,,ii  #aaith ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #adeg  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,april #aj1    
#bjbe,mr4 ,wicker introduced the        
following bill2 which was read twice and
 referred to the ,committee on          
,commerce1 ,science1 and ,transportation
  ,a ,,bill  ,to maintain the rocket    
propulsion system testing capabilities  
necessary to achieve the goals of the   
human spaceflight exploration programs  
of the ,national ,aeronautics and ,space
 ,administration1 and for other         
purposes4  #a4 ,short title ,this ,act  
may be cited as the ,engine ,testing for
 ,exploration ,act4  #b4 ,definitions   
,in this ,act3 7#a7 ,administrator ,the 
term ,administrator means the           
,administrator of the ,national         
,aeronautics and ,space ,administration4
  7#b7 ,government astronaut ,the term  
government astronaut has the meaning    
given the term in section #ejijb of     
title #ea1 ,united ,states ,code4  7#c7 
,,nasa ,the term ,,nasa means the       

,national ,aeronautics and ,space       
,administration4  #c4 ,findings         
,congress makes the following findings3 
7#a7 ,rocket propulsion system testing  
is critical for the operation of the    
space launch system and of future       
rockets that will embark on deep space  
exploration1 including crewed missions  
to the ,moon4  7#b7 ,the ,,nasa ,stennis
 ,space ,center is the primary and      
largest rocket propulsion system testing
 and engineering facility for ,,nasa4   
7#c7 ,the ,,nasa ,stennis ,engineering  
and ,test ,directorate provides unique  
ground-testing services for rocket      
propulsion systems4  7#d7 ,the existing 
infrastructure at the ,stennis ,space   
,center provides unique capabilities to 
test and evaluate rocket propulsion     
systems for space launch vehicles4  7#e7
 ,maintaining within ,,nasa a strong    
core competency in the testing and      
evaluation of rocket propulsion systems 
and related technologies allows ,,nasa  
to be an informed purchaser of          

competitively awarded commercial rocket 
engines4  7#f7 ,the commercial space    
industry is currently developing rocket 
propulsion systems and other space      
launch capabilities4  7#g7 ,testing     
rocket propulsion systems reduces risk  
and improves safety of space launch     
vehicles4  #d4 ,rocket propulsion system
 testing  7a7 ,maintaining rocket       
propulsion system testing capabilities  
7#a7 ,in general ,the ,administrator    
shall-- 7,a7 maintain the rocket        
propulsion system testing capabilities  
necessary to achieve the goals of the   
human spaceflight exploration programs  
of ,,nasa2 and  7,b7 ensure the         
continuity within ,,nasa of the internal
 expertise necessary to test and        
evaluate rocket propulsion systems1     
including through partnerships with the 
private sector4  7#b7 ,role of ,stennis 
,space ,center ,the rocket propulsion   
system testing programs of ,,nasa shall 
continue to be managed by the ,stennis  
,space ,center4  7b7 ,briefing ,not     

later than #ahj days after the date of  
the enactment of this ,act1 the         
,administrator shall provide the        
appropriate committees of ,congress with
 a briefing on ,,nasa plans for-- 7#a7  
rocket propulsion system testing and    
evaluation for-- 7,a7 missions in       
low-,earth orbit2 and  7,b7 missions to 
be conducted in deep space2 and  7#b7   
future programs for rocket propulsion   
system testing for missions that use    
space launch vehicles certified for use 
by ,,nasa for government astronauts4