Fabio
76b8ec33a7
Ingested titles 12–51 and 54 from OLRC USLM XML @119-100 (the whole Code now, uniform edition; Title 53 is reserved/empty). LegalText 11,221 -> 59,740; repo total 105,704 records. Deterministic (byte-identical rerun, verified on Title 42's 8,356 sections); make check green. make legal-us-code default now covers every title. Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.8 <noreply@anthropic.com>
64 lines
3.8 KiB
Markdown
64 lines
3.8 KiB
Markdown
---
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type: "LegalText"
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title: "42 U.S.C. § 18321"
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description: "Human space flight beyond low-Earth orbit"
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jurisdiction: "us"
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corpus: "united_states_code"
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kind: "code_section"
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title_number: 42
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title_name: "THE PUBLIC HEALTH AND WELFARE"
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chapter_number: "159"
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chapter_name: "SPACE EXPLORATION, TECHNOLOGY, AND SCIENCE"
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section: "18321"
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citation: "42 U.S.C. § 18321"
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status: "current"
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release_point: "119-100"
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release_date: "2026-06-26"
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source: "official"
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source_url: "https://uscode.house.gov/download/releasepoints/us/pl/119/100/xml_usc42@119-100.zip"
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source_identifier: "/us/usc/t42/s18321"
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source_file: "data/legal/raw/us/code/title-42/usc42.xml"
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source_hash: "cdf744fab82fbd406996e96dd55f503443596b15325960699aa97547201218ca"
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raw_snapshot_hash: "644321055a08eb1f260a6a3e31ac157fa024756abf612a9fd6857e7e400cf24e"
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text_hash: "ee6915cab8303ca05aaf0f871e8b6b7dd637c7938b097b9dc1a0e6ca1f2f0ac5"
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retrieved_at: "2026-07-04"
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confidence: "official"
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tags: ["legal", "us-code"]
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---
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# 42 U.S.C. § 18321 - Human space flight beyond low-Earth orbit
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## Text
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(a) Findings Congress makes the following findings:
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(1) The extension of the human presence from low-Earth orbit to other regions of space beyond low-Earth orbit will enable missions to the surface of the Moon and missions to deep space destinations such as near-Earth asteroids and Mars.
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(2) The regions of cis-lunar space are accessible to other national and commercial launch capabilities, and such access raises a host of national security concerns and economic implications that international human space endeavors can help to address.
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(3) The ability to support human missions in regions beyond low-Earth orbit and on the surface of the Moon can also drive developments in emerging areas of space infrastructure and technology.
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(4) Developments in space infrastructure and technology can stimulate and enable increased space applications, such as in-space servicing, propellant resupply and transfer, and in situ resource utilization, and open opportunities for additional users of space, whether national, commercial, or international.
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(5) A long term objective for human exploration of space should be the eventual international exploration of Mars.
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(6) Future international missions beyond low-Earth orbit should be designed to incorporate capability development and availability, affordability, and international contributions.
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(7) Human space flight and future exploration beyond low-Earth orbit should be based around a pay-as-you-go approach. Requirements in new launch and crew systems authorized in this chapter should be scaled to the minimum necessary to meet the core national mission capability needed to conduct cis-lunar missions. These initial missions, along with the development of new technologies and in-space capabilities can form the foundation for missions to other destinations. These initial missions also should provide operational experience prior to the further human expansion into space.
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(b) Report on international collaboration (1) Report required Not later than 120 days after October 11, 2010, the Administrator shall submit to the appropriate committees of Congress a report on the following assets and capabilities:
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(A) Any effort by NASA to expand and ensure effective international collaboration on the ISS.
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(B) The efforts of NASA, including its approach and progress, in defining near-term, cis-lunar space human missions.
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(2) NASA contributions In preparing the report required by paragraph (1), the Administrator shall assume that NASA will contribute to the efforts described in that paragraph the following:
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(A) A Space Launch System.
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(B) A multi-purpose crew vehicle.
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(C) Such other technology elements the Administrator may consider appropriate, and which the Administrator shall specifically identify in the report.
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(Pub. L. 111–267, title III, § 301, Oct. 11, 2010, 124 Stat. 2813.)
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