12 2 STA T .4790PUBLIC LA W 110 – 422 —O CT. 1 5, 200 8includea de t ailed de s c r i p ti o no f t h e specific steps b ein g ta k en to utili z e the I nternational S pace Station for that purpose .( b )REPORT . —T he A d m inistrator shall transmit to the C om - mittee on Science and Technolog y of the H ouse of Representati v es and the Committee on Commerce , Science, and Transportation of the Senate the plan described in subsection (a) not later than one year after the date of enactment of this Act. SEC.407 .E XPLORATI O N CRE W RESC U E. In order to ma x imize the ability to rescue astronauts w hose space vehicles have become disabled, the Administrator shall enter into discussions with the appropriate representatives of spacefaring nations who have or plan to have crew transportation systems capable of orbital flight or flight beyond low E arth orbit for the purpose of agreeing on a common docking system standard. SEC. 40 8 . PARTICIPATOR Y EXPLORATION. (a) I NG ENER AL .—The Administrator shall develop a technology plan to enable dissemination of information to the public to allow the public to experience missions to the M oon, Mars, or other bodies within our solar system by leveraging advanced exploration technologies. The plan shall identify opportunities to leverage tech- nologies in N ASA ’ s Constellation systems that deliver a rich, multi- media experience to the public, and that facilitate participation by the public, the private sector, nongovernmental organizations, and international partners. Technologies for collecting high-defini- tion video, 3 -dimensional images, and scientific data, along with the means to rapidly deliver this content through extended high bandwidth communications networks, shall be considered as part of this plan. It shall include a review of high bandwidth radio and laser communications, high-definition video, stereo imagery, 3-dimensional scene cameras, and Internet routers in space, from orbit, and on the lunar surface. The plan shall also consider sec- ondary cargo capability for technology validation and science mis- sion opportunities. In addition, the plan shall identify opportunities to develop and demonstrate these technologies on the International Space Station and robotic missions to the Moon, Mars, and other solar system bodies. As part of the technology plan, the Adminis- trator shall examine the feasibility of having NASA enter into contracts and other agreements with appropriate public, private sector, and international partners to broadcast electronically, including via the Internet, images and multimedia records delivered from its missions in space to the public, and shall identify issues associated with such contracts and other agreements. In any such contracts and other agreements, NASA shall adhere to a trans- parent bidding process to award such contracts and other agree- ments, pursuant to U nited States law. As part of this plan, the Administrator shall include estimates of associated costs. (b) REPORT.—Not later than 270 days after the date of enact- ment of this Act, the Administrator shall submit the plan to the Committee on Science and Technology of the House of Representa- tives and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate. SEC. 40 9 . SCIENCE AN D EXPLORATION. It is the sense of Congress that NASA’s scientific and human exploration activities are synergistic
science enables exploration and human exploration enables science. The Congress encourages Technol o gyp l a n .42USC17 7 3 4.
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