42 U.S.C. § 18401 — Aeronautics research goals

The Administrator should make sure NASA keeps a strong aeronautics research portfolio, ranging from basic research to full systems research, with specific goals in three areas. (1) Airspace capacity. NASA's Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate must address the needs of the Next Generation Air Transportation System, including making the national airspace able to handle up to three times today's travel demand by 2025. (2) Environmental sustainability. The Directorate must consider and pursue ways to cut noise, emissions, and fuel use, while keeping safety high, and it must research alternative fuels. (3) Aviation safety. The Directorate must proactively address safety challenges, both with new and current aircraft and with how the nation's air transportation system operates.