§ 20102. Congressional declaration of policy and purpose

§ 20102. Congressional declaration of policy and purpose

(a) Devotion of Space Activities to Peaceful Purposes for Benefit of All Humankind.— Congress declares that it is the policy of the United States that activities in space should be devoted to peaceful purposes for the benefit of all humankind.

(b) Aeronautical and Space Activities for Welfare and Security of United States.— Congress declares that the general welfare and security of the United States require that adequate provision be made for aeronautical and space activities. Congress further declares that such activities shall be the responsibility of, and shall be directed by, a civilian agency exercising control over aeronautical and space activities sponsored by the United States, except that activities peculiar to or primarily associated with the development of weapons systems, military operations, or the defense of the United States (including the research and development necessary to make effective provision for the defense of the United States) shall be the responsibility of, and shall be directed by, the Department of Defense; and that determination as to which agency has responsibility for and direction of any such activity shall be made by the President.

(c) Commercial Use of Space.— Congress declares that the general welfare of the United States requires that the Administration seek and encourage, to the maximum extent possible, the fullest commercial use of space.

(d) Objectives of Aeronautical and Space Activities.— The aeronautical and space activities of the United States shall be conducted so as to contribute materially to one or more of the following objectives:

(1) The expansion of human knowledge of the Earth and of phenomena in the atmosphere and space.

(2) The improvement of the usefulness, performance, speed, safety, and efficiency of aeronautical and space vehicles.

(3) The development and operation of vehicles capable of carrying instruments, equipment, supplies, and living organisms through space.

(4) The establishment of long-range studies of the potential benefits to be gained from, the opportunities for, and the problems involved in the utilization of aeronautical and space activities for peaceful and scientific purposes.

(5) The preservation of the role of the United States as a leader in aeronautical and space science and technology and in the application thereof to the conduct of peaceful activities within and outside the atmosphere.

(6) The making available to agencies directly concerned with national defense of discoveries that have military value or significance, and the furnishing by such agencies, to the civilian agency established to direct and control nonmilitary aeronautical and space activities, of information as to discoveries which have value or significance to that agency.

(7) Cooperation by the United States with other nations and groups of nations in work done pursuant to this chapter and in the peaceful application of the results thereof.

(8) The most effective utilization of the scientific and engineering resources of the United States, with close cooperation among all interested agencies of the United States in order to avoid unnecessary duplication of effort, facilities, and equipment.

(9) The preservation of the United States preeminent position in aeronautics and space through research and technology development related to associated manufacturing processes.

(10) The search for life’s origin, evolution, distribution, and future in the universe.

(e) Ground Propulsion Systems Research and Development.— Congress declares that the general welfare of the United States requires that the unique competence in scientific and engineering systems of the Administration also be directed toward ground propulsion systems research and development. Such development shall be conducted so as to contribute to the objectives of developing energy and petroleum-conserving ground propulsion systems, and of minimizing the environmental degradation caused by such systems.

(f) Bioengineering Research, Development, and Demonstration Programs.— Congress declares that the general welfare of the United States requires that the unique competence of the Administration in science and engineering systems be directed to assisting in bioengineering research, development, and demonstration programs designed to alleviate and minimize the effects of disability.

(g) Warning and Mitigation of Potential Hazards of Near-Earth Objects.— Congress declares that the general welfare and security of the United States require that the unique competence of the Administration be directed to detecting, tracking, cataloguing, and characterizing near-Earth asteroids and comets in order to provide warning and mitigation of the potential hazard of such near-Earth objects to the Earth.

(h) Purpose of Chapter.— It is the purpose of this chapter to carry out and effectuate the policies declared in subsections (a) to (g).

(Pub. L. 111–314, § 3, Dec. 18, 2010, 124 Stat. 3330; Pub. L. 115–10, title V, § 507, Mar. 21, 2017, 131 Stat. 50.)

In subsection (b), the words “in conformity with section 201(e)”, which appeared at the end of the subsection, are omitted as obsolete. Section 201 of Public Law 85–568, which was classified to former section 2471 of title 42 (last appearing in the 1970 edition of the United States Code), established the National Aeronautics and Space Council, with the functions of the Council specified in section 201(e). Those functions included advising the President “as he may request” with respect to promoting cooperation and resolving differences among agencies of the United States engaged in aeronautical and space activities. The words are obsolete because section 3(a)(4) of Reorganization Plan No. 1 of 1973 (5 App. U.S.C.), abolished the National Aeronautics and Space Council, including the office of Executive Secretary of the Council, together with its functions.

In subsection (c), the words “(as established by title II of this Act)”, which appeared after “Administration”, are omitted as unnecessary.

In subsection (d), the word “and”, appearing at the end of paragraph (8), is omitted as unnecessary because of the introductory words “one or more of the following”.

Editorial Notes

Amendments

2017—Subsec. (d)(10). Pub. L. 115–10 added par. (10).

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Science Priorities

Pub. L. 117–167, div. B, title VII, § 10821, Aug. 9, 2022, 136 Stat. 1740, provided that: “(a) Sense of Congress on Science Portfolio.—It is the sense of Congress that—“(1) a balanced and adequately funded set of activities, consisting of research and analysis grant programs, technology development, suborbital research activities, and small, medium, and large space missions, contributes to a robust and productive science program and serves as a catalyst for innovation and discovery; and “(2) the Research and Analysis programs funded by the Science Mission Directorate are critically important for—“(A) preparing the next generation of space and Earth scientists; “(B) pursuing peer-reviewed cutting-edge research; “(C) maximizing scientific return from the [National Aeronautics and Space] Administration’s space and Earth science missions; and “(D) developing innovative techniques and future mission concepts. “(b) Goal.—The Administrator [of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration] shall pursue the goal of establishing annual funding for Research and Analysis in the Science Mission Directorate that reaches a level of not less than 10 percent of the total annual funding of relevant divisions of the Science Mission Directorate by fiscal year 2025.”

Congressional Findings and Policy

Pub. L. 110–422, § 2, Oct. 15, 2008, 122 Stat. 4781, provided that: “The Congress finds, on this, the 50th anniversary of the establishment of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the following: “(1) NASA [National Aeronautics and Space Administration] is and should remain a multimission agency with a balanced and robust set of core missions in science, aeronautics, and human space flight and exploration. “(2) Investment in NASA’s programs will promote innovation through research and development, and will improve the competitiveness of the United States. “(3) Investment in NASA’s programs, like investments in other Federal science and technology activities, is an investment in our future. “(4) Properly structured, NASA’s activities can contribute to an improved quality of life, economic vitality, United States leadership in peaceful cooperation with other nations on challenging undertakings in science and technology, national security, and the advancement of knowledge. “(5) NASA should assume a leadership role in a cooperative international Earth observations and research effort to address key research issues associated with climate change and its impacts on the Earth system. “(6) NASA should undertake a program of aeronautical research, development, and where appropriate demonstration activities with the overarching goals of—“(A) ensuring that the Nation’s future air transportation system can handle up to 3 times the current travel demand and incorporate new vehicle types with no degradation in safety or adverse environmental impact on local communities; “(B) protecting the environment; “(C) promoting the security of the Nation; and “(D) retaining the leadership of the United States in global aviation. “(7) Human and robotic exploration of the solar system will be a significant long-term undertaking of humanity in the 21st century and beyond, and it is in the national interest that the United States should assume a leadership role in a cooperative international exploration initiative. “(8) Developing United States human space flight capabilities to allow independent American access to the International Space Station, and to explore beyond low Earth orbit, is a strategically important national imperative, and all prudent steps should thus be taken to bring the Orion Crew Exploration Vehicle and Ares I Crew Launch Vehicle to full operational capability as soon as possible and to ensure the effective development of a United States heavy lift launch capability for missions beyond low Earth orbit. “(9) NASA’s scientific research activities have contributed much to the advancement of knowledge, provided societal benefits, and helped train the next generation of scientists and engineers, and those activities should continue to be an important priority. “(10) NASA should make a sustained commitment to a robust long-term technology development activity. Such investments represent the critically important ‘seed corn’ on which NASA’s ability to carry out challenging and productive missions in the future will depend. “(11) NASA, through its pursuit of challenging and relevant activities, can provide an important stimulus to the next generation to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. “(12) Commercial activities have substantially contributed to the strength of both the United States space program and the national economy, and the development of a healthy and robust United States commercial space sector should continue to be encouraged. “(13) It is in the national interest for the United States to have an export control policy that protects the national security while also enabling the United States aerospace industry to compete effectively in the global market place and the United States to undertake cooperative programs in science and human space flight in an effective and efficient manner.”

Pub. L. 102–195, §§ 2, 3, Dec. 9, 1991, 105 Stat. 1605, 1606, provided that: “SEC. 2. FINDINGS.“Congress finds that—“(1) the report of the Advisory Committee on the Future of the United States Space Program has provided a framework within which a consensus on the goals of the space program can be developed; “(2) a balanced civil space science program should be funded at a level of at least 20 percent of the aggregate amount in the budget of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration for ‘Research and development’ and ‘Space flight, control, and data communications’; “(3) development of an adequate data base for life sciences in space will be greatly enhanced through closer scientific cooperation with the Soviet Union, including active use of manned Soviet space stations; “(4) the space program can make substantial contributions to health-related research and should be an integral part of the Nation’s health research and development program; “(5) Landsat data and the continuation of the Landsat system beyond Landsat 6 are essential to the Mission to Planet Earth and other long-term environmental research programs; “(6) increased use of defense-related remote sensing data and data technology by civilian agencies and the scientific community can benefit national environmental study and monitoring programs; “(7) the generation of trained scientists and engineers through educational initiatives and academic research programs outside of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration is essential to the future of the United States civil space program; “(8) the strengthening and expansion of the Nation’s space transportation infrastructure, including the enhancement of launch sites and launch site support facilities, are essential to support the full range of the Nation’s space-related activities; “(9) the aeronautical program contributes to the Nation’s technological competitive advantage, and it has been a key factor in maintaining preeminence in aviation over many decades; and “(10) the National Aero Space Plane program can have benefits to the military and civilian aviation programs from the new and innovative technologies developed in propulsion systems, aerodynamics, and control systems that could be enormous, especially for high-speed aeronautical and space flight. “SEC. 3. POLICY.“It is the policy of the United States that—“(1) the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (hereinafter referred to as the ‘Administrator’), in planning for national programs in environmental study and human space flight and exploration, should ensure the resiliency of the space infrastructure; “(2) a stable and balanced program of civil space science should be planned to minimize future year funding requirements in order to accommodate a steady stream of new initiatives; “(3) any new launch system undertaken or jointly undertaken by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration should be based on defined mission and program requirements or national policies established by Congress; “(4) in fulfilling the mission of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration to improve the usefulness, performance, speed, safety, and efficiency of space vehicles, the Administrator should establish a program of research and development to enhance the competitiveness and cost effectiveness of commercial expendable launch vehicles; and “(5) the National Aeronautics and Space Administration should promote and support efforts to advance scientific understanding by conducting or otherwise providing for research on environmental problems, including global change, ozone depletion, acid precipitation, deforestation, and smog.”