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Title 42 — The Public Health and Welfare

Chapter 159 — Space Exploration, Technology, and Science

§ 18323. Multi-purpose crew vehicle

Statutory text

(a)

Initiation of development

(1)

In general

The Administrator shall continue the development of a multi-purpose crew vehicle to be available as soon as practicable, and no later than for use with the Space Launch System. The vehicle shall continue to advance development of the human safety features, designs, and systems in the Orion project.

(2)

Goal for operational capability

It shall be the goal to achieve full operational capability for the transportation vehicle developed pursuant to this subsection by not later than . For purposes of meeting such goal, the Administrator may undertake a test of the transportation vehicle at the ISS before that date.

(b)

Minimum capability requirements

The multi-purpose crew vehicle developed pursuant to subsection (a) shall be designed to have, at a minimum, the following:

(1)

The capability to serve as the primary crew vehicle for missions beyond low-Earth orbit.

(2)

The capability to conduct regular in-space operations, such as rendezvous, docking, and extra-vehicular activities, in conjunction with payloads delivered by the Space Launch System developed pursuant to section 18322 of this title, or other vehicles, in preparation for missions beyond low-Earth orbit or servicing of assets described in section 18383 of this title, or other assets in cis-lunar space.

(3)

The capability to provide an alternative means of delivery of crew and cargo to the ISS, in the event other vehicles, whether commercial vehicles or partner-supplied vehicles, are unable to perform that function.

(4)

The capacity for efficient and timely evolution, including the incorporation of new technologies, competition of sub-elements, and commercial operations.

Legislative history

Reconstructed from this section’s Code source credit and amendment notes, resolved against the local Statutes at Large. Editorial notes are evidence, not the law that made the change.

  1. Pub. L. 111–267 title III § 303 · 124 Stat. 2805

    Enacted · 42 U.S.C. § 18323

    (Pub. L. 111–267, title III, § 303, Oct. 11, 2010, 124 Stat. 2815.)

    Source evidence

    Code source credit
    (Pub. L. 111–267, title III, § 303, Oct. 11, 2010, 124 Stat. 2815.)

    Enacted provision · exact public law section
    SEC. 303. MULTI-PURPOSE CREW VEHICLE. (a) Initiation of Development.— (1) In general.— The Administrator shall continue the development of a multi-purpose crew vehicle to be available as soon as practicable, and no later than for use with the Space Launch System. The vehicle shall continue to advance development of the human safety features, designs, and systems in the Orion project. (2) Goal for operational capability.— It Deadline. shall be the goal to achieve full operational capability for the transportation vehicle developed pursuant to this subsection by not later than December 31, 2016. For purposes of meeting such goal, the Administrator may undertake a test of the transportation vehicle at the ISS before that date. (b) Minimum Capability Requirements.— The multi-purpose crew vehicle developed pursuant to subsection (a) shall be designed to have, at a minimum, the following: (1) The capability to serve as the primary crew vehicle for missions beyond low-Earth orbit. (2) The capability to conduct regular in-space operations, such as rendezvous, docking, and extra-vehicular activities, in conjunction with payloads delivered by the Space Launch System developed pursuant to section 302, or other vehicles, in preparation for missions beyond low-Earth orbit or servicing of assets described in section 804, or other assets in cis-lunar space. (3) The capability to provide an alternative means of delivery of crew and cargo to the ISS, in the event other vehicles, whether commercial vehicles or partner-supplied vehicles, are unable to perform that function. (4) The capacity for efficient and timely evolution, including the incorporation of new technologies, competition of sub-elements, and commercial operations.

1 of 1 references resolved to an enrolled provision

Credits

(Pub. L. 111–267, title III, § 303, , 124 Stat. 2815.)

Parsed from the official OLRC USLM XML in data/usc_all/usc42.xml · release point 119-108 · OLRC build 2026-09-09

USLM identifier /us/usc/t42/s18323