Public Law 119-83 (04/13/2026)

42 U.S.C. § 18324

Utilization of existing workforce and assets in development of Space Launch System and multi-purpose crew vehicle

(a)

In general

section 18322 of this titlesection 18323 of this titleIn developing the Space Launch System pursuant to and the multi-purpose crew vehicle pursuant to , the Administrator shall, to the extent practicable utilize—
(1)
existing contracts, investments, workforce, industrial base, and capabilities from the Space Shuttle and Orion and Ares 1 projects, including—
(A)
space-suit development activities for application to, and coordinated development of, a multi-purpose crew vehicle suit and associated life-support requirements with potential development of standard NASA-certified suit and life support systems for use in alternative commercially-developed crew transportation systems; and
(B)
Space Shuttle-derived components and Ares 1 components that use existing United States propulsion systems, including liquid fuel engines, external tank or tank-related capability, and solid rocket motor engines; and
(2)
associated testing facilities, either in being or under construction as of .
(b)

Discharge of requirements

In meeting the requirements of subsection (a), the Administrator—
(1)
shall, to the extent practicable, utilize ground-based manufacturing capability, ground testing activities, launch and operations infrastructure, and workforce expertise;
(2)
shall, to the extent practicable, minimize the modification and development of ground infrastructure and maximize the utilization of existing software, vehicle, and mission operations processes;
(3)
shall complete construction and activation of the A–3 test stand with a completion goal of ;
(4)
may procure, develop, and flight test applicable components; and
(5)
shall take appropriate actions to ensure timely and cost-effective development of the Space Launch System and the multi-purpose crew vehicle, including the use of a procurement approach that incorporates adequate and effective oversight, the facilitation of contractor efficiencies, and the stream-lining of contract and procurement requirements.

Pub. L. 111–267, title III, § 304124 Stat. 2816 (, , .)