51 U.S.C. § 20102 — Congressional declaration of policy and purpose
submitted 16 years ago by Pub. L. 111-314 to r/title-51-NATIONAL-AND-COMMERCIAL-SPACE-PROGRAMS · 734 words · no verdicts yet
Congress declares that U.S. space activities should be peaceful and benefit all humankind. A civilian agency directs them, except weapons and defense work, which the Defense Department directs. Congress also lists goals like expanding knowledge, commercial space use, international cooperation, and warning about hazardous near-Earth objects.
(a) Devotion of Space Activities to Peaceful Purposes for Benefit of All Humankind — Congress declares that U.S. space activities should be devoted to peaceful purposes, for the benefit of everyone on Earth.
(b) Aeronautical and Space Activities* for Welfare and Security of United States — Congress declares that the country's general welfare and security require proper support for air and space activities. Those activities are the responsibility of, and are directed by, a civilian agency that oversees U.S. air and space activities — except activities mainly about weapons systems, military operations, or the defense of the United States (including the research and development needed for that defense), which are the responsibility of, and are directed by, the Department of Defense. The President decides which agency is responsible for any activity where that isn't clear.
(c) Commercial Use of Space — Congress declares that the country's general welfare requires the Administration* (the civilian space agency) to seek and encourage, as much as possible, the fullest commercial use of space.
(d) Objectives of Aeronautical and Space Activities — U.S. air and space activities must be conducted to meaningfully advance one or more of these goals: (1) expanding human knowledge of Earth and of phenomena in the atmosphere and space; (2) improving the usefulness, performance, speed, safety, and efficiency of aircraft and spacecraft; (3) developing and operating vehicles able to carry instruments, equipment, supplies, and living organisms through space; (4) doing long-range studies of the potential benefits, opportunities, and problems in using air and space activities for peaceful, scientific purposes; (5) keeping the United States a leader in air and space science and technology, and in applying it to peaceful activities inside and outside the atmosphere; (6) sharing discoveries with national-defense agencies when they have military value, and having those agencies share back discoveries that matter to the civilian space agency; (7) cooperating with other nations on work under this chapter and on the peaceful application of its results; (8) making the most effective use of the country's scientific and engineering resources, with close cooperation among agencies to avoid wasted effort, facilities, or equipment; (9) preserving the United States' leading position in aeronautics and space through research and technology tied to manufacturing; and (10) searching for the origin, evolution, spread, and future of life in the universe.
(e) Ground Propulsion Systems Research and Development — Congress declares that the country's general welfare requires the space agency's unique scientific and engineering skills to also be directed at researching and developing ground-vehicle propulsion systems, aimed at conserving energy and petroleum and minimizing environmental harm from those systems.
(f) Bioengineering Research, Development, and Demonstration Programs — Congress declares that the country's general welfare requires the space agency's unique skills to also help with bioengineering research, development, and demonstration programs designed to reduce and ease the effects of disability.
(g) Warning and Mitigation of Potential Hazards of Near-Earth Objects — Congress declares that the country's general welfare and security require the space agency's unique skills to be directed at detecting, tracking, cataloging, and characterizing near-Earth asteroids and comets, to warn about and reduce the danger these objects pose to Earth.
(h) Purpose of Chapter — This chapter exists to carry out and put into effect the policies declared in subsections (a) through (g).
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.
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.
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.
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:
The expansion of human knowledge of the Earth and of phenomena in the atmosphere and space.
The improvement of the usefulness, performance, speed, safety, and efficiency of aeronautical and space vehicles*.
The development and operation of vehicles capable of carrying instruments, equipment, supplies, and living organisms through space.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
The preservation of the United States preeminent position in aeronautics and space through research and technology development related to associated manufacturing processes.
The search for life’s origin, evolution, distribution, and future in the universe.
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.
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.
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.
It is the purpose of this chapter to carry out and effectuate the policies declared in subsections (a) to (g).
Source credit: (Pub. L. 111–314, § 3, Dec. 18, 2010, 124 Stat. 3330; Pub. L. 115–10, title V, § 507, Mar. 21, 2017, 131 Stat. 50.)
- 2010Enacted · Pub. L. 111-314 · 124 Stat. 3330
- 2017Amended · Pub. L. 115-10 · 131 Stat. 50
A history note hasn’t been published yet. The record shows enactment by Pub. L. 111-314 on 2010-12-18.
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