As part of NASA’s efforts to foster commercially owned and operated low Earth orbit destinations, Nanoracks, part of Voyager Space’s Exploration Segment, and Northrop Grumman are teaming up to support Nanoracks’ development of the Starlab commercial space station.

Rather than developing its own destination as planned under a separate Space Act Agreement (SAA) with NASA, the agency and Northrop Grumman agreed to withdraw from its agreement so the company can join Voyager Space and Nanoracks in providing cargo logistics services and engineering services to support the Starlab station.

“This is a positive development for the commercial low Earth orbit destinations effort,” says Phil McAlister, director of commercial space at NASA Headquarters in Washington. “Northrop Grumman has determined that its best strategy is to join the Nanoracks team, and NASA respects and supports that decision. We continue to see a strong competitive landscape for future commercial destinations, and I am pleased that Northrop is staying with the program.”

Northrop Grumman was originally awarded a milestone-based agreement in 2021 to develop their station, totaling $125.6 million. To date, $36.6 million has been paid to Northrop Grumman for the successful completion of milestones.

NASA plans to take the remaining funding associated with Northrop Grumman’s withdrawal and other program funding to add milestones to the agency’s existing agreements with the other currently funded destination partners including Voyager Space/Nanoracks, Blue Origin, and Axiom Space, assuming NASA and the companies can agree on the additional milestones and value.

“Commercial destinations are a critical capability for NASA as we transition low Earth orbit operations to private industry and open access to space. Refining strategies and evolving partnerships are part of the process as we build a robust low Earth orbit economy where NASA is one of many customers,” says Angela Hart, manager of commercial low Earth orbit development program at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. “This opportunity provides us the ability to reduce risks and have more insight into our partners’ technical designs.”

Negotiations are ongoing to determine additional milestones for the existing partners and NASA will share more on those negotiations once they have been completed.

This additional content and funding will allow the partners to accelerate development efforts and help address schedule risk in reaching operational readiness prior to the International Space Station retirement in 2030.

NASA is supporting the design and development of multiple commercial space stations with the three funded partners listed above, as well as several other partners with unfunded agreements through NASA’s Collaborations for Commercial Space Capabilities-2 project.

The design and development phase will be followed by the procurement of services from one or more companies, where NASA aims to be one of many customers for low Earth orbit destinations after the retirement of the International Space Station. The agency recently issued a request for information for industry to provide input on the agency’s requirements for end-to-end low Earth orbit space station services.

NASA’s commercial strategy for low Earth orbit will provide the government with reliable and safe services at a lower cost and enable the agency to focus on Artemis missions to the Moon in preparation for Mars, while also continuing to use low Earth orbit as a training and proving ground for those deep space missions.

For more information about NASA’s commercial space strategy, visit:

https://www.nasa.gov/humans-in-space/commercial-space/

-end-

Joshua Finch
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1100
joshua.a.finch@nasa.gov

Rebecca Turkington
Johnson Space Center, Houston
281-483-5111
rebecca.turkington@nasa.gov

NASA astronaut Frank Rubio, back on Earth after breaking the record for the longest single spaceflight in history by an American, will participate in a news conference at 2 p.m. EDT Friday, Oct. 13, at the agency’s Johnson Space Center in Houston.

The news conference will air live on NASA Television, the NASA app, and the agency’s website. Watch online at:

https://www.nasa.gov/nasatv

Rubio’s extended mission aboard the International Space Station led to a total of 371 days in space. Extended missions provide researchers the opportunity to better observe the effects of long-duration spaceflight on astronauts as the agency returns to the Moon with the Artemis missions and prepares for human exploration of Mars.

Media interested in participating in person must contact the NASA Johnson newsroom no later than 5 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 12, by calling 281-483-5111 or emailing: jsccommu@mail.nasa.gov. Media wishing to participate virtually must contact the newsroom no later than two hours before the start of the event. NASA’s media accreditation policy is available online. Questions may also be submitted on social media by using #AskNASA.

Rubio launched Sept. 21, 2022, alongside Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Prokopyev and Dmitri Petelin. The trio returned to Earth Sept. 27. The 371 day-mission is the longest single spaceflight by a U.S. astronaut, a record previously held by NASA astronaut Mark Vande Hei with 355 days.

Rubio completed approximately 5,936 orbits of the Earth and a journey of more than 157 million miles during his first spaceflight, roughly the equivalent of 328 trips to the Moon and back. He witnessed the arrival of 15 visiting spacecraft and the departure of 14 visiting spacecraft, including both crewed and cargo missions.

During his record-breaking mission, Rubio spent many hours contributing to scientific activities aboard the orbiting laboratory, conducting everything from human health studies to plant research. One study evaluated the command of multiple autonomous robots from space and what challenges might exist for orbit-to-ground remote operation of robots. He also tended to space tomatoes to test hydroponic (water-based) and aeroponic (air-based) growth techniques rather than soil or other traditional growth media to help identify ways to produce crops on a larger scale for future space missions.

Get the latest NASA space station news, images and features on Instagram, Facebook, and X.

Keep up with the International Space Station, its research, and crew at:

https://www.nasa.gov/station

-end-

Lora Bleacher / Julian Coltre
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1100
lora.v.bleacher@nasa.gov / julian.n.coltre@nasa.gov

Courtney Beasley
Johnson Space Center, Houston
281-483-5111
courtney.m.beasley@nasa.gov

“I think the experience of putting yourself in an uncomfortable environment and coming at the other end with lessons learned is always positive. Trying to expand the windows of where you feel comfortable gives you a chance to know yourself better.

“[Studying life in extreme deserts] is about exploring things that we don’t know about. And a lot of what we don’t know happens in environments that are remote, just because it’s very hard to get there and not a lot of people go to those environments.

“…It’s about those two things: exploring the unknown and also, in a way, exploring yourself and what you’re capable of.

“…[My interest in exobiology] started as a means to understand whether life can exist in environments that are very Mars-like. We know that life is robust and can adapt to many extreme conditions, but deserts are very different from other extreme environments. Nobody loves being in the desert, not even microbes.

“Over time, our understanding of the diversity of worlds in the solar system has expanded greatly. And in the past few years, there has been a revolution driven by the discovery of what we now call ocean worlds, like Europa, or Titan. It’s the polar opposite: It’s going from the extreme deserts where there is barely any water for life to environments where there is a lot of water.

“…And so my interest started to shift slightly over the years to not just trying to understand the limits of life, but then also to understand environments where life can actually exist and how go about searching for evidence of it. To me, it’s the ultimate question on how to understand life in the larger scale.

“That’s what’s driven me to explore those extreme environments, understand the limits of life, and then think about how we search for forms of life outside of the Earth.”

—Alfonso Davila, Research Scientist, Ames Research Center

Image Credit: NASA / Brandon Torres
Interviewer: NASA / Thalia Patrinos

Check out some of our other Faces of NASA.

I have been invited to an event and the company has offered to pay. What do I need to do?

Create a package for approval with the following items:

Offer letter from the non-Federal source. Email, fax, or letter is sufficient.

NF 1167 — signature level is the Association Administrator for your Office Travel Orders

Helpful Resources in completing the above items:

Instructions for Completing the NF 1167 (.doc)

NASA Financial Management Chapter 12, Section 304 (.pdf)

Reimbursable Travel Presentation by Travel Office (.ppt)

Non-Federal sources may offer to pay all or a portion of your travel expenses. There are several authorities under which travel costs of NASA employees may be paid by a non-Federal source. The most commonly used is 31 U.S.C. § 1353, authorizing NASA to accept travel expenses from non-Federal sources for employees attending meetings or similar functions. Other authorities not covered here include the Government Employees Training Act, the Widely Attended Gathering exception to the Standards of Conduct, 5 U.S.C. § 7342 dealing with foreign gifts and decorations, and the Space Act. 

31 U.S.C. § 1353 permits non-Federal sources, such as organizations, associations, or businesses, to pay the Government for the expenses of transportation, accommodations, and meals for Government employees officially attending meetings and similar functions such as conferences and symposia.  31 U.S.C. § 1353 is implemented in GSA’s regulations at 41 CFR § 304.1, Payment from a Non-Federal Source for Travel Expenses. 

The authority in 31 U.S.C. § 1353 must be used to accept travel expenses for attendance at a meeting or similar function.  Examples include conferences, seminars, speaking engagements, and training courses.  It does not include travel required to carry out an agency’s statutory and regulatory functions, such as inspections, audits, site visits, or negotiations; nor does it include promotional vendor training or other meetings for the primary purpose of marketing the non-Federal source’s products or services.  The event need not be “widely attended.” 

Under 31 U.S.C. § 1353, the travel authorizing official must determine, in advance of the travel, that payment is:
1) for travel related to the employee’s official duties;
2) for attendance at a meeting or similar function, and
3) from a non-Federal source that is not disqualified on conflict of interest grounds. Local Counsel reviews the arrangement, and, where foreign travel is involved, so does the Office of External Relations at Headquarters.  NASA Form 1167 is used to request approval. 

Reimbursement may be either by check or in-kind.  In-kind reimbursement (e.g., plane tickets, prepaid hotel reservations) is the most common method. Checks must be made out to NASA, not to the employee. Cash may not be accepted by NASA employees. NASA reports reimbursements under 31 U.S.C. § 1353 semiannually to the Office of Government Ethics.

TITLE 15–COMMERCE AND TRADE

CHAPTER 63–TECHNOLOGY INNOVATION

Sec. 3701. Findings

The Congress finds and declares that:

(1) Technology and industrial innovation are central to the economic, environmental, and social well-being of citizens of the United States.

(2) Technology and industrial innovation offer and improved standard of living, increased public and private sector productivity, creation of new industries and employment opportunities, improved public services and enhanced competitiveness of United States products in world markets.

(3) Many new discoveries and advances in science occur in universities and Federal laboratories, while the application of this new knowledge to commercial and useful public purposes depends largely upon actions by business and labor. Cooperation among academia, Federal laboratories, labor, and industry, in such forms as technology transfer, personnel exchange, joint research projects, and others, should be renewed, expanded, and strengthened.

(4) Small businesses have performed an important role in advancing industrial and technological innovation.

(5) Industrial and technological innovation in the United States may be lagging when compared to historical patterns and other industrialized nations.

(6) Increased industrial and technological innovation would reduce trade deficits, stabilize the dollar, increase productivity gains, increase employment, and stabilize prices.

(7) Government antitrust, economic, trade, patent, procurement, regulatory, research and development, and tax policies have significant impacts upon industrial innovation and development of technology, but there is insufficient knowledge of their effects in particular sectors of the economy.

(8) No comprehensive national policy exists to enhance technological innovation for commercial and public purposes. There is a need for such a policy, including a strong national policy supporting domestic technology transfer and utilization of the science and technology resources of the Federal Government.

(9) It is in the national interest to promote the adaptation of technological innovations to State and local government uses. Technological innovations can improve services, reduce their costs, and increase productivity in State and local governments.

(10) The Federal laboratories and other performers of federally funded research and development frequently provide scientific and technological developments of potential use to State and local governments and private industry. These developments, which include inventions, computer software, and training technologies, should be made accessible to those governments and industry. There is a need to provide means of access and to give adequate personnel and funding support to these means.

(11) The Nation should give fuller recognition to individuals and companies which have made outstanding contributions to the promotion of technology or technological manpower for the improvement of the economic, environmental, or social well-being of the United States.

(Pub. L. 96-480, Sec. 2, Oct. 21, 1980, 94 Stat. 2311; Pub. L. 99-502, Sec. 9(f)(1), Oct. 20, 1986, 100 Stat. 1797.)

Amendments

1986–Par. (10). Pub. L. 99-502 inserted “, which include inventions, computer software, and training technologies,”.

Sec. 3702. Purpose

It is the purpose of this chapter to improve the economic, environmental, and social well-being of the United States by–

(1) establishing organizations in the executive branch to study and stimulate technology;

(2) promoting technology development through the establishment of cooperative research centers;

(3) stimulating improved utilization of federally funded technology developments, including inventions, software, and training technologies, by State and local governments and the private sector;

(4) providing encouragement for the development of technology through the recognition of individuals and companies which have made outstanding contributions in technology; and

(5) encouraging the exchange of scientific and technical personnel among academia, industry, and Federal laboratories.

(Pub. L. 96-480, Sec. 3, Oct. 21, 1980, 94 Stat. 2312; Pub. L. 99-502, Sec. 9(b)(1), (f)(2), Oct. 20, 1986, 100 Stat. 1795, 1797.)

Amendments

1986–Par. (2). Pub. L. 99-502, Sec. 9(b)(1), substituted “cooperative research centers” for “centers for industrial technology”. Par. (3). Pub. L. 99-502, Sec. 9(f)(2), inserted “, including inventions, software, and training technologies,”.

Sec. 3708. Administrative arrangements

(a) Coordination

The Secretary and the National Science Foundation shall, on a continuing basis, obtain the advice and cooperation of departments and agencies whose missions contribute to or are affected by the programs established under this chapter, including the development of an agenda for research and policy experimentation. These departments and agencies shall include but not be limited to the Departments of Defense, Energy, Education, HeALTh and Human Services, Housing and Urban Development, the Environmental Protection Agency, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Small Business Administration, Council of Economic Advisers, Council on Environmental Quality, and Office of Science and Technology Policy.

(b) Cooperation

It is the sense of the Congress that departments and agencies, including the Federal laboratories, whose missions are affected by, or could contribute to, the programs established under this chapter, should, within the limits of budgetary authorizations and appropriations, support or participate in activities or projects authorized by this chapter.

(c) Administrative authorization

(1) Departments and agencies described in subsection (b) of this section are authorized to participate in, contribute to, and serve as resources for the Centers and for any other activities authorized under this chapter.
(2) The Secretary and the National Science Foundation are authorized to receive moneys and to receive other forms of assistance from other departments or agencies to support activities of the Centers and any other activities authorized under this chapter.

(d) Cooperative efforts

The Secretary and the National Science Foundation shall, on a continuing basis, provide each other the opportunity to comment on any proposed program of activity under section 3705, 3707, 3710, 3710d, 3711a, or 3712 of this title before funds are committed to such program in order to mount complementary efforts and avoid duplication.
(Pub. L. 96-480, Sec. 10, formerly Sec. 9, Oct. 21, 1980, 94 Stat. 2316; Pub. L. 99-502, Sec. 9(e)(2)(C), Oct. 20, 1986, 100 Stat. 1797; Pub. L. 100-107, Sec. 3(b), Aug. 20, 1987, 101 Stat. 727; renumbered Sec. 10 and amended Pub. L. 100-418, title V, Sec. 5122(a)(1), (c), Aug. 23, 1988, 102 Stat. 1438, 1439; Pub. L. 102-240, title VI, Sec. 6019, Dec. 18, 1991, 105 Stat. 2183.)

Prior Provisions

A prior section 10 of Pub. L. 96-480 was renumbered section 11 by Pub. L. 100-418 and is classified to section 3710 of this title. Another prior section 10 of Pub. L. 96-480, related to the National Industrial Technology Board and was classified to section 3709 of this title, prior to repeal by section 9(a) of Pub. L. 99-502.
Amendments

1991–Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 102-240 made technical amendment to reference to section 3712 of this title to reflect renumbering of corresponding section of original act. 1988–Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 100-418, Sec. 5122(c), made technical amendment to references to sections 3705, 3707, 3710, 3710d, 3711a, and 3712 of this title to reflect renumbering of corresponding sections of original act. 1987–Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 100-107 inserted reference to section 3711a of this title. 1986–Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 99-502 inserted references to sections 3710 and 3710d of this title.
Sec. 3710. Utilization of Federal technology–(a) Policy.
(1) It is the continuing responsibility of the Federal Government to ensure the full use of the results of the Nation’s Federal investment in research and development. To this end the Federal Government shall strive where appropriate to transfer federally owned or originated technology to State and local governments and to the private sector.
(2) Technology transfer, consistent with mission responsibilities, is a responsibility of each laboratory science and engineering professional.
(3) Each laboratory director shall ensure that efforts to transfer technology are considered positively in laboratory job descriptions, employee promotion policies, and evaluation of the job performance of scientists and engineers in the laboratory.
(b) Establishment of Research and Technology Applications Offices. Each Federal laboratory shall establish an Office of Research and technology Applications. Laboratories having existing organizational structures which perform the functions of this section may elect to combine the Office of Research and Technology Applications within the existing organization. The staffing and funding levels for these offices shall be determined between each Federal laboratory and the Federal agency operating or directing the laboratory, except that
(1) each laboratory having 200 or more full-time equivalent scientific, engineering, and related technical positions shall provide one or more full-time equivalent positions as staff for its Office of Research and Technology Applications, and
(2) each Federal agency which operates or directs one or more Federal laboratories shall make available sufficient funding, either as a separate line item or from the agency’s research and development budget, to support the technology transfer function at the agency and at its laboratories, including support of the Offices of Research and Technology Applications. Furthermore, individuals filling positions in an Office of Research and Technology Applications shall be included in the overall laboratory/agency management development program so as to ensure that highly competent technical managers are full participants in the technology transfer process. The agency head shall submit to Congress at the time the President submits the budget to Congress an explanation of the agency’s technology transfer program for the preceding year and the agency’s plans for conducting its technology transfer function for the upcoming year, including plans for securing intellectual property rights in laboratory innovations with commercial promise and plans for managing such innovations so as to benefit the competitiveness of United States industry.
(c) Functions of Research and Technology Applications Offices. It shall be the function of each Office of Research and Technology Applications–
(1) to prepare application assessments for selected research and development projects in which that laboratory is engaged and which in the opinion of the laboratory may have potential commercial applications;
(2) to provide and disseminate information on federally owned or originated products, processes, and services having potential application to State and local governments and to private industry;
(3) to cooperate with and assist the National Technical for Technology Transfer, and other organizations which link the research and development resources of that laboratory and the Federal Government as a whole to potential users in State and local government and private industry;
(4) to provide technical assistance to State and local government officials; and
(5) to participate, where feasible, in regional, State, and local programs designed to facilitate or stimulate the transfer of technology for the benefit of the region, State, or local jurisdiction in which the Federal laboratory is located. Agencies which have established organizational structures outside their Federal laboratories which have as their principal purpose the transfer of federally owned or originated technology to State and local government and to the private sector may elect to perform the functions of this subsection in such organizational structures. No Office of Research and Technology Applications or other organizational structures performing the functions of this subsection shall substantially compete with similar services available in the private sector.
(d) Dissemination of technical information The National Technical Information Service shall–
(1) serve as a central clearinghouse for the collection, dissemination and transfer of information on federally owned or originated technologies having potential application to State and local governments and to private industry;
(2) utilize the expertise and services of the National Science Foundation and the Federal Laboratory Consortium for Technology Transfer; particularly in dealing with State and local governments;
(3) receive requests for technical assistance from State and local governments, respond to such requests with published information available to the Service, and refer such requests to the Federal Laboratory Consortium for Technology Transfer to the extent that such requests require a response involving more than the published information available to the Service;
(4) provide funding, at the discretion of the Secretary, for Federal laboratories to provide the assistance specified in subsection (c)(3) of this section;
(5) use appropriate technology transfer mechanisms such as personnel exchanges and computer-based systems; and
(6) maintain a permanent archival repository and clearinghouse for the collection and dissemination of nonclassified scientific, technical, and engineering information.
(e) Establishment of Federal Laboratory Consortium for Technology Transfer.
(1) There is hereby established the Federal Laboratory Consortium for Technology Transfer (hereinafter referred to as the “Consortium”) which, in cooperation with Federal Laboratories and the private sector, shall (A) develop and (with the consent of the Federal laboratory concerned) administer techniques, training courses, and materials concerning technology transfer to increase the awareness of Federal laboratory employees regarding the commercial potential of laboratory technology and innovations;
(B) furnish advice and assistance requested by Federal agencies and laboratories for use in their technology transfer programs (including the planning of seminars for small business and other industry);
(C) provide a clearinghouse for requests, received at the laboratory level, for technical assistance from States and units of local governments, businesses, industrial development organizations, not-for-profit organizations including universities, Federal agencies and laboratories, and other persons, and–
(i) to the extent that such requests can be responded to with published information available to the National Technical Information Service, refer such requests to that Service, and
(ii) otherwise refer these requests to the appropriate Federal laboratories and agencies;
(D) facilitate communication and coordination between Offices of Research and Technology Applications of Federal laboratories;
(E) utilize (with the consent of the agency involved) the expertise and services of the National Science Foundation, the Department of Commerce, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and other Federal agencies, as necessary;
(F) with the consent of any Federal laboratory, facilitate the use by such laboratory of appropriate technology transfer mechanisms such as personnel exchanges and computer-based systems;
(G) with the consent of any Federal laboratory, assist such laboratory to establish programs using technical volunteers to provide technical assistance to communities related to such laboratory;
(H) facilitate communication and cooperation between Offices of Research and Technology Applications of Federal laboratories and regional, State, and local technology transfer organizations;
(I) when requested, assist colleges or universities, businesses, nonprofit organizations, State or local governments, or regional organizations to establish programs to stimulate research and to encourage technology transfer in such areas as technology program development, curriculum design, long-term research planning, personnel needs projections, and productivity assessments; and
(J) seek advice in each Federal laboratory consortium region from representatives of State and local governments, large and small business, universities, and other appropriate persons on the effectiveness of the program (and any such advice shall be provided at no expense to the Government).
(2) The membership of the Consortium shall consist of the Federal laboratories described in clause (1) of subsection (b) of this section and such other laboratories as may choose to join the Consortium. The representatives to the Consortium shall include a senior staff member of each Federal laboratory which is a member of the Consortium and a senior representative appointed from each Federal agency with one or more member laboratories.
(3) The representatives to the Consortium shall elect a Chairman of the Consortium.
(4) The Director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology shall provide the Consortium, on a reimbursable basis, with administrative services, such as office space, personnel, and support services of the Institute, as requested by the Consortium and approved by such Director.
(5) Each Federal laboratory or agency shall transfer technology directly to users or representatives of users, and shall not transfer technology directly to the Consortium. Each Federal laboratory shall conduct and transfer technology only in accordance with the practices and policies of the Federal agency which owns, leases, or otherwise uses such Federal laboratory.
(6) Not later than one year after October 20, 1986, and every year thereafter, the Chairman of the Consortium shall submit a report to the President, to the appropriate authorization and appropriation committees of both Houses of the Congress, and to each agency with respect to which a transfer of funding is made (for the fiscal year or years involved) under paragraph (7), concerning the activities of the Consortium and the expenditures made by it under this subsection during the year for which the report is made. Such report shall include an annual independent audit of the financial statements of the Consortium, conducted in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles.
(7)(A) Subject to subparagraph (B), an amount equal to 0.008 percent of the budget of each Federal agency from any Federal source, including related overhead, that is to be utilized by or on behalf of the laboratories of such agency for a fiscal year referred to in subparagraph (B)(ii) shall be transferred by such agency to the National Institute of Standards and Technology at the beginning of the fiscal year involved. Amounts so transferred shall be provided by the Institute to the Consortium for the purpose of carrying out activities of the Consortium under this subsection.

(B) A transfer shall be made by any Federal agency under subparagraph (A), for any fiscal year, only if–
(i) the amount so transferred by that agency (as determined under such subparagraph) would exceed $10,000; and
(ii) such transfer is made with respect to the fiscal year 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, or 1996.

(C) The heads of Federal agencies and their designees, and the directors of Federal laboratories, may provide such additional support for operations of the Consortium as they deem appropriate.< br/>
(f) Agency reporting
Each Federal agency which operates or directs one or more Federal laboratories shall report annually to the Congress, as part of the agency’s annual budget submission, on the activities performed by that agency and its Federal laboratories pursuant to the provisions of this section.

(g) Functions of Secretary
(1) The Secretary, through the Under Secretary, and in consultation with other Federal agencies, may–

(A) make available to interested agencies the expertise of the Department of Commerce regarding the commercial potential of inventions and methods and options for commercialization which are available to the Federal laboratories, including research and development limited partnerships;

(B) develop and disseminate to appropriate agency and laboratory personnel model provisions for use on a voluntary basis in cooperative research and development arrangements; and

(C) furnish advice and assistance, upon request, to Federal agencies concerning their cooperative research and development programs and projects.

(2) Two years after October 20, 1986, and every two years thereafter, the Secretary shall submit a summary report to the President and the Congress on the use by the agencies and the Secretary of the authorities specified in this chapter. Other Federal agencies shall cooperate in the report’s preparation.

(3) Not later than one year after October 20, 1986, the Secretary shall submit to the President and the Congress a report regarding–
(A) any copyright provisions or other types of barriers which tend to restrict or limit the transfer of federally funded computer software to the private sector and to State and local governments, and agencies of such State and local governments; and
(B) the feasibility and cost of compiling and maintaining a current and comprehensive inventory of all federally funded training software.
(h) Repealed. Pub. L. 100-519, title II, Sec. 212(a)(4), Oct. 24, 1988, 102 Stat. 2595
(i) Research equipment

The Director of a laboratory, or the head of any Federal agency or department, may give research equipment that is excess to the needs of the laboratory, agency, or department to an educational institution or nonprofit organization for the conduct of technical and scientific education and research activities. Title of ownership shall transfer with a gift under the2 section.
(Pub. L. 96-480, Sec. 11, Oct. 21, 1980, 94 Stat. 2318; renumbered Sec. 10 and amended Pub. L. 99-502, Secs. 3-5, 9(e)(1), Oct. 20, 1986, 100 Stat. 1787, 1789, 1791, 1797; renumbered Sec. 11 and amended Pub. L. 100-418, title V, Secs. 5115(b)(2), 5122(a)(1), 5162(b), 5163(c)(1), (3), Aug. 23, 1988, 102 Stat. 1433, 1438, 1450, 1451; Pub. L. 100-519, title II, Secs. 201(d)(3), 212(a)(4), Oct. 24, 1988, 102 Stat. 2594, 2595; Pub. L. 101-189, div. C, title XXXI, Sec. 3133(e), Nov. 29, 1989, 103 Stat. 1679; Pub. L. 102-245, title III, Secs. 301, 303, Feb. 14, 1992, 106 Stat. 19, 20.)

Amendments

1992–Subsec. (e)(2). Pub. L. 102-245, Sec. 301(a), inserted “senior” before “representative”. Subsec. (e)(6). Pub. L. 102-245, Sec. 301(b), inserted at end “Such report shall include an annual independent audit of the financial statements of the Consortium, conducted in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles.” Subsec. (e)(7)(B)(ii). Pub. L. 102-245, Sec. 301(c), substituted “1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, or 1996” for “or 1991”. Subsec. (e)(8). Pub. L. 102-245, Sec. 301(d), struck out former par. (8) which read as follows:

“(A) The Consortium shall use 5 percent of the funds provided in paragraph (7)(A) to establish demonstration projects in technology transfer. To carry out such projects, the Consortium may arrange for grants or awards to, or enter into agreements with, nonprofit State, local, or private organizations or entities whose primary purposes are to facilitate cooperative research between the Federal laboratories and organizations not associated with the Federal laboratories, to transfer technology from the Federal laboratories, and to advance State and local economic activity.
“(B) The demonstration projects established under subparagraph (A) shall serve as model programs. Such projects shall be designed to develop programs and mechanisms for technology transfer from the Federal laboratories which may be utilized by the States and which will enhance Federal, State, and local programs for the transfer of technology.>br /> “(C) Application for such grants, awards, or agreements shall be in such form and contain such information as the Consortium or its designee shall specify.
“(D) Any person who receives or utilizes any proceeds of a grant or award made, or agreement entered into, under this paragraph shall keep such records as the Consortium or its designee shall determine are necessary and appropriate to facilitate effective audit and evaluation, including records which fully disclose the amount and disposition of such proceeds and the total cost of the project in connection with which such proceeds were used.”

Subsec. (i). Pub. L. 102-245, Sec. 303, added subsec. (i).

1989–Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 101-189 struck out “after September 30, 1981,” after “(2)”, substituted “sufficient funding, either as a separate line item or from the agency’s research and development budget,” for “not less than 0.5 percent of the agency’s research and development budget”, struck out “agency head may waive the requirement set forth in clause (2) of the preceding sentence. If the agency head waives such requirement, the” after “transfer process. The”, and substituted “agency’s technology transfer program for the preceding year and the agency’s plans for conducting its technology transfer function for the upcoming year, including plans for securing intellectual property rights in laboratory innovations with commercial promise and plans for managing such innovations so as to benefit the competitiveness of United States industry” for “reasons for the waiver and alternate plans for conducting the technology transfer function at the agency”.

1988–Subsec. (d)(6). Pub. L. 100-418, Sec. 5163(c)(3), added par. (6). Subsec. (e)(4). Pub. L. 100-418, Sec. 5115(b)(2), substituted “National Institute of Standards and Technology” for “National Bureau of Standards” and “Institute” for “Bureau”. Subsec. (e)(7)(A). Pub. L. 100-418, Sec. 5162(b), substituted “0.008 percent of the budget of each Federal agency from any Federal source, including related overhead, that is to be utilized by or on behalf of” for “0.005 percent of that portion of the research and development budget of each Federal agency that is to be utilized by”. Pub. L. 100-418, Sec. 5115(b)(2), substituted “National Institute of Standards and Technology” for “National Bureau of Standards” and “Institute” for “Bureau”. Subsec. (g)(1). Pub. L. 100-519, Sec. 201(d)(3), inserted reference to the Under Secretary. Subsec. (h). Pub. L. 100-519, Sec. 212(a)(4), struck out subsec. (h) which read as follows: “None of the activities or functions of the National Technical Information Service which are not performed by contractors as of September 30, 1987, shall be contracted out or otherwise transferred from the Federal Government unless such transfer is expressly authorized by statute, or unless the value of all work performed under the contract and related contracts in each fiscal year does not exceed $250,000.” Pub. L. 100-418, Sec. 5163(c)(1), added subsec. (h).

1986–Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 99-502, Sec. 4(a), designated existing provisions as par. (1) and added pars. (2) and (3). Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 99-502, Sec. 4(b)(1), substituted “200 or more full-time equivalent scientific, engineering, and related technical positions shall provide one or more full-time equivalent positions” for “a total annual budget exceeding $20,000,000 shall provide at least one professional individual full-time”, inserted “Furthermore, individuals filling positions in an Office of Research and Technology Applications shall be included in the overall laboratory/agency management development program so as to ensure that highly competent technical managers are full participants in the technology transfer process.”, substituted “requirement set forth in clause (2) of the preceding sentence” for “requirements set forth in (1) and/or (2) of this subsection”, and substituted “such requirement” for “either requirement (1) or (2)”. Subsec. (c)(1). Pub. L. 99-502, Sec. 4(b)(2)(A), added par. (1) and struck out former par. (1) which read as follows: “to prepare an application assessment of each research and development project in which that laboratory is engaged which has potential for successful application in State or local government or in private industry;”. Subsec. (c)(3). Pub. L. 99-502, Sec. 4(b)(2)(B), substituted “the National Technical Information Service, the Federal Laboratory Consortium for Technology Transfer,” for “the Center for the Utilization of Federal Technology” and struck out “and” after the semicolon. Subsec. (c)(4). Pub. L. 99-502, Sec. 4(b)(2)(C), substituted “to State and local government officials; and” for “in response to requests from State and local government officials.”. Subsec. (c)(5). Pub. L. 99-502, Sec. 4(b)(2)(D), added par. (5). Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 99-502, Sec. 4(c)(1), substituted “The National Technical Information Service shall” for “There is hereby established in the Department of Commerce a Center for the Utilization of Federal Technology. The Center for the Utilization of Federal Technology shall” in introductory par. Subsec. (d)(2). Pub. L. 99-502, Sec. 4(c)(2), (3), redesignated par. (3) as (2) and struck out “existing” before “Federal Laboratory”. Former par. (2), which required the Center for the Utilization of Federal Technology to coordinate the activities of the Offices of Research and Technology Applications of the Federal laboratories, was struck out. Subsec. (d)(3). Pub. L. 99-502, Sec. 4(c)(4), added par. (3). Former par. (3) redesignated (2). Subsec. (d)(4). Pub. L. 99-502, Sec. 4(c)(4)-(6), redesignated par. (5) as (4) and substituted “subsection (c)(3)” for “subsection (c)(4)”. Former par. (4), which required the Center for the Utilization of Federal Technology to receive requests for technical assistance from State and local governments and refer those requests to the appropriate Federal laboratories, was struck out. Subsec. (d)(5), (6). Pub. L. 99-502, Sec. 4(c)(5), redesignated pars. (5) and (6) as (4) and (5), respectively. Subsecs. (e), (f). Pub. L. 99-502, Secs. 3, 4(d), added subsec. (e), redesignated former subsec. (e) as (f), substituted “report annually to the Congress, as part of the agency’s annual budget submission, on the activities” for “prepare biennially a report summarizing the activities”, and struck out “The report shall be transmitted to the Center for the Utilization of Federal Technology by November 1 of each year in which it is due.” Subsec. (g). Pub. L. 99-502, Sec. 5, added subsec. (g).

Ex. Ord. No. 12591. Facilitating Access to Science and Technology, Apr. 10, 1987, 52 F.R. 13414, as amended by Ex.Ord. No. 12618, Dec. 22, 1987, 52 F.R. 48661, provided:
By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and laws of the United States of America, including the Federal Technology Transfer Act of 1986 (Public Law 99-502) [see Short Title of 1986 Amendments note set out under section 3701 of this title], the Trademark Clarification Act of 1984 (Public Law 98-620) [see Short Title of 1984 Amendment note set out under section 1051 of this title], and the University and Small Business Patent Procedure Act of 1980 (Public Law 96-517) and in order to ensure that Federal agencies and laboratories assist universities and the private sector in broadening our technology base by moving new knowledge from the research laboratory into the development of new products and processes, it is hereby ordered as follows:

Section 1. Transfer of Federally Funded Technology.
(a) The head of each Executive department and agency, to the extent permitted by law, shall encourage and facilitate collaboration among Federal laboratories, State and local governments, universities, and the private sector, particularly small business, in order to assist in the transfer of technology to the marketplace.
(b) The head of each Executive department and agency shall, within overall funding allocations and to the extent permitted by law:

(1) delegate authority to its government-owned, government-operated Federal laboratories:
(A) to enter into cooperative research and development agreements with other Federal laboratories, State and local governments, universities, and the private sector; and
(B) to license, assign, or waive rights to intellectual property developed by the laboratory either under such cooperative research or development agreements and from within individual laboratories.
(2) identify and encourage persons to act as conduits between and among Federal laboratories, universities, and the private sector for the transfer of technology developed from federally funded research and development efforts;
(3) ensure that State and local governments, universities, and the private sector are provided with information on the technology, expertise, and facilities available in Federal laboratories;
(4) promote the commercialization, in accord with my Memorandum to the Heads of Executive Departments and Agencies of February 18, 1983, of patentable results of federally funded research by granting to all contractors, regardless of size, the title to patents made in whole or in part with Federal funds, in exchange for royalty-free use by or on behalf of the government;
(5) administer all patents and licenses to inventions made with federal assistance, which are owned by the non-profit contractor or grantee, in accordance with Section 202(c)(7) of Title 35 of the United States Code as amended by Public Law 98-620, without regard to limitations on licensing found in that section prior to amendment or in Institutional Patent Agreements now in effect that were entered into before that law was enacted on November 8, 1984, unless, in the case of an invention that has not been marketed, the funding agency determines, based on information in its files, that the contractor or grantee has not taken adequate steps to market the inventions, in accordance with applicable law or an Institutional Patent Agreement;
(6) implement, as expeditiously as practicable, royalty-sharing programs with inventors who were employees of the agency at the time their inventions were made, and cash award programs; and
(7) cooperate, under policy guidance provided by the Office of Federal Procurement Policy, with the heads of other affected departments and agencies in the development of a uniform policy permitting Federal contractors to retain rights to software, engineering drawings, and other technical data generated by Federal grants and contracts, in exchange for royalty-free use by or on behalf of the government.

Sec. 2. Establishment of the Technology Share Program. The Secretaries of Agriculture, Commerce, Energy, and Health and Human Services and the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration shall select one or more of their Federal laboratories to participate in the Technology Share Program. Consistent with its mission and policies and within its overall funding allocation in any year, each Federal laboratory so selected shall:
(a) Identify areas of research and technology of potential importance to long-term national economic competitiveness and in which the laboratory possesses special competence and/or unique facilities;
(b) Establish a mechanism through which the laboratory performs research in areas identified in Section 2(a) as a participant of a consortium composed of United States industries and universities. All consortia so established shall have, at a minimum, three individual companies that conduct the majority of their business in the United States; and
(c) Limit its participation in any consortium so established to the use of laboratory personnel and facilities. However, each laboratory may also provide financial support generally not to exceed 25 percent of the total budget for the activities of the consortium. Such financial support by any laboratory in all such consortia shall be limited to a maximum of $5 million per annum.

Sec. 3. Technology Exchange–Scientists and Engineers. The Executive Director of the President’s Commission on Executive Exchange shall assist Federal agencies, where appropriate, by developing and implementing an exchange program whereby scientists and engineers in the private sector may take temporary assignments in Federal laboratories, and scientists and engineers in Federal laboratories may take temporary assignments in the private sector.

sec. 4. International Science and Technology. In order to ensure that the United States benefits from and fully exploits scientific research and technology developed abroad,
(a) The head of each Executive department and agency, when negotiating or entering into cooperative research and development agreements and licensing arrangements with foreign persons or industrial organizations (where these entities are directly or indirectly controlled by a foreign company or government), shall, in consultation with the United States Trade Representative, give appropriate consideration:

(1) to whether such foreign companies or governments permit and encourage United States agencies, organizations, or persons to enter into cooperative research and development agreements and licensing arrangements on a comparable basis;
(2) to whether those foreign governments have policies to protect the United States intellectual property rights; and
(3) where cooperative research will involve data, technologies, or products subject to national security export controls under the laws of the United States, to whether those foreign governments have adopted adequate measures to prevent the transfer of strategic technology to destinations prohibited under such national security export controls, either through participation in the Coordinating Committee for Multilateral Export Controls (COCOM) or through other international agreements to which the United States and such foreign governments are signatories.
(b) The Secretary of State shall develop a recruitment policy that encourages scientists and engineers from other Federal agencies, academic institutions, and industry to apply for assignments in embassies of the United States; and
(c) The Secretaries of State and Commerce and the Director of the National Science Foundation shall develop a central mechanism for the prompt and efficient dissemination of science and technology information developed abroad to users in Federal laboratories, academic institutions, and the private sector on a fee-for-service basis.

Sec. 5. Technology Transfer from the Department of Defense. Within 6 months of the date of this Order [Apr. 10, 1987], the Secretary of Defense shall identify a list of funded technologies that would be potentially useful to United States industries and universities. The Secretary shall then accelerate efforts to make these technologies more readily available to United States industries and universities.

Sec. 6. Basic Science and Technology Centers. The head of each Executive department and agency shall examine the potential for including the establishment of university research centers in engineering, science, or technology in the strategy and planning for any future research and development programs. Such university centers shall be jointly funded by the Federal Government, the private sector, and, where appropriate, the States and shall focus on areas of fundamental research and technology that are both scientifically promising and have the potential to contribute to the Nation’s long-term economic competitiveness.

Sec. 7. Reporting Requirements.
(a) Within 1 year from the date of this Order [Apr. 10, 1987], the Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy shall convene an interagency task force comprised of the heads of representative agencies and the directors of representative Federal laboratories, or their designees, in order to identify and disseminate creative approaches to technology transfer from Federal laboratories. The task force will report to the President on the progress of and problems with technology transfer from Federal laboratories.
(b) Specifically, the report shall include:

(1) a listing of current technology transfer programs and an assessment of the effectiveness of these programs;
(2) identification of new or creative approaches to technology transfer that might serve as model programs for Federal laboratories;
(3) criteria to assess the effectiveness and impact on the Nation’s economy of planned or future technology transfer efforts; and
(4) a compilation and assessment of the Technology Share Program established in Section 2 and, where appropriate, related cooperative research and development venture programs.

Sec. 8. Relation to Existing Law. Nothing in this Order shall affect the continued applicability of any existing laws or regulations relating to the transfer of United States technology to other nations. The head of any Executive department or agency may exclude from consideration, under this Order, any technology that would be, if transferred, detrimental to the interests of national security.

Ronald Reagan.

42 USC Sec. 14715

Sec. 14715. Sources of Earth Science data

(a) Acquisition The Administrator shall, to the extent possible and while satisfying the scientific or educational requirements of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and where appropriate, of other Federal agencies and scientific researchers, acquire, where cost-effective, space-based and airborne Earth remote sensing data, services, distribution, and applications from a commercial provider.

(b) Treatment as commercial item under acquisition laws Acquisitions by the Administrator of the data, services, distribution, and applications referred to in subsection (a) of this section shall be carried out in accordance with applicable acquisition laws and regulations (including chapters 137 and 140 of title 10). For purposes of such law and regulations, such data, services, distribution, and applications shall be considered to be a commercial item. Nothing in this subsection shall be construed to preclude the United States from acquiring, through contracts with commercial providers, sufficient rights in data to meet the needs of the scientific and educational community or the needs of other government activities.

(c) Study (1) The Administrator shall conduct a study to determine the extent to which the baseline scientific requirements of Earth Science can be met by commercial providers, and how the National Aeronautics and Space Administration will meet such requirements which cannot be met by commercial providers. (2) The study conducted under this subsection shall – (A) make recommendations to promote the availability of information from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration to commercial providers to enable commercial providers to better meet the baseline scientific requirements of Earth Science; (B) make recommendations to promote the dissemination to commercial providers of information on advanced technology research and development performed by or for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration; and (C) identify policy, regulatory, and legislative barriers to the implementation of the recommendations made under this subsection. (3) The results of the study conducted under this subsection shall be transmitted to the Congress within 6 months after October 28, 1998.

(d) Safety standards Nothing in this section shall be construed to prohibit the Federal Government from requiring compliance with applicable safety standards.

(e) Administration and execution This section shall be carried out as part of the Commercial Remote Sensing Program at the Stennis Space Center.
 

-SOURCE-

(Pub. L. 105-303, title I, Sec. 107, Oct. 28, 1998, 112 Stat. 2853.) -COD- CODIFICATION Section is comprised of section 107 of Pub. L. 105-303. Subsec. (f) of section 107 of Pub. L. 105-303 amended sections 5621 and 5622 of Title 15, Commerce and Trade.

Sec. 7. Special maritime and territorial jurisdiction of the United States defined

The term “special maritime and territorial jurisdiction of the United States”, as used in this title, includes:

(1) The high seas, any other waters within the admirALTy and maritime jurisdiction of the United States and out of the jurisdiction of any particular State, and any vessel belonging in whole or in part to the United States or any citizen thereof, or to any corporation created by or under the laws of the United States, or of any State, Territory, District, or possession thereof, when such vessel is within the admirALTy and maritime jurisdiction of the United States and out of the jurisdiction of any particular State.

(2) Any vessel registered, licensed, or enrolled under the laws of the United States, and being on a voyage upon the waters of any of the Great Lakes, or any of the waters connecting them, or upon the Saint Lawrence River where the same constitutes the International Boundary Line.

(3) Any lands reserved or acquired for the use of the United States, and under the exclusive or concurrent jurisdiction thereof, or any place purchased or otherwise acquired by the United States by consent of the legislature of the State in which the same shall be, for the erection of a fort, magazine, arsenal, dockyard, or other needful building.

(4) Any island, rock, or key containing deposits of guano, which may, at the discretion of the President, be considered as appertaining to the United States.

(5) Any aircraft belonging in whole or in part to the United States, or any citizen thereof, or to any corporation created by or under the laws of the United States, or any State, Territory, district, or possession thereof, while such aircraft is in flight over the high seas, or over any other waters within the admirALTy and maritime jurisdiction of the United States and out of the jurisdiction of any particular State.

(6) Any vehicle used or designed for flight or navigation in space and on the registry of the United States pursuant to the Treaty on Principles Governing the Activities of States in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space, Including the Moon and Other Celestial Bodies and the Convention on Registration of Objects Launched into Outer Space, while that vehicle is in flight, which is from the moment when all external doors are closed on Earth following embarkation until the moment when one such door is opened on Earth for disembarkation or in the case of a forced landing, until the competent authorities take over the responsibility for the vehicle and for persons and property aboard.

(7) Any place outside the jurisdiction of any nation with respect to an offense by or against a national of the United States.

(8) To the extent permitted by international law, any foreign vessel during a voyage having a scheduled departure from or arrival in the United States with respect to an offense committed by or against a national of the United States.

(June 25, 1948, ch. 645, 62 Stat. 685; July 12, 1952, ch. 695, 66 Stat. 589; Dec. 21, 1981, Pub. L. 97-96, Sec. 6, 95 Stat. 1210; Oct. 12, 1984, Pub. L. 98-473, title II, Sec. 1210, 98 Stat. 2164; Sept. 13, 1994, Pub. L. 103-322, title XII, Sec. 120002, 108 Stat. 2021

SUBCHAPTER II–LANDSAT

Sec. 60111. Landsat Program Management

(a) Establishment.–The Administrator and the Secretary of Defense shall be responsible for management of the Landsat program. Such responsibility shall be carried out by establishing an integrated program management structure for the Landsat system.
(b) Management Plan.–The Administrator, the Secretary of Defense, and any other United States Government official the President designates as responsible for part of the Landsat program shall establish, through a management plan, the roles, responsibilities, and funding expectations for the Landsat program of the appropriate United States Government agencies. The management plan shall–

(1) specify that the fundamental goal of the Landsat Program Management is the continuity of unenhanced Landsat data through the acquisition and operation of a Landsat 7 satellite as quickly as practicable which is, at a minimum, functionally equivalent to the Landsat 6 satellite, with the addition of a tracking and data relay satellite communications capability;
(2) include a baseline funding profile that–

(A) is mutually acceptable to the Administration and the Department of Defense for the period covering the development and operation of Landsat 7; and
(B) provides for total funding responsibility of the Administration and the Department of Defense, respectively, to be approximately equal to the funding responsibility of the other as spread across the development and operational life of Landsat 7;

(3) specify that any improvements over the Landsat 6 functional equivalent capability for Landsat 7 will be funded by a specific sponsoring agency or agencies, in a manner agreed to by the Landsat Program Management, if the required funding exceeds the baseline funding profile required by paragraph (2), and that additional improvements will be sought only if the improvements will not jeopardize data continuity; and
(4) provide for a technology demonstration program whose objective shall be the demonstration of advanced land remote sensing technologies that may potentially yield a system which is less expensive to build and operate, and more responsive to data users, than is the current Landsat system.

(c) Responsibilities.–The Landsat Program Management shall be responsible for–

(1) Landsat 7 procurement, launch, and operations;
(2) ensuring that the operation of the Landsat system is responsive to the broad interests of the civilian, national security, commercial, and foreign users of the Landsat system;
(3) ensuring that all unenhanced Landsat data remain unclassified and that, except as provided in subsections (a) and (b) of section 60146 of this title, no restrictions are placed on the availability of unenhanced data;
(4) ensuring that land remote sensing data of high priority locations will be acquired by the Landsat 7 system as required to meet the needs of the United States Global Change Research Program, as established in the Global Change Research Act of 1990 (15 U.S.C. 2921 et seq.), and to meet the needs of national security users;
(5) Landsat data responsibilities pursuant to this chapter;
(6) oversight of Landsat contracts entered into under sections 102 and 103 of the Land Remote Sensing Policy Act of 1992 (Public Law 102-555, 106 Stat. 4168);
(7) coordination of a technology demonstration program pursuant to section 60133 of this title; and
(8) ensuring that copies of data acquired by the Landsat system are provided to the National Satellite Land Remote Sensing Data Archive.

(d) Authority To Contract.–The Landsat Program Management may, subject to appropriations and only under the existing contract authority of the United States Government agencies that compose the Landsat Program Management, enter into contracts with the private sector for services such as satellite operations and data preprocessing.
(e) Landsat Advisory Process.–

(1) Advice and comments.–The Landsat Program Management shall seek impartial advice and comments regarding the status, effectiveness, and operation of the Landsat system, using existing advisory committees and other appropriate mechanisms. Such advice shall be sought from individuals who represent–

(A) a broad range of perspectives on basic and applied science and operational needs with respect to land remote sensing data;
(B) the full spectrum of users of Landsat data, including representatives from United States Government agencies, State and local government agencies, academic institutions, nonprofit organizations, value-added companies, the agricultural, mineral extraction, and other user industries, and the public; and
(C) a broad diversity of age groups, sexes, and races.

(2) Reports.–The Landsat Program Management shall prepare and submit biennially a report to Congress which–

(A) reports the public comments received pursuant to paragraph (1); and
(B) includes–

(i) a response to the public comments received pursuant to paragraph (1);
(ii) information on the volume of use, by category, of data from the Landsat system; and
(iii) any recommendations for policy or programmatic changes to improve the utility and operation of the Landsat system.

Sec. 60112. Transfer of Landsat 6 program responsibilities

The responsibilities of the Secretary with respect to Landsat 6 shall be transferred to the Landsat Program Management, as agreed to between the Secretary and the Landsat Program Management, pursuant to section 60111 of this title.

Sec. 60113. Data policy for Landsat 7

(a) Landsat 7 Data Policy.–The Landsat Program Management, in consultation with other appropriate United States Government agencies, shall develop a data policy for Landsat 7 which should–

(1) ensure that unenhanced data are available to all users at the cost of fulfilling user requests;
(2) ensure timely and dependable delivery of unenhanced data to the full spectrum of civilian, national security, commercial, and foreign users and the National Satellite Land Remote Sensing Data Archive;
(3) ensure that the United States retains ownership of all unenhanced data generated by Landsat 7;
(4) support the development of the commercial market for remote sensing data;
(5) ensure that the provision of commercial value-added services based on remote sensing data remains exclusively the function of the private sector; and
(6) to the extent possible, ensure that the data distribution system for Landsat 7 is compatible with the Earth Observing System Data and Information System.

(b) Additional Data Policy Considerations.–In addition, the data policy for Landsat 7 may provide for–

(1) United States private sector entities to operate ground receiving stations in the United States for Landsat 7 data;
(2) other means for direct access by private sector entities to unenhanced data from Landsat 7; and
(3) the United States Government to charge a per image fee, license fee, or other such fee to entities operating ground receiving stations or distributing Landsat 7 data.

-SOURCE-

(Pub. L. 111-314, Subtitle VI, Chapter 601, Sec. 60111-113, Dec. 18, 2010, 124 Stat. 3411-3413)

1102 Training Program/The Federal Acquisition Certification for Contracting Officer’s Representatives (FAC-COR)

The NSSC supports the General Schedule (GS) 1102 Training Program by procuring and scheduling training courses required for Federal Acquisition Certification for Contracting (FAC-C). The NSSC serves as the point of contact for contract specialists in the Agency 1102 training program. The FAC-COR program is for a program a FAC-COR program is for acquisituion professionals in the Federal Government performing contract management activities and functions. Contracting Officer’s Representatives (CORs) play a critical role in ensuring that contractors meet the commitment of their contracts. They facilitate proper development of requirements and assist Contracting Officers in developing  and managing their contracts. The propose of this program is to establish training and experience requirements for those acquisition professionals. The NSSC also coordinates the Agency FAC-C by receiving and reviewing FAC-C applications and forwarding the acceptable applications to Headquarters (HQ) for approval. Upon HQ approval, the NSSC issues certificates to the contract specialist. 

Grants Activities Branch (GAB)

The NSSC supports the Agency’s internal effort to create an environment conducive to streamlining and simplifying grants and cooperative agreements. NASA, through the establishment of the NSSC, has transitioned to a consolidated model for the award and administration of all Agency grants and cooperative agreements. The consolidation is designed to achieve efficient and effective service, improve data quality, standardize processes, leverage skills and investments, and provide economies of scale.

Research Activities Branch (RAB) – The Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Programs

The SBIR/STTR programs provide an opportunity for small, high technology companies and research institutions (RI) to participate in Government sponsored research and development (R&D) efforts in key technology areas. NASA SBIR Phase I contracts have a period of performance for 6 months with a maximum funding of $125,000, and Phase II contracts have a period of performance up to 24 months with a maximum funding of $750,000. The STTR Phase I contracts last for 13 months with a maximum funding of $125,000, and Phase II contracts last for 24 months with the maximum contract value of $750,000.

Small Business Program

The NSSC Small Business Office is responsible for providing outreach and liaison support to industry (both large and small businesses) and other members of the private sector.  These activities are accomplished through a combination of individual counseling sessions, dissemination of information on upcoming NSSC procurement opportunities, and participation in local small business outreach events. The NSSC small business specialist also serves as the primary advisor to the NSSC acquisition community on all matters related to small business.    

Agency Contracts

The NSSC’s Agency Contracting Program furthers NASA’s commitment for the creation and utilization of Agency contracts to satisfy common Center requirements and supports the Agency’s Strategic Sourcing Program. Agency Contracting can operate on many levels, including: intra-center, center-wide, and government-wide basis, depending upon the commodity or service being acquired. Agency Contracting identifies and logically groups together similar requirements so that they may be procured efficiently.

Enterprise License Management Team (ELMT)

The Enterprise License Management Team (ELMT) provides support for the discovery, analysis, establishment and management of Agency enterprise software licensing. The ELMT manages initiatives for licensing and contract consolidation and negotiate standard pricing for selected software for NASA. The ELMT maintains licensing and contract consolidation initiatives activities for NASA and negotiates economy of scale pricing for selected software.

The Federal Acquisition Certification for Contracting Officer’s Representatives (FAC-COR)

This program is for acquisition professionals in the Federal Government performing contract management activities and functions. Contracting Officer’s Representatives (CORs) play a critical role in ensuring that contractors meet the commitment of their contracts. They facilitate proper development of requirements and assist Contracting Officers in developing and managing their contracts. The purpose of this program is to establish training and experience requirements for those acquisition professionals.

Purchase Card (P-Card) 

The NSSC Purchase Card Team, comprised of both Civil Servant and Service Providers, provides a wide range of services to the Agency’s P-Card Community, comprised of approximately 700 cardholders and 600 approving officials, spending on average of $100 million per year. Some of the services and operational support provided include cardholder reconciliation assistance, responding to audit requests, providing data in reply to Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests, performing account reviews, conducting cardholder audits, and answering daily inquiries.

Simplified Acquisition Threshold (SAT)

The SAT Team provides NASA leadership with unprecedented insight into simplified acquisition purchasing activity of the Agency by consolidation SAT purchases at or below $250,000 within scope in the shared services environment.

ASSURE 2023
8th International Workshop on Assurance Cases for Software-intensive Systems
Toulouse, France
September 19, 2023
ASSURE 2023 is live

UPDATES

• 2023-05-30: Notifications sent to authors
• 2023-05-01: Submission deadline extended to May 15
• 2023-04-20: The ASSURE 2023 website is live!

Introduction
The 8^th International Workshop on Assurance Cases for Software-intensive Systems (ASSURE 2023) is being collocated this year with SafeComp 2023, and aims to provide an international forum for high-quality contributions on the application of assurance case principles and techniques to provide confidence that the dependability properties of critical software-intensive systems have been met. ASSURE 2023 will be hybrid and run on Central European Time (CET).

The main goals of the workshop are to:

• Explore techniques for the creation and assessment of assurance cases for software-intensive systems
• Examine the role of assurance cases in the engineering lifecycle of critical systems
• Identify the dimension of effective practice in the development and evaluation of assurance cases
• Investigate the relationship between dependability techniques and assurance cases
• Identify critical research challenges and define a roadmap for future development

We invite high-quality research, practice, tools, and position papers, as well as papers containing new, forward-looking ideas and emerging results, works-in-progress, and reflections on current research examined through new perspectives, calling for future research directions. See the full Call for Papers, for more details on topics. Also view the submission deadlines, and guidelines.

2023 ASSURE – SASSUR Joint Workshop Program

8:00 9:00
Registration

9:00 9:05
Welcome
9:05 10:00
Welcome Keynote – Safety Cases: in Theory and Reality
Philippa Ryan Conmy

10:00 10:30
Coffee Break

10:30 11:00
Invited Talk – Driving the Development Process from the Safety Case
Christopher Hobbs, Simon Diemert, and Jeff Joyce

11:00 11:30
Computer-Aided Generation of Assurance Cases
T.E. Wang, C. Oh, M. Low, I. Amundson, Z. Daw, A. Pinto, M.L. Chiodo, G. Wang, S. Hasan, R. Melville, P. Nuzzo

11:30 12:00
RACK: A Semantic Model and Triplestore for Curation of Assurance Case Evidence
A. Moitra, P. Cuddihy, K. Siu, D. Archer, E. Mertens, D. Russell, K. Quick, V. Robert, B. Meng

12:00 13:00
Lunch

13:00 13:30
Using Assurance Cases to Prevent Malicious Behaviour from Targeting Safety Vulnerabilities
V. Bandur, M. Lawford, S. Mosser, R. Paige, V. Pantelic, A. Wassyng

13:30 14:00
Constructing Security Cases Based on Formal Verification of Security Requirements in Alloy
M. Zeroual, B. Hamid, M. Adedjouma, J. Jaskolka

14:00 14:30
Assurance Cases for Timing Properties of Automotive TSN Networks
R. Kapinski, V. Pantelic, V. Bandur, A. Wassyng, M. Lawford

14:30 15:00
A Methodology for the Qualification of Operating Systems and Hypervisors for the deployment in IoT devices
I. Bicchierai, E. Schiavone, M.L. Itria, L. Falai, A. Bondavalli

15:00 15:30
Coffee Break

15:30 16:00
Toward Dependability Assurance Framework for Autonomous Systems
Y. Matsuno, T. Takai, M. Okada, T. Tsuchiya

16:00 16:45
Concluding Keynote – NASA’s Office of Safety and Mission Assurance (OSMA) Vision for an Objectives-Driven,
Risk-Informed, and Case-Assured Framework
A. Diventi

16:45
Conclusion

Important Dates

Paper submission:            15 May 2023  2 May 2023
Author notification:          25 May 2023
Camera-ready papers:    5 June 2023
Workshop:                          19 September 2023

Call for Papers

Software plays a key role in high-risk systems, e.g., safety and security-critical systems. Assurance cases have been recommended or mandated for software-intensive systems in a number of domains, and are a promising way forward for assurance of autonomous systems. The goals of the 2023 Workshop on Assurance Cases for Softwareintensive Systems (ASSURE 2023) are to: 

• explore techniques for creating and assessing assurance cases for software-intensive systems, especially those enabling autonomy, including structured argumentation, graphical notations, narrative forms, etc.
• examine the role of assurance cases in the engineering lifecycle of critical systems;
• identify the dimensions of effective practice in the development and evaluation of assurance cases;
• investigate the relationship between dependability techniques and assurance cases; and,
• identify critical research directions, define a roadmap for future development, and formulate challenge problems.

The workshop will be hybrid, and run on Central European Time (CET).

We solicit high-quality contributions (research, practice, tools, and position papers) on the application of assurance case principles and techniques to assure that the dependability properties of critical software-intensive systems have been met. ASSURE 2023 additionally solicits papers that contain new, forward-looking, ideas with emerging results and concrete plans for comprehensive empirical validation, works-in-progress, as well as reflections that examine current research under a new lens, calling for future research directions. Papers should attempt to address the workshop goals in general. 

Topics of interest include, but are not limited to:

• Assurance issues in emerging paradigms, e.g., autonomous and AI-based systems, including self-driving cars, unmanned aircraft systems, complex health care and decision making systems, etc.
• Standards: Industry guidelines and standards are increasingly requiring the development of assurance cases, e.g., the automotive standard ISO 26262, the FDA guidance on the total product life cycle for infusion pumps and the OMG standard on argumentation (Structured Assurance Case Metamodel, SACM).
• Certification and Regulations: The role and usage of assurance cases in the certification of critical systems, as well as to show compliance to regulations.
• Empiricism Empirical assessment of the applicability of assurance cases in different domains and certification regimes.
• Dependable architectures: How do fault-tolerant architectures and design measures such as diversity and partitioning relate to assurance cases?
• Dependability analysis: What are the relationships between dependability analysis techniques and the assurance case paradigm?
• Safety and security co-engineering: What are the impacts of security on safety, particularly safety cases and how can safety and security cases (e.g., as proposed in ISO 26262 and J3062 respectively) be reconciled?
• Tools: Using the output from software engineering tools (testing, formal verification, code generators) as evidence in assurance cases / using tools for the modeling, analysis and management of assurance cases. More generally, the role of formal verification in the wider context of assurance.
• Application of formal techniques for the creation, analysis, reuse, and modularization of arguments. Exploration of relevant techniques for assurance cases for real-time, concurrent, and distributed systems.
• Assurance of software quality attributes, e.g., safety, security and maintainability as well as dependability in general, including tradeoffs, and exploring notions of the quality of assurance cases themselves.
• Domain-specific assurance issues, in domains such as aerospace, automotive, healthcare, defense and power.
• Reuse and Modularization: Contracts and patterns for improving the reuse of assurance case structures.
• Relations between different formalisms and paradigms of assurance and argumentation, such as Goal Structuring Notation, STAMP, IBIS, and goal-oriented formalisms such as KAOS.

Submission

Submission Guidelines

Papers will be peer-reviewed by at least 3 program committee members, and accepted papers will be published in the SAFECOMP 2023 Workshop proceedings, to be published by Springer in the Lecture Notes in Computer Science (LNCS) series.  

• All papers must be original work not published, or in submission, elsewhere. Submission will be via EasyChair.
   
• Papers should be submitted in PDF only. Please verify that papers can be reliably printed and viewed on screen before submission.
   
• Papers should conform to the LNCS paper formatting guidelines.
  • Regular (research, or practice), Tools, and Experience papers can be up to 10 pages, including figures, references, and any appendices. Note that authors of accepted tools papers will be expected to give a demonstration of the tool(s) at the workshop. Papers describing the experience of an organization in developing assurance cases are particularly welcome.
     
  • Position papers, and papers presenting new ideas, works-in-progress, and emerging results can be 6 pages, including figures, references, and any appendices.

Committees

Workshop Chairs

• Ewen Denney, KBR / NASA Ames, USA
• Ibrahim Habli, University of York, UK
• Ganesh Pai, KBR / NASA Ames, USA

Program Committee

• Chih-Hong Cheng, Fraunhofer IKS and TU Munchen, Germany
• Alan Wassyng, McMaster University, Canada
• Philippa Ryan Conmy, University of York, England
• Irfan Sljivo, KBR/NASA Ames Research Center, USA
• Martin Feather, JPL, USA
• Yoshiki Kinoshita, Kanagawa University, Japan
• Kenji Taguchi, National Institute of Informatics, Japan
• Daniel Schneider, Fraunhofer, Germany
• Simon Burton, Fraunhofer Institute for Cognitive Systems, Germany
• Sean White, NHS, England

Contact Us

8th International Workshop on Assurance Cases for Software-intensive Systems
Toulouse, France
September 19, 2023

If you have questions about paper topics, submission and/or about ASSURE 2023 in general, please contact the Workshop Organizers.

HAMPTON, Virginia – NASA Langley Research Center invites members of the media to join Director Clayton P. Turner Oct. 16 for a preview of the 2023 Open House. This special tour will highlight some of Langley’s facilities and work in space, aeronautics and Earth science that the public can expect to see during the center’s Open House on Oct. 21.

Media preview schedule:

• 8:30 – Arrive at Langley, meet at Badge and Pass for escort to the Integrated Engineering Services Building (IESB)
• 9:00 – Welcome from Center Director Clayton Turner, who will also lead the tour
• 9:15 – Board bus
• 9:30 – Visit the National Transonic Facility (NTF)
• 10:30 – Visit Buildings 1148/Structures and Materials Lab and 1293/Structural Dynamics Test Laboratory
• 11:30 – Visit Building 1244/Aircraft Hangar
• 12:30 – Return to IESB

Media outlets wishing to participate must contact Sondra Woodward at 757-848-7690 no later than noon, Friday, Oct. 13. Media must arrive no later than 8:30 a.m. at the Badge and Pass Office to receive their badges. 

Attendees are not required to stay for the duration of the tour, and arrangements will be made for those who want to leave early.

For media:

Images: https://www.nasa.gov/langley/images

Video: https://www.nasa.gov/langley/videos

2017 Open House video

Additional resources:

Attractions: https://oh.larc.nasa.gov/oh/openhouse/#activities

Parking: https://oh.larc.nasa.gov/oh/openhouse/parking/

FAQ: https://oh.larc.nasa.gov/oh/openhouse/faq/

Map: https://oh.larc.nasa.gov/oh/openhouse/map/

–end–

Sondra Woodward
Langley Research Center, Hampton, Virginia
757-848-7690
sondra.woodward@nasa.gov

Name: Shaigh Sisk

Title: Planner / Scheduler, Optical to Orion Project, Laser-Enhanced Mission Navigation and Operational Services (LEMNOS)

Organization: Exploration and Space Communications Projects (ESC) Division, Code 450

What do you do and what is most interesting about your role here at Goddard? How do you help support Goddard’s mission?

I provide administrative support to division management and scientists on multiple tasks and projects. I also facilitate and streamline processes for official government travel and government purchases using a government credit card.

What is your educational background? How did you come to Goddard?

In 2017, I earned a bachelor’s degree from University of Maryland University College in environmental management. My dream job through college was to work for the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, where I started working in 2017 supporting their education department. In 2019, after a friend who worked at Goddard said how much she loved working here, I came to Goddard into my current position because of greater opportunities.

What is the most interesting work you have done at Goddard?

I started shortly before the COVID shutdown and associated restrictions. I had to navigate the COVID policies in terms of government travel and purchasing, which have changed over the last two years. One benefit is that sorting out these new processes and restrictions have allowed me to work with a great number of people at Goddard.

Who are your mentors?

Until recently, I directly supported Stephanie Getty, the director of our division. Her position keeps evolving so I have to keep up with her. She is brilliant! She supports so many amazing scientific ventures and is a phenomenal leader. She truly cares about the people in the workforce as individuals.

I was five months pregnant with my first child in March 2020 as we went into lockdown. Stephanie is a great role model, as she is a working mom of two in a leadership position. She is always very understanding about work-life balance and is an inspiration, especially on really hard days, to do your best and keep going forward. She has recommended me for opportunities to consult with other individuals in the directorate’s office to streamline policies and processes relating to travel.

Also, Juri Schauermann, the assistant director, has encouraged me and provided opportunities to work on tasks that continuously improve my skills. Juri creates a work environment that is fun and efficient. She is an amazing female role model balancing a successful career and a family of six. I feel grateful to have her as a supportive mentor but also as a friend.

What do you like most about working at Goddard?

It would be my group of people. Our front office group is very supportive and tight knit. I feel fortunate to work with people who look out for each other, and they are truly my work family The first thing we do Monday morning is catch up with each other as a group to go over what our week looks like and form a game plan. We ask about each other’s weekends, vacations, and children. Aside from everyone being amazing humans, we are all spectacular at what we do and keep the division running super smooth. The culture of Goddard is just unmatched.

Where do you hope to be in five years?

Over the next few years, I want to explore and develop skills in project management. In five years, I want to have gained experience in leading projects and tasks that I am excited about and continue to work with people at Goddard within different disciplines. What I love about my current position is that after only three years, I have been exposed to so many avenues.

What are your hobbies?

In my spare time I love spending time at a local pottery studio near my house and creating new forms on the pottery wheel. I hope to one day have my own little pottery studio at my house where I can have a place to be creative and continue to practice a craft I started doing in high school. I love the opportunity that pottery provides to mesh creativity and science. 

After you create your form, it all comes down to chemistry. One of the most interesting examples of chemistry in pottery that I’ve experienced is Raku firing. This is an ancient Japanese ceramics technique that uses a mixture of high heat, combustibles, and starvation of oxygen to create unique and random colors within the glaze depending on how the different elements react.

Where is your favorite place in the world and why?

Anywhere near water. I find water very tranquil and relaxing, and I love how my senses come alive when I’m near it. I’m fascinated with the different ecosystems that exist within and around water. A trip to the state of Washington to see killer and humpback whales swim freely in their natural habitat was an unexplainable experience for me. My travel destinations are always chosen around what aquatic creatures I can interact with. My dream place to visit would be the Galapagos Islands.

What is your “six-word memoir”? A six-word memoir describes something in just six words.

Dive in, the water is great!

Editor’s Note: At the time of this interview, Shaigh worked as a lead project support specialist in the Solar System Exploration Division, and her answers reflect her work at that time. As of February 2023, she now works as the planner and scheduler for the Optical to Orion project in the Laser-Enhanced Mission Navigation and Operational Services (LEMNOS) office, while still supporting the SSED office group.

Conversations With Goddard is a collection of Q&A profiles highlighting the breadth and depth of NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center’s talented and diverse workforce. The Conversations have been published twice a month on average since May 2011. Read past editions on Goddard’s “Our People” webpage.

By Elizabeth M. Jarrell
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.