51 U.S.C. § 70702 — Establishment of Commission

(a) The President must establish an independent, nonpartisan executive-branch Commission^* to investigate an incident^* causing the loss of a space shuttle; the International Space Station or its operational viability; another human-carrying orbital or suborbital vehicle owned by the Federal Government or used under a Federal contract or Space Act Agreement to carry a government astronaut or federally funded researcher; or a crew member or passenger of such a vehicle. (b) The Commission must be established within 7 days after the incident. (c) “Government astronaut” has the meaning in section 50902. “Space Act Agreement” means an Administration^* agreement under its other-transactions authority in section 20113(e).