51 U.S.C. § 50910

Current through P.L. 118-106 (published on www.congress.gov on 10/04/2024)

Section 50910 - Preemption of scheduled launches or reentries

(a) GENERAL.-With the cooperation of the Secretary of Defense and the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the Secretary of Transportation shall act to ensure that a launch or reentry of a payload is not preempted from access to a United States Government launch site, reentry site, or launch property, except for imperative national need, when a launch date commitment or reentry date commitment from the Government has been obtained for a launch or reentry licensed under this chapter. A licensee or transferee preempted from access to a launch site, reentry site, or launch property does not have to pay the Government any amount for launch services, or services related to a reentry, attributable only to the scheduled launch or reentry prevented by the preemption.

(b) IMPERATIVE NATIONAL NEED DECISIONS.-In consultation with the Secretary of Transportation, the Secretary of Defense or the Administrator shall decide when an imperative national need requires preemption under subsection (a) of this section. That decision may not be delegated.

(c) REPORTS.-In cooperation with the Secretary of Transportation, the Secretary of Defense or the Administrator, as appropriate, shall submit to Congress not later than 7 days after a decision to preempt under subsection (a) of this section, a report that includes an explanation of the circumstances justifying the decision and a schedule for ensuring the prompt launching or reentry of a preempted payload.

51 U.S.C. § 50910

Pub. L. 103-272, §1(e), July 5, 1994, 108 Stat. 1335, §70109 of title 49; Pub. L. 105-303, title I, §102(a)(9), Oct. 28, 1998, 112 Stat. 2849; renumbered §70109 then §50910 of title 51, Pub. L. 111-314, §4(d)(2), (3)(J), Dec. 18, 2010, 124 Stat. 3440, 3441.

HISTORICAL AND REVISION NOTES
Revised Section	Source (U.S. Code)	Source (Statutes at Large)
70109(a)	49 App.:2614(b)(4)(A) (1st, last sentences).	Oct. 30, 1984, Pub. L. 98-575, 98 Stat. 3055, §15(b)(4); added Nov. 15, 1988, Pub. L. 100-657, §7, 102 Stat. 3906.
70109(b)	49 App.:2614(b)(4)(A) (2d sentence).
70109(c)	49 App.:2614(b)(4)(B).

EDITORIAL NOTES

AMENDMENTS2010-Pub. L. 111-314 successively renumbered section 70109 of title 49 and section 70109 of this title as this section.1998-Pub. L. 105-303, §102(a)(9)(A), substituted "Preemption of scheduled launches or reentries" for "Preemption of scheduled launches" in section catchline.Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 105-303, §102(a)(9)(B), inserted "or reentry" after "ensure that a launch", ",reentry site," after "United States Government launch site", "or reentry date commitment" after "launch date commitment", "or reentry" after "obtained for a launch", ",reentry site," after "access to a launch site", ",or services related to a reentry," after "amount for launch services", and "or reentry" after "the scheduled launch".Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 105-303, §102(a)(9)(C), inserted "or reentry" after "prompt launching".

United States: "United States" means the States of the United States, the District of Columbia, and the territories and possessions of the United States.
launch property: "launch property" means an item built for, or used in, the launch preparation or launch of a launch vehicle.
launch services: "launch services" means-(A) activities involved in the preparation of a launch vehicle, payload, crew (including crew training), government astronaut, or space flight participant for launch; and(B) the conduct of a launch.
launch site: "launch site" means the location on Earth from which a launch takes place (as defined in a license the Secretary issues or transfers under this chapter) and necessary facilities at that location.
launch: "launch" means to place or try to place a launch vehicle or reentry vehicle and any payload or human being from Earth-(A) in a suborbital trajectory;(B) in Earth orbit in outer space; or(C) otherwise in outer space,including activities involved in the preparation of a launch vehicle or payload for launch, when those activities take place at a launch site in the United States.
payload: "payload" means an object that a person undertakes to place in outer space by means of a launch vehicle or reentry vehicle, including components of the vehicle specifically designed or adapted for that object.
reentry: "reenter" and "reentry" mean to return or attempt to return, purposefully, a reentry vehicle and its payload or human beings, if any, from Earth orbit or from outer space to Earth.
reentry site: "reentry site" means the location on Earth to which a reentry vehicle is intended to return (as defined in a license the Secretary issues or transfers under this chapter).