1. U.S. Code
  2. title 51
  3. subtitle VII
  4. chapter 709
  5. § 70907

Collapse to view only § 70907. Maintaining use through at least 2030

§ 70901. Peaceful uses of space station

No civil space station authorized under section 103(a)(1) of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Authorization Act, Fiscal Year 1991 (Public Law 101–611, 104 Stat. 3190) may be used to carry or place in orbit any nuclear weapon or any other weapon of mass destruction, to install any such weapon on any celestial body, or to station any such weapon in space in any other manner. This civil space station may be used only for peaceful purposes.

(Pub. L. 111–314, § 3, Dec. 18, 2010, 124 Stat. 3436.)

CITE AS: 51 USC 70901

§ 70902. Allocation of International Space Station research budget

The Administrator shall allocate at least 15 percent of the funds budgeted for International Space Station research to ground-based, free-flyer, and International Space Station life and microgravity science research that is not directly related to supporting the human exploration program, consistent with section 40904 of this title.

(Pub. L. 111–314, § 3, Dec. 18, 2010, 124 Stat. 3436.)

CITE AS: 51 USC 70902

§ 70903. International Space Station research
The Administrator shall—
(1) carry out a program of microgravity research consistent with section 40904 of this title; and
(2) consider the need for a life sciences centrifuge and any associated holding facilities.
(Pub. L. 111–314, § 3, Dec. 18, 2010, 124 Stat. 3436.)

CITE AS: 51 USC 70903

§ 70904. International Space Station completion
(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).
(Pub. L. 111–314, § 3, Dec. 18, 2010, 124 Stat. 3437.)

CITE AS: 51 USC 70904

§ 70905. National laboratory designation
(a)Definition of United States Segment of the International Space Station.—In this section the term “United States segment of the International Space Station” means those elements of the International Space Station manufactured—
(1) by the United States; or
(2) for the United States by other nations in exchange for funds or launch services.
(b)Designation.—To further the policy described in section 70501(a) of this title, the United States segment of the International Space Station is hereby designated a national laboratory.
(c)Management.—
(1)Partnerships.—The Administrator shall seek to increase the utilization of the International Space Station by other Federal entities and the private sector through partnerships, cost-sharing agreements, and other arrangements that would supplement Administration funding of the International Space Station.
(2)Contracting.—The Administrator may enter into a contract with a nongovernmental entity to operate the International Space Station national laboratory, subject to all applicable Federal laws and regulations.
(Pub. L. 111–314, § 3, Dec. 18, 2010, 124 Stat. 3437.)

CITE AS: 51 USC 70905

§ 70906. International Space Station National Laboratory Advisory Committee
(a)Establishment.—Not later than one year after October 15, 2008, the Administrator shall establish under chapter 10 of title 5 a committee to be known as the “International Space Station National Laboratory Advisory Committee” (hereafter in this section referred to as the “Committee”).
(b)Membership.—
(1)Composition.—The Committee shall be composed of individuals representing organizations that have formal agreements with the Administration to utilize the United States portion of the International Space Station, including allocations within partner elements.
(2)Chair.—The Administrator shall appoint a chair from among the members of the Committee, who shall serve for a 2-year term.
(c)Duties of the Committee.—
(1)In general.—The Committee shall monitor, assess, and make recommendations regarding effective utilization of the International Space Station as a national laboratory and platform for research.
(2)Annual report.—The Committee shall submit to the Administrator, on an annual basis or more frequently as considered necessary by a majority of the members of the Committee, a report containing the assessments and recommendations required by paragraph (1).
(d)Duration.—The Committee shall exist for the life of the International Space Station.
(Pub. L. 111–314, § 3, Dec. 18, 2010, 124 Stat. 3438; Pub. L. 117–286, § 4(a)(327), Dec. 27, 2022, 136 Stat. 4342.)

CITE AS: 51 USC 70906

§ 70907. Maintaining use through at least 2030
(a)Policy.—The Administrator shall take all necessary steps to ensure that the International Space Station remains a viable and productive facility capable of potential United States utilization through at least September 30, 2030.
(b)NASA Actions.—In furtherance of the policy under subsection (a), the Administrator shall ensure, to the extent practicable, that the International Space Station, as a designated national laboratory—
(1) remains viable as an element of overall exploration and partnership strategies and approaches;
(2) is considered for use by all NASA mission directorates, as appropriate, for technically appropriate scientific data gathering or technology risk reduction demonstrations; and
(3) remains an effective, functional vehicle providing research and test bed capabilities for the United States through at least September 30, 2030.
(Pub. L. 111–314, § 3, Dec. 18, 2010, 124 Stat. 3438; Pub. L. 114–90, title I, § 114(b)(4), Nov. 25, 2015, 129 Stat. 716; Pub. L. 117–167, div. B, title VII, § 10815(d)(1), Aug. 9, 2022, 136 Stat. 1738.)

CITE AS: 51 USC 70907