ADVANCED LAUNCH SYSTEM

SEC. 256. ADVANCED LAUNCH SYSTEM (a) Required Program Plans.—The Secretary of Defense may not obligate or expend more than $50,000,000 for research, development, test, and evaluation for any activity associated directly or indirectly with the Advanced Launch System/Heavy Lift Launch Vehicle (hereinafter in this section referred to as the “ALS”) program until— (1) the Secretary of Defense and the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration enter into an interagency agreement (A) on the most cost-effective design approach for the ALS, and (B) on a joint management plan to implement the ALS program so as to make maximum use of the expertise and the unique testing facilities of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, especially with respect to rocket propulsion systems; (2) the Secretary of Defense develops a management plan for the ALS program, including identification of the specific roles and responsibilities— (A) to be filled by the Defense Agencies, the Department of the Air Force, and other appropriate elements of the Department of Defense; and (B) as provided in the interagency agreement described in Paragraph (1), to be filled by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration; (3) all participants in the ALS program enter into a formal cost-sharing agreement with respect to that program which— (A) identifies the total costs of the program (stated in both current and constant dollars); and (B) includes the budgetary resources intended to be dedicated by each participant in the program for each of the fiscal years 1988 through 1992; and 101 STAT. 1067 (4) the Secretary of Defense, with the concurrence of the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, submits to the Committees on Armed Services and Appropriations of the Senate and House of Representatives a report on the ALS program that includes— (A) a copy of the agreement described in paragraph (1); (B) a detailed description of the management plan described in paragraph (2); and (C) a copy of the cost-sharing agreement described in paragraph (3). (b) Payload Cost Goal.—Any request for proposals issued by the Department of Defense for the ALS program— (1) shall include as a goal a cost per pound of payload placed in low earth orbit of $300 or less (in constant fiscal year 1987 dollars); and (2) may not include a request for bids or proposals for an interim capability that would have a higher cost per pound of payload than specified under paragraph (1).