---
type: "LegalText"
title: "51 U.S.C. § 20162"
description: "Definition of upper atmosphere"
jurisdiction: "us"
corpus: "united_states_code"
kind: "code_section"
title_number: 51
title_name: "NATIONAL AND COMMERCIAL SPACE PROGRAMS"
chapter_number: "201"
chapter_name: "NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE PROGRAM"
section: "20162"
citation: "51 U.S.C. § 20162"
status: "current"
release_point: "119-100"
release_date: "2026-06-26"
source: "official"
source_url: "https://uscode.house.gov/download/releasepoints/us/pl/119/100/xml_usc51@119-100.zip"
source_identifier: "/us/usc/t51/s20162"
source_file: "data/legal/raw/us/code/title-51/usc51.xml"
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text_hash: "8e5bddde82133f90cb9af547b0fbf66ca4c7b795d84e5acce8953f652a95081b"
retrieved_at: "2026-07-04"
confidence: "official"
tags: ["legal", "us-code"]
---

# 51 U.S.C. § 20162 - Definition of upper atmosphere

## Text

In this subchapter, the term “upper atmosphere” means that portion of the Earth’s sensible atmosphere above the troposphere.

(Pub. L. 111–314, § 3, Dec. 18, 2010, 124 Stat. 3354.)

## Notes

Historical and Revision Notes RevisedSectionSource (U.S. Code)Source (Statutes at Large) 2016242 U.S.C. 2482.Pub. L. 85–568, title IV, § 402, as added Pub. L. 94–39, § 8, June 19, 1975, 89 Stat. 222.