. NASA must also have enough supplies, spares, and delivery ability ready in case the shuttle or its follow-on crew or cargo systems are unavailable. Before changing the station assembly plan that was in place on December 30, 2005, NASA must send those two Congressional committees a plan showing how it will meet this backup policy.

Title 51, §70904

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

(a)Policy.—

It is the policy of the United States to achieve diverse and growing utilization of, and benefits from, the International Space Station.

(b)Elements, Capabilities, and Configuration Criteria.—

The Administrator shall ensure that the International Space Station will—

(1)be assembled and operated in a manner that fulfills international partner agreements, as long as the Administrator determines that the shuttle can safely enable the United States to do so;

(2)be used for a diverse range of microgravity research, including fundamental, applied, and commercial research, consistent with section 40904 of this title;

(3)have an ability to support a crew size of at least 6 persons, unless the Administrator transmits to the Committee on Science and Technology of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate not later than 60 days after December 30, 2005, a report explaining why such a requirement should not be met, the impact of not meeting the requirement on the International Space Station research agenda and operations and international partner agreements, and what additional funding or other steps would be required to have an ability to support a crew size of at least 6 persons;

(4)support Crew Exploration Vehicle docking and automated docking of cargo vehicles or modules launched by either heavy-lift or commercially-developed launch vehicles;

(5)support any diagnostic human research, on-orbit characterization of molecular crystal growth, cellular research, and other research that the Administration believes is necessary to conduct, but for which the Administration lacks the capacity to return the materials that need to be analyzed to Earth; and

(6)be operated at an appropriate risk level.

(c)Contingencies.—

(1)Policy.—

The Administrator shall ensure that the International Space Station can have available, if needed, sufficient logistics and on-orbit capabilities to support any potential period during which the space shuttle or its follow-on crew and cargo systems are unavailable, and can have available, if needed, sufficient surge delivery capability or prepositioning of spares and other supplies needed to accommodate any such hiatus.

(2)Plan.—

Before making any change in the International Space Station assembly sequence in effect on December 30, 2005, the Administrator shall transmit to the Committee on Science and Technology of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate a plan to carry out the policy described in paragraph (1).

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Historical and Revision Notes

Revised SectionSource (U.S. Code)Source (Statutes at Large) 7090442 U.S.C. 16765.Pub. L. 109–155, title V, § 505, Dec. 30, 2005, 119 Stat. 2929. In subsections (b)(3) and (c)(2), the words “Committee on Science and Technology” are substituted for “Committee on Science” on authority of Rule X(1)(o) of the Rules of the House of Representatives, adopted by House Resolution No. 6 (110th Congress, January 5, 2007). In subsections (b)(3) and (c)(2), 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). In subsection (c)(2) the words “Not later than 60 days after the date of enactment of this Act [December 30, 2005], and” are omitted as obsolete.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Change of Name

Committee on Science and Technology of House of Representatives changed to Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of House of Representatives by House Resolution No. 5, One Hundred Twelfth Congress, Jan. 5, 2011.

§70904 International Space Station Completion