WASHINGTON — On March 20, the House Science Committee moved forward four space-related bills that tackle topics ranging from commercial remote sensing to space resources.
The committee approved the bills unanimously during a markup session alongside four other bills unrelated to space. The bills will now move to the full House for consideration.
H.R. 272, the Astronaut Safe Temporary Ride Options (ASTRO) Act, aims to officially authorize transportation for NASA astronauts upon their return to Earth until they are medically cleared to drive. Currently, such transportation requires case-by-case approval from the NASA administrator.
“When these astronauts return home, we must ensure they can recover and get back on their feet without bureaucratic obstacles,” stated Rep. Brian Babin (R-Texas), chair of the space subcommittee and sponsor of the bill. He explained that he introduced the bill after discussing the matter with NASA astronauts.
H.R. 6219, the Accessing Satellite Data to Enable New Discoveries (ASCEND) Act, seeks to formally authorize NASA’s program to purchase remote sensing data from companies for research purposes. NASA initiated a pilot program, the Commercial Smallsat Data Acquisition (CSDA) program, along similar lines in 2017, which has since become operational.
“With new leadership and responsibilities for CSDA over the past year, it is crucial for Congress to reaffirm our support for this program by enacting this statute, ensuring its continued growth and success,” explained Rep. Tom Kean Jr. (R-N.J.), the lead sponsor of the bill.
H.R. 7687, the NASA Streamlining Partnerships for Research and Education for Engineering and Science (SPREES) Act, would permit NASA to jointly fund research with other federal agencies for science, engineering, and education programs, similar to authorities held by the National Science Foundation.
“If NASA were to attempt this today, both agencies would have to navigate burdensome, bureaucratic processes, which impose redundant administrative burdens on researchers and students applying for funding,” said Rep. Eric. Sorensen (D-Ill.), ranking member of the space subcommittee and lead sponsor of the bill. “The NASA SPREES Act will streamline interagency collaboration.”
H.R. 4152, the Space Resources Institute Act, tasks NASA with preparing a report on the advantages of establishing an institute for the study of space resources, including science and technology issues. The report would assess the benefits of such an institute, which could be physical or virtual and developed in collaboration with universities or industry.
The bill “is the first step in helping us understand how we can responsibly perform in situ resource utilization,” said Rep. Yadira Caraveo (D-Colo.), the bill's sponsor, who aims to centralize research being done today by companies, universities, and NASA, all of whom “would benefit from a central hub to support the development of foundational science and technology for space resources.”
