42 U.S.C. § 18354 — Management of the ISS national laboratory

The Administrator^* shall provide initial financial assistance and enter into a cooperative agreement with an appropriate organization that is exempt from taxation under section 501(c)(3) of title 26 to manage the activities of the ISS^* national laboratory in accordance with this section.

The organization with which the Administrator enters into the cooperative agreement shall develop the capabilities to implement research and development projects utilizing the ISS national laboratory and to otherwise manage the activities of the ISS national laboratory.

The cooperative agreement shall require the organization entering into the agreement to engage exclusively in activities relating to the management of the ISS national laboratory and activities that promote its long term research and development mission as required by this section, without any other organizational objectives or responsibilities on behalf of the organization or any parent organization or other entity.

The Administrator shall designate an official or employee of the Space Operations Mission Directorate of NASA to act as liaison between NASA and the organization with which the Administrator enters into a cooperative agreement under subsection (a) with regard to the management of the ISS national laboratory.

The cooperative agreement shall require the organization entering into the agreement to carry out its responsibilities under the agreement in cooperation and consultation with the official or employee designated under paragraph (1).

Planning and coordination of the ISS national laboratory research activities.

Development and implementation of guidelines, selection criteria, and flight support requirements for non-NASA scientific utilization of ISS research capabilities and facilities available in United States-owned modules of the ISS or in partner-owned facilities of the ISS allocated to United States utilization by international agreement.

Interaction with and integration of the International Space Station National Laboratory Advisory Committee^* established under section 70906 of title 51 with the governance of the organization, and review recommendations provided by that Committee regarding agreements with non-NASA departments and agencies of the United States Government, academic institutions and consortia, and commercial entities leading to the utilization of the ISS national laboratory facilities.

Coordination of transportation requirements in support of the ISS national laboratory research and development objectives, including provision for delivery of instruments, logistics support, and related experiment materials, and provision for return to Earth of collected samples, materials, and scientific instruments in need of replacement or upgrade.

Cooperation with NASA, other departments and agencies of the United States Government, the States, and commercial entities in ensuring the enhancement and sustained operations of non-exploration-related research payload ground support facilities for the ISS, including the Space Life Sciences Laboratory, the Space Station Processing Facility and Payload Operations Integration Center.

Development and implementation of scientific outreach and education activities designed to ensure effective utilization of ISS research capabilities including the conduct of scientific assemblies, conferences, and other fora for the presentation of research findings, methods, and mechanisms for the dissemination of non-restricted research findings and the development of educational programs, course supplements, interaction with educational programs at all grade levels, including student-focused research opportunities for conduct of research in the ISS national laboratory facilities.

Such other matters relating to the utilization of the ISS national laboratory facilities for research and development as the Administrator may consider appropriate.

The ISS national laboratory managed experiments shall be guaranteed access to, and utilization of, not less than 50 percent of the United States research capacity allocation, including power, cold stowage, and requisite crew time onboard the ISS through at least September 30, 2030. Access to the ISS research capacity includes provision for the adequate upmass and downmass capabilities to utilize the ISS research capacity, as available. The Administrator may allocate additional capacity to the ISS national laboratory should such capacity be in excess of NASA research requirements.

If any NASA research plan is determined to require research capacity onboard the ISS beyond the percentage allocated under paragraph (1), such research plan shall be prepared in the form of a requested research opportunity to be submitted to the process established under this section for the consideration of proposed research within the capacity allocated to the ISS national laboratory. A proposal for such a research plan may include the establishment of partnerships with non-NASA institutions eligible to propose research to be conducted within the ISS national laboratory capacity. Until at least September 30, 2030, the official or employee designated under subsection (b) may grant an exception to this requirement in the case of a proposed experiment considered essential for purposes of preparing for exploration beyond low-Earth orbit, as determined by joint agreement between the organization with which the Administrator enters into a cooperative agreement under subsection (a) and the official or employee designated under subsection (b).

The organization with which the Administrator enters into the cooperative agreement shall consider recommendations of the National Academies Decadal Survey on Biological and Physical Sciences in Space in establishing research priorities and in developing proposed enhancements of research capacity and opportunities for the ISS national laboratory.

NASA shall retain its roles and responsibilities in providing research payload physical, analytical, and operations integration during pre-flight, post-flight, transportation, and orbital phases essential to ensure safe and effective flight readiness and vehicle integration of research activities approved and prioritized by the organization with which the Administrator enters into the cooperative agreement and the official or employee designated under subsection (b).