Pub. L. 100-685, tit. I, sec. 101

Sec. 101. Congress finds that— (1) in accordance with section 106 of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Authorization Act of 1988 (Public Law 100–147), a space station, hereafter referred to as the United States International Space Station, shall be constructed in order to establish a permanent presence for man in space for the following purposes— (A) the conduct of scientific experiments, applications experiments, and engineering experiments; (B) the servicing, rehabilitation, and construction of satellites and space vehicles; (C) the development and demonstration of commercial products and processes; and (D) the establishment of a space base for other civilian and commercial space activities including an outpost for further exploration of the solar system; (2) expendable launch vehicles should be used to launch those pay loads that do not require the presence of man; (3) the space shuttle launches should be used to fulfill the Nation’s needs for manned access to space; (4) preeminence in space and aeronautics is key to the national security and economic well being of the United States; (5) United States space policy needs long-range goals and direction in order to provide understanding for near-term space projects and programs; (6) over the next five years the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, hereafter referred to as the “Administration”, should pursue leadership in science through an aggressive set of major and moderate missions while maintaining a robust series of cost effective missions that can provide frequent flight opportunities to the scientific community; (7) over the next five years the Administration should prepare for the transition to the United States International Space 102 STAT. 4084Station of those science and technology programs that can be most efficiently and effectively conducted on that facility; (8) the Administration should encourage the United States private sector investment in space and, to the maximum extent practicable provide frequent flight opportunities for the development of technologies, processes and products that benefit from the space environment; (9) the Administration should enhance the existing space transportation capability through a robust mixed fleet of manned and unmanned vehicles in order to increase the reliability, productivity, and efficiency and reduce the cost of the Nation’s access to space; (10) the United States faces an increasingly successful foreign challenge to its traditional preeminent position in aeronautics which is rapidly reducing its lead in both civil and military aircraft; (11) NASA’s personnel are an integral component and resource for the Nation’s space program, and an innovative personnel system should be developed; (12) the establishment of a permanent presence in space leading ultimately to space settlements is fully consistent with the goals of the National Aeronautics and Space Act of 1958; (13) the United States civil space activities should contribute significantly to enhancing the Nation’s scientific and technological leadership, economy, pride, and sense of well-being, as well as United States world prestige and leadership; (14) civil sector activities should be comprised of a balanced strategy of research, development, operations, and technology for science, exploration, and appropriate applications; (15) assured access to space, sufficient to achieve all United States space goals, is an essential element of United States space policy, and the United States space transportation systems must provide a balanced, robust, and flexible capability with sufficient resiliency to allow continued operation despite failures in any single system; (16) the goals of the United States space transportation system are— (A) to achieve and maintain safe and reliable access to, transportation in, and return from, space; (B) to exploit the unique attributes of manned and unmanned launch and recovery systems; (C) to encourage, to the maximum extent feasible, the development and use of United States private sector space transportation capabilities; and (D) to reduce the costs of space transportation and related services; (17) recognizing that communications advancements are critical to all United States space activities, the Administration should continue research and development efforts for future advances in space communications technologies; (18) the goal of aeronautical research and technology development and validation activities should be to contribute to a national technology base that will enhance United States preeminence in civil and military aviation and improve the safety and efficiency of the United States air transportation system; and 102 STAT. 4085 (19) aeronautical research and technology development and validation activities should— (A) emphasize emerging technologies with potential for breakthrough advances; (B) consist of— (i) fundamental research in all aeronautical disciplines, aimed at greater understanding of aeronautical phenomena and development of new aeronautical concepts; and (ii) technology development and validation activities aimed at laboratory-scale development and proof-of-concept demonstration of selected concepts with high payoff potential; (C) assure maintenance of robust aeronautical laboratories, including a first-rate technical staff and modern national facilities for the conduct of research and testing activities; (D) be conducted with the close, active participation of the United States aircraft industry so as to accelerate the transfer of research results to aviation products; (E) include providing technical assistance and facility support to other government agencies and United States industry; (F) include conducting joint projects with other government agencies where such projects contribute materially to the goals set forth in this section; (G) assure strong participation of United States universities both in carrying out aeronautical research and training future aeronautical research personnel; and (H) be conducted, where practical, so that United States industry receives research results before foreign competitors.