12 2 STA T .479 2 PUBLIC LA W 11 0– 422 —O CT. 1 5, 200 8nextg ene ra t io no fsc ientists an d engineers , and p ro v ide opport u ni - ties for participants in t h e progra m stoac q uire s k i l lsins y stems engineering and systems integration that are critical to maintaining the N ation ’ s leadership in space programs .T he C ongress b elieves that it is in the national interest to expand the si z eofN AS A’s suborbital research program. I t is further the sense of Congress that funding for suborbital research activities should be considered part of the contribution of NASA to U nited States competitive and educational enhancement and should represent increased funding as contemplated in section 20 0 1 of the America C OMPE TES Act (4 2 U.S.C. 1 6 611(a ) ). (b) REVI E WOF S UB O R BI TAL MI S SIO N CA P ABILITIES. — (1) IN G ENERAL.—Not later than 120 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall enter into an arrangement w ith the National Academies to conduct a review of the suborbital mission capabilities of NASA. (2) MATTERS REVIEWE D .—The review required by paragraph (1) shall include a review of the following
(A) Existing programs that make use of suborbital flights. ( B ) The status, capability, and availability of suborbital platforms, and the infrastructure and workforce necessary to support them. (C) Existing or planned launch facilities for suborbital missions. ( D ) Opportunities for scientific research, training, and educational collaboration in the conduct of suborbital mis- sions by NASA, especially as they relate to the findings and recommendations of the National Academies decadal surveys and report on ‘ ‘Building a Better NASA W orkforce: Meeting the Workforce Needs for the National V ision for Space Exploration’’. ( 3 ) REPORT.— (A) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 1 5 months after the date of enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall submit to the Committee on Science and Technology of the H ouse of Representatives and the Committee on Com- merce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate a report on the review required by this subsection. (B) CONTENTS.—The report required by this paragraph shall include a summary of the review
the findings of the Administrator with respect to such review; rec- ommendations regarding the growth of suborbital launch programs conducted by NASA; and the steps necessary to ensure such programs are conducted using domestic launch facilities to the maximum extent practicable, including any rationale and j ustification for using non- domestic facilities for such missions. SEC.506 . R ES TO R A T I O N O F RA D IOISOTO P ET H ER M OE L ECTRIC G ENER - ATOR MATERIAL PROD U CTION. (a) PLAN.—The Director of OSTP shall develop a plan for restarting and sustaining the domestic production of radioisotope thermoelectric generator material for deep space and other space science missions. Deadlin e .
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