Federal

Title 51 — National And Commercial Space Programs

249 sections, each with the official text and a plain-English explanation of what it means for you.

• § 10101 — Definitions
• § 20101 — Short title
• § 20102 — Congressional declaration of policy and purpose
• § 20103 — Definitions
• § 20111 — National Aeronautics and Space Administration
• § 20112 — Functions of the Administration
• § 20113 — Powers of the Administration in performance of functions
• § 20114 — Administration and Department of Defense coordination
• § 20115 — International cooperation
• § 20116 — Reports to Congress
• § 20117 — Disposal of excess land
• § 20131 — Public access to information
• § 20132 — Security requirements
• § 20133 — Permission to carry firearms
• § 20134 — Arrest authority
• § 20135 — Property rights in inventions
• § 20136 — Contributions awards
• § 20137 — Malpractice and negligence suits against United States
• § 20138 — Insurance and indemnification
• § 20139 — Insurance for experimental aerospace vehicles
• § 20140 — Appropriations
• § 20141 — Misuse of agency name and initials
• § 20142 — Contracts regarding expendable launch vehicles
• § 20143 — Full cost appropriations account structure
• § 20144 — Prize authority
• § 20145 — Lease of non-excess property
• § 20146 — Retrocession of jurisdiction
• § 20147 — Recovery and disposition authority
• § 20148 — Indemnification; NASA launch services and reentry services
• § 20149 — Medical monitoring and research relating to human space flight
• § 20161 — Congressional declaration of purpose and policy
• § 20162 — Definition of upper atmosphere
• § 20163 — Program authorized
• § 20164 — International cooperation
• § 20301 — General responsibilities
• § 20302 — Vision for space exploration
• § 20303 — Contribution to innovation
• § 20304 — Basic research enhancement
• § 20305 — National Academies decadal surveys
• § 20306 — Special appropriations for Mars missions, Artemis missions, and Moon to Mars program
• § 30101 — Prior authorization of appropriations required
• § 30102 — Working capital fund
• § 30103 — Budgets
• § 30104 — Baselines and cost controls
• § 30301 — Guaranteed customer base
• § 30302 — Quality assurance personnel
• § 30303 — Tracking and data relay satellite services
• § 30304 — Award of contracts to small businesses and disadvantaged individuals
• § 30305 — Outreach program
• § 30306 — Small business contracting
• § 30307 — Requirement for independent cost analysis
• § 30308 — Cost effectiveness calculations
• § 30309 — Use of abandoned and underutilized buildings, grounds, and facilities
• § 30310 — Exception to alternative fuel procurement requirement
• § 30501 — Lessons learned and best practices
• § 30502 — Whistleblower protection
• § 30503 — Performance assessments
• § 30504 — Assessment of science mission extensions
• § 30701 — Competitiveness and international cooperation
• § 30702 — Foreign contract limitation
• § 30703 — Foreign launch vehicles
• § 30704 — Offshore performance of contracts for the procurement of goods and services
• § 30901 — Congressional Space Medal of Honor
• § 30902 — Charles “Pete” Conrad Astronomy Awards
• § 31101 — Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel
• § 31102 — Drug and alcohol testing
• § 31301 — Healthcare program
• § 31302 — Astronaut healthcare survey
• § 31501 — Orbital debris
• § 31502 — Maintenance of facilities
• § 31503 — Laboratory productivity
• § 31504 — Cooperative unmanned aerial vehicle activities
• § 31505 — Development of enhanced-use lease policy
• § 40101 — Definition of institution of higher education
• § 40102 — Governmental interest in aeronautics research and development
• § 40103 — Cooperation with other agencies on aeronautics activities
• § 40104 — Cooperation among Mission Directorates
• § 40111 — Fundamental research program
• § 40112 — Research and technology programs
• § 40113 — Airspace systems research
• § 40114 — Aviation safety and security research
• § 40115 — Aviation weather research
• § 40116 — University-based Centers for Research on Aviation Training
• § 40131 — Aeronautics scholarships
• § 40141 — Aviation data requests
• § 40301 — Purposes
• § 40302 — Definitions
• § 40303 — National space grant college and fellowship program
• § 40304 — Grants or contracts
• § 40305 — Specific national needs
• § 40306 — Space grant college and space grant regional consortium
• § 40307 — Space grant fellowship program
• § 40308 — Space grant review panel
• § 40309 — Availability of other Federal personnel and data
• § 40310 — Designation or award to be on competitive basis
• § 40311 — Continuing emphasis
• § 40501 — Biomedical research joint working group
• § 40502 — Biomedical research grants
• § 40503 — Biomedical research fellowships
• § 40504 — Establishment of electronic data archive
• § 40505 — Establishment of emergency medical service telemedicine capability
• § 40701 — Research and development initiative
• § 40702 — Additional research and development initiative
• § 40703 — Research alignment
• § 40704 — Research program on perceived impact of sonic booms
• § 40901 — Science, Space, and Technology Education Trust Fund
• § 40902 — National Aeronautics and Space Administration Endeavor Teacher Fellowship Trust Fund
• § 40903 — Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research—merit grant competition requirements
• § 40904 — Microgravity research
• § 40905 — Program to expand distance learning in rural underserved areas
• § 40906 — Equal access to the Administration’s education programs
• § 40907 — Museums
• § 40908 — Continuation of certain education programs
• § 40909 — Compliance with title IX of Education Amendments of 1972
• § 50101 — Definitions
• § 50111 — Commercialization of Space Station
• § 50112 — Promotion of United States Global Positioning System standards
• § 50113 — Acquisition of space science data
• § 50114 — Administration of commercial space centers
• § 50115 — Sources of Earth science data
• § 50116 — Commercial technology transfer program
• § 50131 — Requirement to procure commercial space transportation services
• § 50132 — Acquisition of commercial space transportation services
• § 50133 — Repealed. Pub. L. 115–10, title IV, § 416(c) , Mar. 21, 2017 , 131 Stat. 35 ]
• § 50134 — Use of excess intercontinental ballistic missiles
• § 50301 — Definitions
• § 50302 — Loan guarantees for production of commercial reusable in-space transportation
• § 50501 — Definitions
• § 50502 — Launch voucher demonstration program
• § 50503 — Anchor tenancy and termination liability
• § 50504 — Use of Government facilities
• § 50505 — Test facilities
• § 50506 — Commercial Space Achievement Award
• § 50701 — Definition of Office
• § 50702 — Establishment
• § 50703 — Annual report
• § 50901 — Findings and purposes
• § 50902 — Definitions
• § 50903 — General authority
• § 50904 — Restrictions on launches, operations, and reentries
• § 50905 — License applications and requirements
• § 50906 — Experimental permits
• § 50907 — Monitoring activities
• § 50908 — Effective periods, and modifications, suspensions, and revocations, of licenses
• § 50909 — Prohibition, suspension, and end of launches, operation of launch sites and reentry sites, and reentries
• § 50910 — Preemption of scheduled launches or reentries
• § 50911 — Space advertising
• § 50912 — Administrative hearings and judicial review
• § 50913 — Acquiring United States Government property and services
• § 50914 — Liability insurance and financial responsibility requirements
• § 50915 — Paying claims exceeding liability insurance and financial responsibility requirements
• § 50916 — Disclosing information
• § 50917 — Enforcement and penalty
• § 50918 — Consultation
• § 50919 — Relationship to other executive agencies, laws, and international obligations
• § 50920 — User fees
• § 50921 — Office of Commercial Space Transportation
• § 50922 — Regulations
• § 50923 — Report to Congress
• § 50924 — Space launch and reentry licensing and permitting user fees
• § 51101 — Definitions
• § 51102 — Grant authority
• § 51103 — Grant applications
• § 51104 — Environmental requirements
• § 51105 — Authorization of appropriations
• § 51301 — Definitions
• § 51302 — Commercial exploration and commercial recovery
• § 51303 — Asteroid resource and space resource rights
• § 51501 — Establishment of Office of Spaceports
• § 60101 — Definitions
• § 60111 — Landsat Program Management
• § 60112 — Transfer of Landsat 6 program responsibilities
• § 60113 — Data policy for Landsat 7
• § 60121 — General licensing authority
• § 60122 — Conditions for operation
• § 60123 — Administrative authority of Secretary
• § 60124 — Regulatory authority of Secretary
• § 60125 — Agency activities
• § 60126 — Annual reports
• § 60131 — Continued Federal research and development
• § 60132 — Availability of federally gathered unenhanced data
• § 60133 — Technology demonstration program
• § 60134 — Preference for private sector land remote sensing system
• § 60141 — Nondiscriminatory data availability
• § 60142 — Archiving of data
• § 60143 — Nonreproduction
• § 60144 — Reimbursement for assistance
• § 60145 — Acquisition of equipment
• § 60146 — Radio frequency allocation
• § 60147 — Consultation
• § 60148 — Enforcement
• § 60161 — Prohibition
• § 60162 — Future considerations
• § 60301 — Definitions
• § 60302 — General responsibilities
• § 60303 — Pilot projects to encourage public sector applications
• § 60304 — Program evaluation
• § 60305 — Data availability
• § 60306 — Education
• § 60501 — Goal