42 U.S.C. § 2451 : US Code - Section 2451: Congressional declaration of policy and purpose

Search 42 U.S.C. § 2451 : US Code - Section 2451: Congressional declaration of policy and purpose

(a) Devotion of space activities to peaceful purposes for benefit
of all mankind
The Congress declares that it is the policy of the United States
that activities in space should be devoted to peaceful purposes for
the benefit of all mankind.
(b) Aeronautical and space activities for welfare and security of
United States; control by civilian agency; exceptions
The Congress declares that the general welfare and security of
the United States require that adequate provision be made for
aeronautical and space activities. The Congress further declares
that such activities shall be the responsibility of, and shall be
directed by, a civilian agency exercising control over aeronautical
and space activities sponsored by the United States, except that
activities peculiar to or primarily associated with the development
of weapons systems, military operations, or the defense of the
United States (including the research and development necessary to
make effective provision for the defense of the United States)
shall be the responsibility of, and shall be directed by, the
Department of Defense; and that determination as to which such
agency has responsibility for and direction of any such activity
shall be made by the President in conformity with section 2471(e)
of this title.
(c) Commercial use of space
The Congress declares that the general welfare of the United
States requires that the National Aeronautics and Space
Administration (as established by subchapter II of this chapter)
seek and encourage, to the maximum extent possible, the fullest
commercial use of space.
(d) Objectives of aeronautical and space activities
The aeronautical and space activities of the United States shall
be conducted so as to contribute materially to one or more of the
following objectives:
(1) The expansion of human knowledge of the Earth and of
phenomena in the atmosphere and space;
(2) The improvement of the usefulness, performance, speed,
safety, and efficiency of aeronautical and space vehicles;
(3) The development and operation of vehicles capable of
carrying instruments, equipment, supplies, and living organisms
through space;
(4) The establishment of long-range studies of the potential
benefits to be gained from, the opportunities for, and the
problems involved in the utilization of aeronautical and space
activities for peaceful and scientific purposes;
(5) The preservation of the role of the United States as a
leader in aeronautical and space science and technology and in
the application thereof to the conduct of peaceful activities
within and outside the atmosphere;
(6) The making available to agencies directly concerned with
national defense of discoveries that have military value or
significance, and the furnishing by such agencies, to the
civilian agency established to direct and control nonmilitary
aeronautical and space activities, of information as to
discoveries which have value or significance to that agency;
(7) Cooperation by the United States with other nations and
groups of nations in work done pursuant to this chapter and in
the peaceful application of the results thereof;
(8) The most effective utilization of the scientific and
engineering resources of the United States, with close
cooperation among all interested agencies of the United States in
order to avoid unnecessary duplication of effort, facilities, and
equipment; and
(9) The preservation of the United States preeminent position
in aeronautics and space through research and technology
development related to associated manufacturing processes.
(e) Ground propulsion systems research and development
The Congress declares that the general welfare of the United
States requires that the unique competence in scientific and
engineering systems of the National Aeronautics and Space
Administration also be directed toward ground propulsion systems
research and development. Such development shall be conducted so as
to contribute to the objectives of developing energy and petroleum-
conserving ground propulsion systems, and of minimizing the
environmental degradation caused by such systems.
(f) Bioengineering research, development, and demonstration
programs
The Congress declares that the general welfare of the United
States requires that the unique competence of the National
Aeronautics and Space Administration in science and engineering
systems be directed to assisting in bioengineering research,
development, and demonstration programs designed to alleviate and
minimize the effects of disability.
(g) Detecting, tracking, cataloguing, and characterizing near-Earth
asteroids and comets
The Congress declares that the general welfare and security of
the United States require that the unique competence of the
National Aeronautics and Space Administration be directed to
detecting, tracking, cataloguing, and characterizing near-Earth
asteroids and comets in order to provide warning and mitigation of
the potential hazard of such near-Earth objects to the Earth.
(h) Purpose of chapter
It is the purpose of this chapter to carry out and effectuate the
policies declared in subsections (a), (b), (c), (d), (e), (f), and
(g) of this section.