Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 122.djvu/4814

 12 2 STA T .479 1 PUBLIC LA W 11 0– 422 —O CT. 1 5, 200 8theAdmin i s t ra t o rto c oordinate ,w here p ractica l , N A S A ’ s science and e x ploration acti v ities with the g oal o f maximi z ing the s u ccess of human exploration initiatives and furthering our understanding of the U niverse that we explore .SEC.410 .C ONGR ESS I ON ALBUD GE T O F FICE RE P ORT UPDATE. Not later than 6 months after the date of enactment of this Act, the C ongressional B udget O ffice shall update its report from 20 0 4 on the b udgetar y analysis of NASA’s V ision for the Nation’s Space E xploration P rogram, including new estimates for Pro j ect Constellation, NASA’s new generation of spacecraft designed for human space flight that will replace the Space Shuttle program. TI T LEV—SPAC E SCIE N CE SEC. 5 01. TEC H NOLOG Y DE V ELOP M ENT. T he Administrator shall establish an intra -D irectorate long- term technology development program for space and Earth science within the Science M ission Directorate for the development of new technology. The program shall be independent of the flight projects under development. NASA shall have a goal of funding the intra- Directorate technology development program at a level of 5 percent of the total Science Mission Directorate annual budget. The program shall be structured to include competitively awarded grants and contracts. SEC. 50 2 . PROVISION FOR FUTURE SERVICING OF OBSERVATORY - CLASS SCIENTIFIC SPACECRAFT. The Administrator shall ta k e all necessary steps to ensure that provision is made in the design and construction of all future observatory-class scientific spacecraft intended to be deployed in Earth orbit or at a L agrangian point in space for robotic or human servicing and repair to the extent practicable and appropriate. SEC. 50 3 . MARSE X PLORATION. Congress reaffirms its support for a systematic, integrated pro- gram of exploration of the Martian surface to examine the planet whose surface is most like Earth’s, to search for evidence of past or present life, and to examine Mars for future habitability and as a long-term goal for future human exploration. To the extent affordable and practical, the program should pursue the goal of launches at every Mars launch opportunity, leading to an eventual robotic sample return. SEC. 504. IMPORTANCE OF A BALANCED SCIENCE PROGRAM. I t is the sense of Congress that a balanced and ade q uately funded set of activities, consisting of NASA’s research and analysis grants programs, technology development, small-, medium-, and large-sized space science missions, and suborbital research activi- ties, contributes to a robust and productive science program and serves as a catalyst for innovation. SEC. 505. SUBORBITAL RESEARCH ACTIVITIES. ( a ) S ENS E OF CON GR ESS. — It is the sense of Congress that suborbital flight activities, including the use of sounding rockets, aircraft, and high-altitude balloons, and suborbital reusable launch vehicles, offer valuable opportunities to advance science, train the 42USC17 742 . 42 USC 17741.

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