Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 124.djvu/2854

 124 STAT. 2828 PUBLIC LAW 111–267—OCT. 11, 2010 (3) RESEARCH PRIORITIES AND ENHANCED CAPACITY.—The organization with which the Administrator enters into the cooperative agreement shall consider recommendations of the National Academies Decadal Survey on Biological and Physical Sciences in Space in establishing research priorities and in developing proposed enhancements of research capacity and opportunities for the ISS national laboratory. (4) RESPONSIBILITY FOR RESEARCH PAYLOAD.—NASA shall retain its roles and responsibilities in providing research pay- load physical, analytical, and operations integration during pre- flight, post-flight, transportation, and orbital phases essential to ensure safe and effective flight readiness and vehicle integra- tion of research activities approved and prioritized by the organization with which the Administrator enters into the cooperative agreement and the official or employee designated under subsection (b). TITLE VI—SPACE SHUTTLE RETIREMENT AND TRANSITION SEC. 601. SENSE OF CONGRESS ON THE SPACE SHUTTLE PROGRAM. (a) FINDINGS.—Congress makes the following findings: (1) The Space Shuttle program represents a national asset consisting of critical skills and capabilities, including the ability to lift large payloads into space and return them to Earth. (2) The Space Shuttle has carried more than 355 people from 16 nations into space. (3) The Space Shuttle has projected the best of American values around the world, and Space Shuttle crews have sparked the imagination and dreams of the world’s youth and young at heart. (b) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of Congress that— (1) it is essential that the retirement of the Space Shuttle and the transition to new human space flight capabilities be done in a manner that builds upon the legacy of this national asset; and (2) it is imperative for the United States to retain the skills and the industrial capability to provide a follow-on Space Launch System that is primarily designed for missions beyond near-Earth space, while offering some potential for supplanting shuttle delivery capabilities to low-Earth orbit, particularly in support of ISS requirements, if necessary. SEC. 602. RETIREMENT OF SPACE SHUTTLE ORBITERS AND TRANSI - TION OF SPACE SHUTTLE PROGRAM. (a) IN GENERAL.—The Administrator shall retire the Space Shuttle orbiters pursuant to a schedule established by the Adminis- trator and in a manner consistent with provisions of this Act regarding potential requirements for contingency utilization of Space Shuttle orbiters for ISS requirements. (b) UTILIZATION OF WORKFORCE AND ASSETS IN FOLLOW-ON SPACE LAUNCH SYSTEM.— (1) UTILIZATION OF VEHICLE ASSETS.—In carrying out sub- section (a), the Administrator shall, to the maximum extent practicable, utilize workforce, assets, and infrastructure of the Space Shuttle program in efforts relating to the initiation of Schedule. 42 USC 18362. 42 USC 18361.