# NASA Exploration Act of 2018

### Section I. Short Title
This Act may be referred to as the "NASA Exploration Act of 2018"

### Section II. Definitions
(1) NASA - The acronym "NASA" refers to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

(2) Administration - Refers to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

### Section III. Authorization of Appropriations
For fiscal year 2019 and all upcoming fiscal years until such point that this Act expires, $33,994,400,000 shall be appropriated to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, broken down as follows:

(1) For crewed exploration and programs to that end, $14,600,000,000

(2) For current space programs, $5,846,300,000

(3) For aeronautics, $1,463,300,000

(4) For science, $6,323,300,000

(5) For mission support and services, astronaut services, and safety, $3,611,900,000

(6) For education, $938,300,000

(7) For construction and regulatory compliance, $1,211,300,000

### Section IV. Future NASA objectives and Roadmap
(1) Exploration of the planet Mars:

*Exploration of the planet Mars is found by Congress to be a goal vital to the national interest, as a benefit to both the social and technological development of the United States. Therefore, Congress directs the National Aeronautics and Space Administration to make further exploration of the planet Mars a major focus, with the goal of a crewed landing on the planet Mars by the year 2033.*

*Congress directly apportions $14,600,000,000 per fiscal year to the Mars program with the end goal of a crewed landing on the planet Mars. If the existing appropriation is insufficient, the Mars program is permitted to reapportion a maximum of $2,000,000,000 from other areas of the administration only with the approval of the NASA Administrator as well as the administrative head of the program in question.*

*Congress compels the office of the Administrator of NASA to issue annual reports to the House Committee on Science, Energy, the Environment, and Commerce as well as the Senate Committee on Health, Science, and the Environment regarding the overall status of the Mars program as well as its progress towards accomplishing the major milestones of the program, which are defined as follows:*

>(a.) Successful demonstration of a spacecraft capable of carrying a crew of six for a duration of not shorter than ten months, docking with a larger spacecraft, undocking, and then successfully returning its crew intact to the planet Earth.
>
>(b.) Successful demonstration of a large spacecraft capable of sustaining a crew of six during a journey from Earth orbit to Mars orbit.
>
>(c.) Successful demonstration of a spacecraft capable of landing between three and six crewmembers on the planet Mars and returning them safely to Mars orbit;
> or
>* (d.) Successful demonstration of a spacecraft capable of landing between three and six crewmembers on the planet Mars as well as successful demonstration of a separate spacecraft capable of returning the crew to Martian orbit.
>
>(e.) Successful completion of an unmanned mission to the planet Mars with the goal of making a powered landing, gathering rock and soil samples, or any other measurements or samples deemed scientifically necessary, and returning them safely to Earth.
>
>(f.) Successful demonstration of a spacecraft capable of making an autonomous landing on the planet Mars as well as sustaining between three and six crewmembers for a period of not less than thirty days on the Martian surface.
>
>(g.) Successful demonstration of any other technologies deemed by the administration to be necessary for the safe completion of the mission.
***
(2) Exploration of Europa and Titan

*Congress understands the immense scientific and technological value to be gained by exploration of Europa, the moon of Jupiter, and Titan, the moon of Saturn. Congress recognizes the potential for understanding more about the early formation of biological life, as well as the conditions experienced during Earth’s infancy.*

*Congress therefore directs the National Aeronautics and Space Administration to begin work on two programs with separate goals of making autonomous landings on Europa and Titan, respectively.*

### Section V. Existing NASA Objectives, Commitments, and Programs

(1) The International Space Station

>Congress recognizes the importance of maintaining our present international commitments and therefore directs the administration to continue the ISS program and all other unrelated manned programs at their current pace.

(2) Unmanned Exploration

>Congress recognizes the importance of current NASA efforts with regards to unmanned exploration of celestial bodies other than Mars, Titan, and Europa and therefore directs the administration to continue the pursuit of unmanned exploration as the administration deems fit.

(3) Aeronautics

>Congress understands that aeronautical studies are a founding aspect of the NASA mission and therefore directs the administration to pursue aeronautical studies as deemed fit by the administration.

(4) Earth Science

>Congress recognizes that the study of Earth, both from orbit and from the ground comprises a key aspect of the NASA mission and therefore directs the administration to pursue all studies of the planet Earth as deemed fit by the administration.

(5) All other programs

>Congress hereby directs NASA to pursue all other current administration programs as it (NASA) deems fit.
>
>Congress also directs NASA to pursue future programs as the administration deems fit.

### Section VI. Further Stipulations
(1) This Act shall take effect on January 1st, 2019.

***

*This bill was written by /u/UncookedMeatloaf (D-SC4) and sponsored by *