42 U.S.C. § 18342 — Requirements applicable to development of commercial crew transportation capabilities and services

submitted 16 years ago by Pub. L. 111-267 to r/title-42-THE-PUBLIC-HEALTH-AND-WELFARE · 850 words · no verdicts yet

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In fiscal year 2011, NASA generally can't sign new contracts for commercial crew transport to the Space Station, unless it meets certain conditions and spends no more than $50 million total. Starting in fiscal year 2012, NASA can support commercial crew systems, but first it must set safety rules, study the market, review its procurement process, and plan for crew rescue.

(a) FY 2011 contracts and procurement agreements. In fiscal year 2011, NASA is mostly blocked from signing contracts for follow-on commercial crew services. First, as a general rule, the Administrator may not execute a contract or procurement agreement for these services during fiscal year 2011. Second, there's an exception: the Administrator may still execute such a contract or agreement during fiscal year 2011 if two conditions are met. The requirements described in paragraphs (1) through (3) of subsection (b) have been satisfied, and the total amount spent on all such contracts and agreements during fiscal year 2011 does not go over $50,000,000. (b) Support. Starting in fiscal year 2012, and for as long as the program runs, the Administrator may support commercially-developed crew transportation systems, but only once each of these steps is complete. First, human rating requirements: within 60 days after October 11, 2010, the Administrator must publish detailed rules for how commercial crew vehicles must be designed to be rated safe for humans. These rules must be at least as strict as the proven requirements already used as of October 11, 2010. Second, a commercial market assessment: within 180 days, the Administrator, working with the FAA's Office of Commercial Space Transportation, must send Congress's appropriate committees an assessment of the potential market — outside the government — for commercial crew and cargo systems, including private-sector use of ISS research and technology capabilities and other activities in low-Earth orbit. Third, a procurement system review: the Administrator must review the government's current procurement and acquisition practices, including agreement authorities under the National Aeronautics and Space Act of 1958, to find the most cost-effective way to buy commercial crew transportation capabilities and services, while keeping accountability, transparency, and efficiency. This review must identify ways to manage risk and to protect commercial providers through indemnification, and it must address quality control, safety oversight, and how other federal agencies' oversight processes apply. Before starting any procurement for commercial crew capabilities, NASA must describe and justify the proposed procurement process, and Congress's appropriate committees must review it before any competitive process begins. The Comptroller General must also assess that proposed process and report to those committees within 90 days after NASA gives them the description and justification. Fourth, use of government-supplied capabilities and infrastructure: when NASA evaluates any proposed commercial crew or cargo development, it must identify how much government personnel, expertise, technology, and infrastructure it expects to contribute, including a clear picture of the full requirements for a commercial crew service, such as the contingency for rescuing a crew. NASA must include the details and costs of that support in any proposed development plan. Fifth, flight demonstration and readiness requirements: the Administrator must set milestones and minimum performance goals that must be met before moving forward with procurement. These guidelines must include a way to independently confirm flight safety and readiness before any U.S. government employee is allowed to fly as crew on a commercial vehicle developed under this section. Sixth, commercial crew rescue capabilities: any commercial capability to serve the ISS must include the ability to rescue a crew, and this must be developed through the procurement process this section sets up. If this rescue capability is developed, the Administrator must share relevant government-owned intellectual property from the multi-purpose crew vehicle's development with the commercial companies building the rescue capability, where it's relevant to their design. The Administrator must also try to make sure that contracts for the multi-purpose crew vehicle include terms letting that intellectual property be licensed to commercial providers building crew rescue capability. If a contractor already working on the multi-purpose crew vehicle wants to compete to build a commercial crew service with rescue capability, Congress must pass a separate law before the Administrator can pay to modify the multi-purpose crew vehicle for that rescue role.

the actual law source: uscode.house.gov ↗public domain

(a) FY 2011 contracts and procurement agreements

(1) In general

Except as provided in paragraph (2), the Administrator may not execute a contract or procurement agreement with respect to follow-on commercial crew services during fiscal year 2011.

(2) Exception

Notwithstanding paragraph (1), the Administrator may execute a contract or procurement agreement with respect to follow-on commercial crew services during fiscal year 2011 if—

(A)

the requirements of paragraphs (1), (2), and (3) of subsection (b) are met; and

(B)

the total amount involved for all such contracts and procurement agreements executed during fiscal year 2011 does not exceed $50,000,000 for fiscal year 2011.

(b) Support

The Administrator may, beginning in fiscal year 2012 through the duration of the program, support follow-on commercially-developed crew transportation systems dependent upon the completion of each of the following:

(1) Human rating requirements

Not later than 60 days after October 11, 2010, the Administrator shall develop and make available to the public detailed human rating processes and requirements to guide the design of commercially-developed crew transportation capabilities, which requirements shall be at least equivalent to proven requirements for crew transportation in use as of October 11, 2010.

(2) Commercial market assessment

Not later than 180 days after October 11, 2010, the Administrator shall submit to the appropriate committees of Congress an assessment, conducted, in coordination with the Federal Aviation Administration’s Office of Commercial Space Transportation, for purposes of this paragraph, of the potential non-Government market for commercially-developed crew and cargo transportation systems and capabilities, including an assessment of the activities associated with potential private sector utilization of the ISS research and technology development capabilities and other potential activities in low-Earth orbit.

(3) Procurement system review

The Administrator shall review current Government procurement and acquisition practices and processes, including agreement authorities under the National Aeronautics and Space Act of 1958,1 to determine the most cost-effective means of procuring commercial crew transportation capabilities and related services in a manner that ensures appropriate accountability, transparency, and maximum efficiency in the procurement of such capabilities and services, which review shall include an identification of proposed measures to address risk management and means of indemnification of commercial providers of such capabilities and services, and measures for quality control, safety oversight, and the application of Federal oversight processes within the jurisdiction of other Federal agencies. A description of the proposed procurement process and justification of the proposed procurement for its selection shall be included in any proposed initiation of procurement activity for commercially-developed crew transportation capabilities and services and shall be subject to review by the appropriate committees of Congress before the initiation of any competitive process to procure such capabilities or services. In support of the review by such committees, the Comptroller General shall undertake an assessment of the proposed procurement process and provide a report to the appropriate committees of Congress within 90 days after the date on which the Administrator provides the description and justification to such committees.

(4) Use of government-supplied capabilities and infrastructure

In evaluating any proposed development activity for commercially-developed crew or cargo launch capabilities, the Administrator shall identify the anticipated contribution of government personnel, expertise, technologies, and infrastructure to be utilized in support of design, development, or operations of such capabilities. This assessment shall include a clear delineation of the full requirements for the commercial crew service (including the contingency for crew rescue). The Administrator shall include details and associated costs of such support as part of any proposed development initiative for the procurement of commercially-developed crew or cargo launch capabilities or services.

(5) Flight demonstration and readiness requirements

The Administrator shall establish appropriate milestones and minimum performance objectives to be achieved before authority is granted to proceed to the procurement of commercially-developed crew transportation capabilities or systems. The guidelines shall include a procedure to provide independent assurance of flight safety and flight readiness before the authorization of United States government personnel to participate as crew onboard any commercial launch vehicle developed pursuant to this section.

(6) Commercial crew rescue capabilities

The provision of a commercial capability to provide ISS crew services shall include crew rescue requirements, and shall be undertaken through the procurement process initiated in conformance with this section. In the event such development is initiated, the Administrator shall make available any relevant government-owned intellectual property deriving from the development of a multi-purpose crew vehicle authorized by this chapter to commercial entities involved with such crew rescue capability development which shall be relevant to the design of a crew rescue capability. In addition, the Administrator shall seek to ensure that contracts for development of the multi-purpose crew vehicle contain provisions for the licensing of relevant intellectual property to participating commercial providers of any crew rescue capability development undertaken pursuant to this section. If one or more contractors involved with development of the multi-purpose crew vehicle seek to compete in development of a commercial crew service with crew rescue capability, separate legislative authority must be enacted to enable the Administrator to provide funding for any modifications of the multi-purpose crew vehicle necessary to fulfill the ISS crew rescue function.

Source credit: (Pub. L. 111–267, title IV, § 403, Oct. 11, 2010, 124 Stat. 2820.)

history & why it existsrecord from the source credit

2010Enacted · Pub. L. 111-267 · 124 Stat. 2820

A history note hasn’t been published yet. The record shows enactment by Pub. L. 111-267 on 2010-10-11.

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