[Senate Hearing 116-632]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]


                                                        S. Hrg. 116-632

                      NASA MISSIONS AND PROGRAMS: 
                        UPDATE AND FUTURE PLANS

=======================================================================

                                HEARING

                               BEFORE THE

                         COMMITTEE ON COMMERCE,
                      SCIENCE, AND TRANSPORTATION
                          UNITED STATES SENATE

                     ONE HUNDRED SIXTEENTH CONGRESS

                             SECOND SESSION

                               __________

                           SEPTEMBER 30, 2020

                               __________

    Printed for the use of the Committee on Commerce, Science, and 
                             Transportation
                             
[GRAPHIC NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]                             


                Available online: http://www.govinfo.gov

                               __________

                                
                    U.S. GOVERNMENT PUBLISHING OFFICE                    
52-920 PDF                 WASHINGTON : 2023                    
          
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       SENATE COMMITTEE ON COMMERCE, SCIENCE, AND TRANSPORTATION

                     ONE HUNDRED SIXTEENTH CONGRESS

                             SECOND SESSION

                  ROGER WICKER, Mississippi, Chairman
JOHN THUNE, South Dakota             MARIA CANTWELL, Washington, 
ROY BLUNT, Missouri                      Ranking
TED CRUZ, Texas                      AMY KLOBUCHAR, Minnesota
DEB FISCHER, Nebraska                RICHARD BLUMENTHAL, Connecticut
JERRY MORAN, Kansas                  BRIAN SCHATZ, Hawaii
DAN SULLIVAN, Alaska                 EDWARD MARKEY, Massachusetts
CORY GARDNER, Colorado               TOM UDALL, New Mexico
MARSHA BLACKBURN, Tennessee          GARY PETERS, Michigan
SHELLEY MOORE CAPITO, West Virginia  TAMMY BALDWIN, Wisconsin
MIKE LEE, Utah                       TAMMY DUCKWORTH, Illinois
RON JOHNSON, Wisconsin               JON TESTER, Montana
TODD YOUNG, Indiana                  KYRSTEN SINEMA, Arizona
RICK SCOTT, Florida                  JACKY ROSEN, Nevada
                       John Keast, Staff Director
                  Crystal Tully, Deputy Staff Director
                      Steven Wall, General Counsel
                 Kim Lipsky, Democratic Staff Director
              Chris Day, Democratic Deputy Staff Director
                      Renae Black, Senior Counsel
                           
                           
                           C O N T E N T S

                              ----------                              
                                                                   Page
Hearing held on September 30, 2020...............................     1
Statement of Senator Wicker......................................     1
Statement of Senator Cantwell....................................     2
Statement of Senator Gardner.....................................    15
    Article dated March 1, 2019 from CNBC--The Bottom Line 
      entitled, ``1 in 5 corporations say China has stolen their 
      IP within the last year: CNBC CFO survey'' by Eric 
      Rosenbaum..................................................    16
    Article dated May 12, 2020 from SPACENEWS entitled, ``Space 
      Force vice commander: China can't be allowed to buy 
      bankrupt U.S. space companies'' by Sandra Erwin............    19
    Article dated September 4, 2020 from REUTERS entitled, 
      ``Exclusive: White House asks U.S. agencies to detail all 
      China-related funding'' by David Shepardson................    20
Statement of Senator Udall.......................................    23
Statement of Senator Capito......................................    25
Statement of Senator Peters......................................    27
Statement of Senator Thune.......................................    29
Statement of Senator Sinema......................................    31
Statement of Senator Sullivan....................................    33
Statement of Senator Blumenthal..................................    35
Statement of Senator Rosen.......................................    37
Statement of Senator Scott.......................................    38

                               Witnesses

Hon. Jim Bridenstine, Administrator, National Aeronautics and 
  Space Administration...........................................     4
    Prepared statement...........................................     5

                                Appendix

Response to written questions submitted to Hon. Jim Bridenstine 
  by:
Hon. Marsha Blackburn                                                43
    Hon. Maria Cantwell..........................................    43
    Hon. Amy Klobuchar...........................................    45
    Hon. Tom Udall...............................................    47
    Hon. Gary Peters.............................................    50
    Hon. Jon Tester..............................................    52
    Hon. Jacky Rosen.............................................    53

 
                      NASA MISSIONS AND PROGRAMS: 
                        UPDATE AND FUTURE PLANS

                              ----------                              


                     WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2020

                                       U.S. Senate,
        Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation,
                                                    Washington, DC.
    The Committee met, pursuant to notice, at 10 a.m., in room 
SR-253, Russell Senate Office Building, Hon. Roger Wicker, 
Chairman of the Committee, presiding.
    Present: Senators Wicker [presiding], Thune, Sullivan, 
Gardner, Moore, Young, Scott, Cantwell, Blumenthal, Udall, 
Peters, Sinema, and Rosen.

            OPENING STATEMENT OF HON. ROGER WICKER, 
                 U.S. SENATOR FROM MISSISSIPPI

    The Chairman. Alright. This hearing will come to order. 
2020 has been a year of challenge and triumph for America's 
National Space Agency. The COVID 19 pandemic has disrupted 
planning and day to day operations, but NASA and its commercial 
partners have achieved many successful outcomes. These include 
launching American astronauts to the International Space 
Station and returning them safely to Earth, and returning that 
launch vehicle safely to Earth, launching a perseverance rover 
to Mars and preparing the Space Launch Systems, SLS, rocket and 
Orion crew capsule for the first Artemis deep space exploration 
program mission next year.
    I am pleased that NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine is 
here to provide us with an update on NASA's missions and 
programs and the agency's plans for the future. Further 
progress on the Artemis program is critical to achieving the 
goals of landing the first woman and the next man on the Moon 
by 2024 and establishing a sustainable presence on or around 
the lunar surface by 2028. Congress has given clear support for 
many key components of Artemis, notably the SLS rocket, the 
Orion crew capsule, Human Lander System competition and various 
rovers and instruments to study the lunar surface. Last week, 
Administrator Bridenstine announced a detailed plan for the 
Artemis program, projecting total cost of $28 billion between 
Fiscal Years 2021 and 2025.
    Continuing bipartisan support for Artemis is essential, but 
members need confidence in NASA's long term plan. I hope the 
Administrator will lay out the detailed cost and schedule for 
Artemis to help give us that confidence. The Artemis program 
receives a justifiable--justifiably large amount of attention, 
but we should also recognize the tremendous success of the 
commercial crew program.
    On May 30, the NASA, SpaceX team launched American 
astronauts on American rockets from American soil for the first 
time since 2011. Commercial crew represents a true public, 
private partnership where the Government buys services from 
space companies. It would be helpful if the Administrator would 
highlight how NASA is implementing lessons learned from 
Commercial Crew development.
    In November of last year, this committee passed the NASA 
Authorization Act, demonstrating strong support for Artemis and 
Commercial Crew. The legislation also strongly supported NASA's 
key science priorities, aeronautics research, planetary 
exploration, STEM education, and other initiatives. Today, 
Administrator Bridenstine can provide an update on these 
missions and describe any major impacts on cost, schedule or 
operations caused by the pandemic. NASA plays an important role 
in America's whole of Government approach to securing the space 
domain for exploration, science, and commerce. Great power 
competition in space is a reality.
    China's space ambitions are well-known and the Chinese 
Communist Party has devoted enormous resources to military and 
civil space programs. NASA recently signed a Memorandum of 
Understanding with the newly created U.S. Space Force to 
bolster collaboration on standards and best practices for space 
operations, scientific research, and planetary defense. 
Administrator Bridenstine may want to comment on the memorandum 
of understanding and where he sees opportunities for 
collaboration with the Space Force. Even with this year's 
successes, program vulnerabilities remain.
    As the Artemis program progresses, we should remain 
vigilant to protect and strengthen international partnerships, 
particularly those built around the International Space Station 
and low Earth orbit research. We should ensure that 
groundbreaking initiatives such as robotic Mars missions and 
planetary observatories continue making progress.
    Maintaining forces--maintaining focus on Artemis and other 
missions will require continued support and funding from 
Congress. So I look forward to today's conversation with the 
Administrator, and now turn to my dear friend and colleague, 
the Ranking Member, for her remarks.

               STATEMENT OF HON. MARIA CANTWELL, 
                  U.S. SENATOR FROM WASHINGTON

    Senator Cantwell. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and thank you 
for the bipartisan leadership on the NASA reauthorization bill. 
I was pleased to join you and Senators Cruz and Sinema to 
author the NASA Authorization Act of 2019. Among other things, 
this legislation would provide authorization for NASA's human 
exploration programs, including the lunar lander needed to 
return humans to the moon. There is agreement between the 
bill's sponsors about how to proceed on the authorization, and 
I hope the Senate will consider this important bill this year.
    NASA's recent economic impact analysis shows that in 2019, 
the agency generated more than $64 billion in economic output, 
supported more than 312,000 jobs nationwide, and NASA and the 
space industry, particularly important in the State of 
Washington, or space-enabled activities account for $1.8 
billion of our state's economy with notable companies like Blue 
Origin, SpaceX, and Aerojet Rocketdyne leading the way. 
Thousands of Washington jobs are dependent on this growing 
space industry. I always say there is a reason we have the 
Space Needle.
    So 2020 was a significant year for NASA. For the first time 
in 9 years, NASA astronauts launched to space from the U.S. 
soil. And for the first time ever, those astronauts launched on 
a commercial spacecraft, marking the dawn of a new era for 
NASA. 2021 promises to be an even bigger year for the agency. 
Two commercial providers will begin regularly carrying 
astronauts to the International Space Station. 2021 will also 
see the first launch of NASA Space Launch System, which will 
return astronauts to deep space in a few years. I am looking 
forward to watching Americans exit the lunar lander, which will 
be built in the State of Washington, and step onto the surface 
of the moon for the first time in more than 40 years. And I am 
very enthusiastic about the Artemis program, which will put the 
first woman on the moon.
    Now we need more than just that women's first step. We need 
women and minorities to be represented at every level of NASA 
and space programs, and so I look forward to working with you 
and the Chairman on how we increase the diversity in the 
aerospace industry. Given the many new rockets and spacecraft 
NASA astronauts will fly over the next decade, it is imperative 
the agency remain committed to safety.
    Safety must always be the top priority, and in order for 
that to happen, NASA engineers and program managers must have 
insight into the design and testing of new spacecraft.
    A major safety issue for NASA is the threat of orbital 
debris. Just last week, the space station was forced to 
maneuver away from a piece of space debris. In February, the 
Committee held a hearing on threats to space, and I called for 
increased investment in the mapping of space debris and 
improved space situational awareness capabilities. So, Mr. 
Chairman, I know you are also committed to addressing this 
threat, and I look forward to working with you on that issue. 
While NASA's human spaceflight programs are often in the 
spotlight, the agency's other missions and research are also 
critical to the country.
    In Washington, along with many Western states, we face an 
unbelievable threat from devastating wildfires. NASA satellites 
provide data that enables disaster management teams to measure 
the intensity and development and fires as they burn. And I 
also want to highlight NASA's Space Grant program. Again, a 
consortium at the University of Washington is doing tremendous 
work to engage high school students and undergraduates in these 
areas of research and study, which I think just helps us get 
the next generation of workforce.
    The COVID 19 pandemic has impacted many NASA programs as 
well as the people who support them, whether they are employees 
or contractors or researchers, so I look forward to hearing how 
this committee might work with NASA to keep the program on 
track while keeping people safely employed. This is a 
challenge, but obviously we want to keep moving ahead, so we 
will look forward to your comments and testimony, Administrator 
Bridenstine.
    So thank you for being here today, and again, Mr. Chairman, 
thank you for holding this important hearing.
    The Chairman. I think I heard the State of Washington 
mentioned several times in Senator Cantwell's opening 
Statement. Clearly, I should have mentioned in my opening 
Statement the important role of the State of Mississippi in all 
of the activities that we have planned, particularly the 
Stennis Space Center in Hancock County, Mississippi.
    So at this point, Administrator Bridenstine, we have your 
prepared Statement consisting of seven pages and small type. We 
will enter that into the record at this point. And you are 
recognized for 5 minutes or so to summarize your Statement.

  STATEMENT OF HON. JIM BRIDENSTINE, ADMINISTRATOR, NATIONAL 
              AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION

    Mr. Bridenstine. Thank you, Chairman Wicker and Ranking 
Member Cantwell. It is an honor to be here. I will tell you, I 
want to start by thanking you for the support we received in 
the CARES Act, which ultimately enabled us to move forward on 
some of our very important missions. We call them mission 
essential functions of NASA. So we needed that, you know, 
personal protective equipment, we needed the ability to make 
sure that our crews could socially distance and do all of the 
things necessary to be safe, and the CARES Act was really a 
part of that, and we thank you for that.
    So NASA is really up to some really amazing things. The two 
of you highlighted them very well. Low Earth orbit, we are 
commercializing very rapidly. We have been underway with 
commercial resupply now for a number of years, and now we are 
moving forward with Commercial Crew, which we are all very, 
very excited about. Demo two is complete. That was a test 
flight. Here at the end of October we are going to launch Crew 
1. We are going to have a full complement of four astronauts, 
including one international partner from Japan. And so this is 
a very exciting time for the agency as we move rapidly to 
commercialize space. But it is not just about commercial 
resupply and Commercial Crew, we also want commercial space 
stations themselves eventually.
    The International Space Station has been an amazing asset 
for the United States. It still is and it will be for years to 
come. But we all know that a day is going to come when it comes 
to the end of its useful life. And when that happens, we need 
to have funded the resources necessary to commercialize low 
Earth orbit for habitation. We want to make sure that in the 
United States, and with your help, we can ensure that we have 
no gap in low Earth orbit. We think about Apollo, we had--
during the Apollo era, as much as we loved it, it came to an 
end, and we had a gap of about 8 years before Space Shuttle. 
And then after Space Shuttle retired, we had another gap of 
about 8 years before Commercial Crew.
    And we want to make sure that there is no gap in low Earth 
orbit for the United States of America as we transition from 
the International Space Station to commercial space stations. 
But as both of you have identified, what is happening in low 
Earth orbit, as awesome as it is, pales in comparison to what 
we are going to see when we land the first woman and the next 
man on the surface of the moon under the Artemis program. We 
are going to the moon for a lot of really important reasons, 
but the chief reason to go to the moon is because it 
accelerates our path to Mars. And we believe it is important 
for the first person to land on Mars to be an American 
astronaut. And we want to make sure that when we do go to Mars, 
we go with our international partners.
    This is about American leadership. And, of course, what we 
just saw, just in fact yesterday, Japan announced its biggest 
budget for its space agency in its history. In fact, it was a 
50 percent increase over the previous year. That is a massive 
increase for a nation like Japan. And they are focusing it on 
the Artemis program. They are focused on supporting us as we 
lead the world to the moon. I will say that that is not unique 
though. We have seen budgets coming from Europe that are also 
increasing, commensurate with the Artemis program and NASA's 
budget.
    So a lot of really exciting things in the future, and, of 
course, I am grateful to you, Chairman Wicker, and Ranking 
Member Cantwell, for the continued bipartisan support for these 
important missions for our country. So with that, sir, I will 
yield back whatever time I have remaining and certainly open to 
any questions.
    [The prepared statement of Mr. Bridenstine follows:]

        Prepared Statement of James Bridenstine, Administrator, 
             National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Overview
    Chairman Wicker and Members of the Committee, I am pleased to have 
this opportunity to discuss NASA's Fiscal Year 2021 budget request. We 
are proposing a budget of $25 billion, an increase of 12 percent over 
our request for FY 2020. This budget both reinforces our innovative 
human space exploration program and maintains strong support for NASA 
science, aeronautics, and technology research. This investment, coupled 
with the unmatched talent of NASA's workforce, will enable America's 
continued leadership in space, propelling the United States toward a 
new era of technical achievement and scientific discovery.
    Regarding the COVID-19 pandemic, I would like to assure you that 
keeping the NASA workforce safe has been our highest priority during 
this challenging period. Since mid-March, more than 90 percent of our 
workforce has been in a telework status, and our employees have 
continued to perform NASA's important missions with distinction. Only a 
limited number of employees performing mission-essential work for the 
protection and safe operation of critical Agency infrastructure and a 
few select missions (e.g., Commercial Crew Program Demo-2 launch and 
Mars Perseverance launch preparations) were authorized to be on site. 
The amazing productivity of our workforce during the pandemic has 
proven that more work could be done remotely in the future. We will use 
lessons learned in our ``Future of Work'' planning.
    NASA's FY 2021 request funds Artemis, the Agency's plan to land the 
first woman and the next man on the surface of the Moon in 2024 as part 
of a Moon to Mars campaign of exploration. Most urgently, the FY 2021 
request includes more than $3 billion for the development of a Human 
Landing System (HLS). The budget fully supports the Space Launch System 
(SLS) rocket, Orion spacecraft, the Gateway, the ground systems, 
infrastructure, space technologies, and science needed for Artemis. The 
Moon to Mars campaign includes efforts from across the Agency funded at 
$12.37 billion in FY 2021. This budget provides the resources we need 
in FY 2021 to send humans to the Moon in 2024. There, we will prove the 
technologies and systems for long-term exploration and utilization 
required to accomplish the great, national goal of sending humans to 
Mars. The Artemis missions are a key step to supporting human missions 
to Mars, and funding for Artemis at the levels requested is the best 
way to advance the timeline for these missions.
Human Exploration and Operations
    The request provides the FY 2021 resources NASA's Human Exploration 
Operations Mission Directorate needs to support a robust exploration 
program. The FY 2021 request includes $8.76 billion for Deep Space 
Exploration Systems, and $4.19 billion for Low-Earth Orbit and 
Spaceflight Operations, including the ISS and Space Transportation--
both commercial crew systems development and ongoing crew and cargo 
transportation services that resupply the ISS.
    NASA is building a deep space launch and crew system--the Orion 
spacecraft, the heavy-lift SLS launch vehicle, and the related 
Exploration Ground Systems (EGS)--to support the Artemis effort. NASA's 
plan to send the first woman and the next man to the surface of the 
Moon begins with two test flights: Artemis I and Artemis II. Artemis I 
will use the SLS rocket to send an uncrewed Orion spacecraft around the 
Moon to test the system and reduce risk. Artemis II will be the first 
crewed mission and will serve to demonstrate the crewed system. 
Following these test flights, Artemis III will launch a crew of four 
using SLS and Orion on a mission to the surface of the Moon. Earlier 
this year, NASA completed a detailed cost and schedule assessment for 
the launch of Artemis I, which included a joint cost and schedule 
confidence level analysis of the SLS and EGS programs. Based on these 
results, NASA intends to target a November 2021 launch date for Artemis 
I. NASA is actively managing impacts to Artemis II based on the Artemis 
I schedule changes, and is currently planning to an August 2023 launch 
readiness date.
    The Gateway in lunar orbit will be capable of supporting visiting 
vehicle docking, deployments, and operations. It will initially consist 
of the Power and Propulsion Element and the Habitation and Logistics 
Outpost. Once Gateway is launched and becomes operational in lunar 
orbit, the Gateway Logistics Element will deliver supplies for 
outfitting and surface expeditions. International partnerships in the 
Gateway will allow NASA to leverage habitation, robotics, and 
communications capabilities. The Gateway is a key aspect of the 
sustainability of the Artemis effort and future missions to Mars.
    On April 30, 2020, NASA announced the selection of three U.S. 
companies to design and develop human landing systems for the Artemis 
program: Blue Origin of Kent, Washington; Dynetics (a Leidos company) 
of Huntsville, Alabama; and SpaceX of Hawthorne, California. NASA's 
partners will refine their concepts through the contract base period 
ending in February 2021. NASA will later select firms for development 
and maturation of sustainable lander systems followed by demonstration 
missions. NASA intends to procure commercial transportation services to 
the lunar surface.
    At the lunar South Pole, NASA and our partners will develop an 
Artemis Base Camp to support longer lunar expeditions on the surface. 
The three proposed primary mission elements of Artemis Base Camp are: 
the Lunar Terrain Vehicle (unpressurized rover) to transport suited 
astronauts around the site; the habitable mobility platform 
(pressurized rover) that can enable long-duration trips away from 
Artemis Base Camp; and the foundation surface habitat that will 
accommodate four crew on the lunar surface and anchoring Artemis Base 
Camp and the U.S. presence at the South Pole. The Artemis Base Camp 
will demonstrate America's continued leadership in space and prepare us 
to undertake humanity's first mission to Mars.
    As part of the Artemis effort, NASA will leverage interagency 
partnerships, expanding relationships with other U.S. Government 
agencies to take advantage of their expertise, create mutually 
beneficial synergies, and ensure ongoing coordination in the pursuit 
and achievement of the Nation's space goals. NASA will maintain and 
grow mutually beneficial international partnerships to lead a global 
community dedicated to expanding peaceful exploration and use of the 
Moon and then Mars.
    The budget request continues support for the ISS, humanity's 
premier home in space over the last 20 years, and commercial cargo 
resupply services. NASA and our international and commercial partners 
are conducting critical research on ISS to support our future 
exploration plans while also supporting basic and applied research that 
exploits the unique microgravity environment in orbit. ISS supports 
cutting-edge research on the effects of spaceflight on the human body, 
as well as research in fluid physics, combustion, and other research 
areas.
    NASA's Commercial LEO Development program will continue to leverage 
its resources and capabilities to further expand the commercial market 
in LEO. The program's first solicitation award, announced in January 
2020, will support the development of a new commercial LEO platform 
that will initially be attached to the ISS Node 2 forward port. NASA 
also is seeking proposals from industry for partnerships that will 
demonstrate free-flying commercial destinations. Furthermore, NASA has 
opened the ISS for commercial activities, is encouraging private 
astronaut missions to the ISS, and is seeking other opportunities to 
partner with industry to stimulate demand for products and services in 
LEO. It is critically important for NASA to receive the full budget 
request for this program to ensure that there is no gap in U.S. 
presence in LEO and also to ensure NASA can continue meeting its 
microgravity research requirements after ISS retirement.
    Through NASA's Commercial Crew Program, American astronauts have 
resumed launching to ISS from American soil for the first time since 
the Space Shuttle was retired in 2011. The May 30 launch of SpaceX's 
Dragon Endeavour Demo-2 marked the beginning of the second spaceflight 
test of the Crew Dragon craft and its first test with astronauts 
aboard. Astronauts Robert Behnken and Douglas Hurley conducted a 
successful mission to the ISS and returned safely to Earth on August 2. 
This was SpaceX's final test flight and is providing data on the 
performance of the Falcon 9 rocket, Crew Dragon spacecraft and ground 
systems, as well as in-orbit, docking, splashdown, and recovery 
operations. NASA's SpaceX Crew-1 mission is slated for launch from the 
U.S. to ISS later this year. The crew for this historic mission will be 
comprised of three NASA astronauts, as well as an international partner 
astronaut from Japan.
    Boeing is currently targeting no earlier than December 2020 for 
launch of the uncrewed Orbital Flight Test-2 (OFT-2) of its CSD-100 
Starliner spacecraft, pending hardware readiness, flight software 
qualification, and launch vehicle and space station manifest 
priorities. Over the summer, Boeing's Starliner team focused on 
readying the next spacecraft for its upcoming flight tests as well as 
making improvements identified during various review processes 
throughout the beginning of the year. After a successful OFT-2, Boeing 
and NASA will fly Starliner's first crewed mission, the Crew Flight 
Test, currently targeted for no earlier than June 2021, with the first 
post-certification mission, called Starliner-1, tentatively scheduled 
for no earlier than late December 2021.
Exploration Technology
    NASA's FY 2021 request includes $1.58 billion for Exploration 
Technology. NASA is enabling technology research and development needs 
for human space exploration and Artemis, with a near-term 
prioritization of sustainable lunar surface exploration and exploration 
of Mars in the long-term. The Space Technology Mission Directorate 
(STMD) rapidly develops, demonstrates, and infuses revolutionary, high-
payoff technologies through transparent, collaborative partnerships. 
These transformative technologies enable NASA's lunar and deep space 
exploration missions to meet human space exploration needs, as well as 
foster commercial expansion in LEO, cislunar space, and beyond.
    In direct alignment to Artemis and NASA mission needs, investment 
decisions are driven by the following Technology Thrusts: 1) rapid, 
safe, and efficient space transportation, emphasizing reusable in-space 
transportation between Earth, the Moon, Mars and beyond; 2) expanded 
access to diverse surface destinations, routinely landing crew and 
cargo on the Moon and eventually Mars; safely and efficiently returning 
large payloads to Earth; and delivering robotic payloads to challenging 
new destinations; 3) sustainable living and working farther from Earth, 
routinely conducting crewed operations beyond LEO working toward a 
sustainable human presence on the Moon and eventually Mars; 
technologies to survive and operate through the lunar night; production 
of propellant and consumables from local resources; and 4) 
transformative missions and discoveries to reach challenging sites and 
resources on the Moon, Mars and beyond, and enable rapid, low-cost 
missions to the Moon, Mars and beyond.
    STMD is funding an array of efforts to accelerate NASA's broader 
Moon-to-Mars campaign: autonomous landing and hazard avoidance; 
advanced cryogenic fluid management capabilities; rapid and efficient 
transit propulsion; high-performance spaceflight computing; and 
advanced materials, and in-space manufacturing and assembly 
technologies. In the first year of the Lunar Surface Innovation 
Initiative, NASA kicked off the Polar Resources Ice Mining Experiment 
project by down-selecting a drill targeted for early lunar surface 
demonstration. STMD is also investing in an advanced Navigation Doppler 
LiDAR technology for precision landing on the Moon and other planets 
that will directly benefit future human and robotic landers. This 
technology will be demonstrated on the first two of NASA's robotic 
Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) missions. In addition, STMD 
will make strategic surface technology investments critical for future 
Moon and eventually Mars human missions.
    The integrated Space Nuclear Technologies portfolio sets a new path 
forward to enable long-duration surface missions on the Moon and 
eventually Mars. This program places a high priority on lunar surface 
power, but also will continue to make progress on propulsion 
capabilities to meet the power and propulsion needs for the future 
exploration of Mars.
    Upcoming early-stage innovation activities will investigate areas 
such as breakthrough propulsion, challenges in deep space human 
habitation, space-optimized energy systems, radiation protection, and 
materials. These areas are part of a comprehensive approach to 
efficiently support innovative discovery, progress toward important 
goals, and the development of exciting new capabilities.
Science
    NASA's Science Mission Directorate funds ongoing discovery and 
exploration of our planet, other planets and planetary bodies, our star 
system in its entirety, our galaxy, and the universe beyond with 
domestic and international partners. The FY 2021 budget supports 
Decadal Survey priorities identified by the science community, 
including history's first Mars sample return mission, the Europa 
Clipper, and more advanced Earth observation missions. The request 
supports more than 110 space missions and approximately 10,000 U.S. 
scientists, and includes partnerships with 12 other Federal agencies 
and 60 other nations. The FY 2021 budget request provides $6.31 billion 
for Science, including: $2.66 billion for Planetary Science; $831 
million for Astrophysics; $414.7 million for the James Webb Space 
Telescope (JWST); $633.1 million for Heliophysics; and $1.77 billion 
for Earth Science. The budget request will enable NASA to continue 
advancing a world-class, balanced science portfolio while accelerating 
our exploration goals for the Moon and Mars.
    NASA's Lunar Discovery and Exploration Program is working with 
several American companies to deliver science and technology to the 
lunar surface through the CLPS initiative. Under the Artemis program, 
early commercial delivery missions will perform science experiments, 
test technologies and demonstrate capabilities to help NASA explore the 
Moon and prepare for human missions. The first two CLPS launches are 
targeted for July 2021. This past June, NASA announced that it had 
selected Astrobotic of Pittsburgh to deliver NASA's Volatiles 
Investigating Polar Exploration Rover (VIPER) to the Moon's South Pole 
in late 2023. By searching for water ice and other potential resources, 
VIPER will help pave the way for astronaut missions to the lunar 
surface beginning in 2024 and will bring NASA a step closer to 
developing a sustainable, long-term presence on the Moon as part of the 
Agency's Artemis program.
    In Planetary Science, the Mars 2020 Perseverance rover mission 
launched on July 30, and is on its way to the Red Planet to continue 
NASA's leadership in the international community and search for signs 
of ancient life and collect samples to send back to Earth. When it 
lands in February 2021, it will collect rock and soil samples at the 
landing site, Jezero Crater. As part of the mission, NASA will deploy 
the Ingenuity helicopter from the rover in the first demonstration of 
rotorcraft on another planet. Perseverance will cache samples to be 
collected by NASA's Mars Sample Return mission in partnership with the 
European Space Agency (ESA).
    Planetary Science also supports: the next Discovery missions, Lucy 
and Psyche; the Europa Clipper mission, which will conduct over 40 fly-
bys of this icy moon; and Dragonfly, a mission to Saturn's moon Titan, 
currently planned for launch in 2026. A new Near-Earth Object (NEO) 
Surveillance Mission--a follow-on to NEOWISE--will help NASA complete 
the Congressional goal to find NEOs at least 140 meters in diameter 
approximately ten years after the mission begins on-orbit operations. 
The Double Asteroid Redirection Test, which will launch in July 2021 
and deliberately crash into an asteroid moon in fall 2022, will conduct 
a planetary-defense-driven test of the kinetic impactor technique for 
preventing an impact of Earth by a hazardous NEO in the future; and 
NASA's first asteroid sampling mission, the Origins, Spectral 
Interpretation, Resource Identification, Security-Regolith Explorer 
(OSIRIS-REx), will touch the asteroid Bennu's surface during its first 
sample collection attempt, with return to Earth expected in 2023.
    Astrophysics takes on the challenge of understanding the vast 
universe, using new technologies to look back in time to its origins 
and learn about the evolution of galaxies and stars. The FY 2021 
request will enable NASA to follow the decadal-survey-recommended 
cadence of Astrophysics Explorers; add a new small mission component 
(Pioneers) to this storied program; support competed missions and 
research; and continue the development of JWST, which is slated for 
launch in October 2021. The Hubble Space Telescope, launched and 
deployed 30 years ago this past April, is still producing incredible 
science. The Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite continues planet 
hunting as part of its extended mission, providing a growing list of 
worlds around nearby stars.
    The next Decadal Survey on Astronomy and Astrophysics, Astro 2020, 
is currently underway and is scheduled for release by the National 
Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine in 2021. NASA looks 
forward to the final recommendations and working to implement them.
    In order to maintain a balanced science program that optimizes 
overall scientific return, the FY 2021 budget request again proposes 
termination of the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, given its 
significant cost and the need to prioritize spending. This request also 
includes $12 million to begin closeout of the Stratospheric Observatory 
for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA), which has annual operating costs of 
about $80 million. SOFIA's annual budget is the second most expensive 
operating Astrophysics mission, and it is less scientifically 
productive than other missions with similar operating costs.
    Heliophysics studies the fundamental properties of our star, the 
Sun, and how its behavior impacts Earth, our solar system, and the 
nature of space. This research helps scientists identify the causes and 
impacts of space weather phenomena, which threaten spacecraft and 
astronauts, including future explorers of the Moon and Mars, and which 
can affect technology on and around the Earth. The FY 2021 budget 
request supports the Heliophysics Space Weather Science and 
Applications Program and continued coordination with other agencies to 
enhance space weather prediction capabilities. Also supporting science 
in Artemis, Heliophysics is developing a space weather instrument suite 
for the Gateway.
    Missions in the Heliophysics System Observatory continue to provide 
vital information about our Sun, including: Parker Solar Probe, which 
has now completed four trips close to the Sun; the Ionospheric 
Connection Explorer, and Global-scale Observations of the Limb and Disk 
instruments, which are providing comprehensive observations of Earth's 
ionosphere; and Solar Orbiter, a mission led by ESA, that is orbiting 
the Sun, looking at different regions from our other instruments.
    Earth Science develops and operates a wide array of space-based and 
airborne missions seeking to improve our understanding of Earth. The FY 
2021 budget request supports a variety of missions, including the 
Orbiting Carbon Observatory-3 on ISS; the ECOsystem Spaceborne Thermal 
Radiometer Experiment on Space Station instrument; and the Global 
Ecosystem Dynamics Investigation instrument. NASA also continues 
progress on Landsat 9, a part of the Sustained Land Imaging Program, 
planning for a launch in 2021.
    In November 2020, NASA plans to launch Sentinel 6A Michael 
Freilich, a 10-year Earth observation mission, which partners with 
NOAA, ESA, the European Commission, and the European Organization for 
the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites. Sentinel 6A Michael 
Freilich will measure Earth's changing oceans, providing valuable and 
long-running data on sea level, ocean circulation and key drivers of 
our weather, like El Nino and La Nina. In a remarkable gesture earlier 
this year, the partners renamed the mission after Michael Freilich, 
NASA's former director of Earth Science.
    Consistent with the FY 2019 and FY 2020 budget requests, the FY 
2021 request does not support the Plankton Aerosol Cloud Ocean 
Ecosystem (PACE) and Climate Absolute Radiance and Refractivity 
Observatory Pathfinder (CLARREO-PF) missions. The PACE mission builds 
on the legacies of NASA missions currently on orbit and several 
international efforts. Several instruments set to operate in the time-
frame of CLARREO-PF will obtain data on the Earth's radiation budget 
that are similar to those that would be collected by CLARREO-PF, which 
was designed as a one-year technology demonstration.
Aeronautics
    NASA's FY 2021 budget requests $819 million for aeronautics 
research, managed by the Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate, to 
support continued U.S. global leadership in aviation technology. The 
Agency conducts aeronautics research to bring transformational advances 
in the safety, capacity, and efficiency of the air transportation 
system and to enable breakthroughs in the speed and efficiency of 
transport aircraft that are the backbone of today's aviation system as 
well as innovative new aircraft concepts and technologies that will 
enable new aviation markets. The FY 2021 request will enable NASA to 
continue developing and maturing new technologies such as advanced 
configurations like truss-braced high-aspect-ratio wings, small core 
turbine engines, high-rate composite manufacturing, and electrified 
aircraft propulsion that the U.S. aviation industry will use in next 
generation of subsonic aircraft. NASA is also continuing our investment 
in critical fundamental technologies for hypersonic flight, including 
systems analysis, hypersonic propulsion, reusable vehicle technologies, 
and high-temperature materials.
    The budget for aeronautics supports the development of X-planes, 
including NASA's X-59 Low Boom Flight Demonstrator mission, which will 
fly a quiet supersonic airplane to demonstrate the community 
acceptability of low-boom technology. In FY 2021, NASA will prepare the 
X-59 for first flight, and prepare for community overflight tests and 
deployment. By 2021, NASA will be flying the X-57 Maxwell aircraft to 
better inform standards development for smaller, all-electric aircraft.
    In FY 2021, NASA expects to complete transition of NextGen airspace 
management tools and data to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) 
for operational integration. NASA will work with FAA to develop a long-
term vision for a transformed National Airspace System based on 
service-based architectures to enable achieving safe, scalable, 
routine, high-tempo airspace access for all users.
    Future generations will utilize flight in new ways to carry out 
their day-to-day activities through our exciting vision for Advanced 
Air Mobility (AAM), building on NASA-developed Unmanned Aircraft System 
(UAS) Traffic Management and UAS capabilities. In FY 2021, NASA will 
lay the groundwork for AAM through research into concepts and 
technologies for safe AAM operations, and developmental testing for 
National Campaign events where industry will demonstrate AAM vehicle 
and airspace management technologies.
Office of STEM Engagement
    The functional office at NASA Headquarters will continue to oversee 
Agency-wide strategic direction and coordination of NASA's STEM 
engagement efforts. Through Mission Directorate activities, NASA would 
continue to create unique opportunities for a diverse set of students.
Mission Support
    NASA must have the enabling technical and professional expertise 
and facilities necessary to efficiently and effectively support its 
programs. The FY 2021 request funds capabilities and infrastructure 
needed to safely operate and maintain NASA Centers and facilities, 
along with the independent technical authority required to reduce risk 
to life and program objectives for all NASA missions. To address the 
significant risk to mission success posed by aging facilities and an 
increasing maintenance backlog, the 2021 budget includes funding 
critical to infrastructure renewal and divestment of unneeded, costly 
facilities. In FY 2021, NASA will strengthen cybersecurity 
capabilities, safeguarding critical systems and data, while also 
providing funding to modernize NASA's IT systems.
Conclusion
    The FY 2021 budget proposed is one of the strongest in NASA 
history. The reinforced support from the President comes at a critical 
time as we lay the foundations for landing on the lunar South Pole with 
the first woman and the next man on Moon by 2024. This budget keeps us 
firmly on that path.

    The Chairman. Well, thank you very, very much. You recently 
announced that the Artemis 1 mission will take place at the end 
of November of next year. Part of the role of my home State of 
Mississippi is in these testing the Space Launch System, rocket 
engine. How is the green run testing at Stennis, and is it 
progressing? And do you have a target date for the full 
duration hot fire test?
    Mr. Bridenstine. Yes, sir. So the green run testing is 
progressing very well. The rocket--this is the core stage of 
the SLS rocket. It is proving itself to be an extremely capable 
system. We still have a good bit of testing in front of us, 
including the full green run where we fire all four RS-25 
engines at the same time. So that is going to be an amazing 
sight to see. Likely to happen in November. And so we are 
moving rapidly toward that. We have had some challenges, of 
course, with some hurricanes.
    We have had some other challenges with COVID. But we have 
also had some successes. And so we are moving forward and we 
think that the green run test will be done in November, early 
November. And we also believe that this sets us up for the 
first launch of the SLS system with an Orion crew capsule in 
November 2021. And so we are moving rapidly toward that.
    The Chairman. You think we are still on track to meet that 
November 2021 date?
    Mr. Bridenstine. As of right now, yes, sir, we are. There 
are challenges for sure, and depending on how COVID affects us 
in the months ahead, it could be more challenging. But I will 
say, because this is a mission that is so unique, we do have 
margin in the schedule, we have a reserve in the schedule and 
in the cost. And NASA does that for all of its missions. And as 
of this point, we have not determined that we need to move off 
of the November date of next year.
    The Chairman. Well, I have been very impressed with how 
NASA has moved forward on any number of target dates. Let me 
ask you about the Continuing Resolution, assessing the 
Continuing Resolution this this week. And obviously that is 
never ideal, but the COVID 19 pandemic pretty much dictated 
that. This is a brief C.R.--doesn't carry on into next year. 
You have spoken about the problem of a long-term Continuing 
Resolution. If you will, please discuss the broader impacts if 
we can't get our job done in November and December, what that 
would mean for your programs?
    Mr. Bridenstine. Yes, sir. So the hardest part right now is 
that human landing system. That human landing system is what 
right now we are not funded to develop in its entirety. We are 
funded through what we call the base period. We have got the 
resources to go through basically February 2021. And so between 
now and February 2021, I think we are OK. But if we get to 
February 2021 without an appropriation, that is going to really 
put the brakes on our ability to achieve a moon landing by as 
early as 2024. And so it is important to get these 
appropriations.
    I will also tell you, sir, the sooner we get the 
appropriations, the higher the probability of success. So we 
are very grateful that I know that the House and the Senate are 
moving toward a C.R. rather than a shut down. That is--we are 
very grateful for that. And I speak for the entire NASA 
workforce when I say that. But I will also say that the sooner 
we can get an appropriation, the higher the probability of 
success to the moon landing as soon as 2024.
    The Chairman. That is the appropriation. What about the 
authorization bill? How important is it to pass an updated 
authorization bill?
    Mr. Bridenstine. So in my view, very important. I was an 
authorizer in the House of Representatives. And I can tell you 
what the authorization bill enables me to do as the 
Administrator is demonstrate that this has strong bipartisan 
support that is lasting. Appropriations are 1 year in nature 
and they give us what we need to fund the programs. But an 
authorization bill--this is a fundamental question I get 
everywhere I go as the NASA Administrator.
    People ask me, how do you ensure that this program doesn't 
get canceled? Like NASA has had a history of seeing programs 
get developed and then canceled. And the answer is we need the 
authorization bill that codifies that what we are doing has 
broad national consensus and bipartisan support. I think we are 
there, but putting that into law really would be meaningful for 
the agency.
    The Chairman. Thank you very much. Senator Cantwell.
    Senator Cantwell. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Administrator 
Bridenstine, one of the things that we hear a lot about as, 
again, we change and innovate is the skill level of the 
workforce in STEM. We work very hard on STEM education in the 
State of Washington and certainly want to work on it from a 
national perspective. So I want to hear your thoughts on what 
else we need to be doing. What does that skills gap look like? 
And also interested in NASA's X-plane flight demonstration 
program for a transonic truss-braced wing.
    One of the things we are very interested obviously in is 
composites and continuing the development of composite 
manufacturing. So want to understand what you think we should 
be doing on that kind of technology for the future as well.
    Mr. Bridenstine. Yes. Very, very good questions. And I will 
tell you, the transonic truss-braced wing has me very excited 
about the future of aviation. When we think about the value of 
NASA to the United States of America, a lot of people, they 
think about space and the moon and Mars and robotic exploration 
of the solar system. But the aeronautics piece is probably the 
most impact to the American economy because this is a major 
export for the country, and we have been leading here for so 
many generations.
    Of course, we have the challenge with the MAX 8. We have 
had the challenge now with COVID. And when we think about 
aeronautics, it is kind of--right now, it is being stressed 
significantly. But I think we have to, as a nation, take this 
opportunity and lead. And when I say lead, that transonic 
truss-braced wing is a key to that leadership. We are talking 
about increasing what we call the aspect ratio of a wing, 
making it longer and thinner. The big thing that that does is 
it reduces what we call induced drag, which is the drag you get 
from the lift created by the aircraft.
    Basically, it spreads out the amount of downward thrust 
that you get from the wing. It does increase what we call 
parasitic drag from the wing, but that parasitic drag is less 
than the induced drag. And so overall, you get a much more 
efficient aircraft. It drives down the amount of fuel that you 
have to use. It drives down the amount of carbon emissions. It 
drives down the cost to the airlines.
    The challenge with that high aspect ratio wing, the 
challenge with that is that it becomes really long and thin and 
so it doesn't have the structure necessary to hold up, you 
know, a large body aircraft. So I am a huge proponent of that. 
We have been advocating, you know, for that inside, not just 
the agency, but inside the Administration in general and we are 
getting some traction on it. And any support that you can 
provide would be fantastic. Well, let's see, the----
    Senator Cantwell. STEM--well, STEM and--so in this case, 
this is a composite issue, right. And so we need more composite 
R&D and more understanding of them on the composite 
manufacturing side.
    Mr. Bridenstine. Yes. So this is, again, very important. 
When it comes to STEM, we need that next generation workforce 
and so we have got to be inspiring people at a young age. I 
think the best thing NASA can do for encouraging people to go 
into STEM is inspire them and do these stunning missions like 
landing the first woman on the moon and those kind of 
activities. We are also very involved at the mission 
directorate level in funding programs like First Robotics, 
which is a capability that gets high school kids and even 
younger involved in robotics.
    So we do those things. Direct impact to NASA missions. If 
you look at, you know, robotics on Mars and robotics throughout 
the solar system with satellites and orbiters of other planets. 
So I think there is a lot that NASA does and we need to 
continue to do for STEM.
    Senator Cantwell. Yes, I don't know what it is about 
material science, but we have been able to attract more women. 
Structural engineering may not have been something that 
immediately appealed to them, but certainly we attracted them 
in aviation. We are having more success on the material science 
side.
    And I don't know if that is a marriage of chemical 
engineering and other things, but I think we should figure out 
how to put this challenge to, as you said, the youngest of 
Americans. And I don't know why this isn't something we hear 
about more often given that you are talking about, again, fuel 
efficiency, American jobs, leadership, you know, all of these 
things that would come from this. This is, you know--it is as 
exciting as the other missions too. So, thank you.
    Mr. Bridenstine. Yes, ma'am.
    The Chairman. Administrator Bridenstine, the Ranking Member 
mentioned space debris. So let me--let's drill down on that 
just a little bit. Is the frequency of avoidance maneuvers 
increasing? Just a few days ago, NASA maneuvered the 
International Space Station to avoid a piece of unknown space 
debris. This happened now three times this year. So is that 
increasing?
    Mr. Bridenstine. Yes, sir, it is. Now, I will tell you--so 
this year, we have maneuvered the space station three times in 
order to avoid orbital debris. That has not happened since 
2015. And now in this year, we have done it three times.
    The Chairman. So is that just a coincidence?
    Mr. Bridenstine. I don't--I don't think that this is a 
coincidence. I will also say in the last 2 weeks, or maybe 3 
weeks at this point, we have had three potential conjunctions 
that made us very nervous apart--and that is in the last two or 
3 weeks, apart from the maneuver that we actually had to make. 
So--.
    The Chairman. Close calls.
    Mr. Bridenstine. Yes, sir.
    The Chairman. We knew about them, but it was far enough 
away that you didn't have to maneuver.
    Mr. Bridenstine. Yes, sir. So we monitored them very 
closely and we made a determination that it didn't require a 
maneuver.
    The Chairman. What is the source of this debris?
    Mr. Bridenstine. So there is a lot of reasons for it. You 
know, there is a lot of commercial activity in space right now, 
which we fully, fully support. We have got to be able to use 
space for all of its benefits for humanity. And a lot of that 
commercial activity is launching, you know, low Earth orbit 
remote sensing satellites, low Earth orbit communications 
satellites.
    Low Earth orbit is tremendously valuable for communications 
because its low latency and so the types of signals that you 
can use and the standards that you use are more like a cell 
phone technology. Whereas when you think about geostationary 
orbit, which is very far from Earth, you have to use different 
protocols.
    So low Earth orbit is where all of these constellations 
want to be. The challenge is we don't have, as a Nation or even 
as a world, a robust architecture for how we are going to 
integrate all of these capabilities into this small space. And 
it is becoming more and more of a problem. The President 
signed----
    The Chairman. It is not a small space, but it is a finite--
--
    Mr. Bridenstine. It is. And the challenge is the 
probabilities of impact are measured--based on the amount of 
data that we receive, the probabilities of impact are measured 
in, you know, 1 in 1,000 chances, 1 in 5,000 chances, 1 in 
10,000 chances. And for us as an agency with the International 
Space Station, which is $100 billion investment, we take those 
probabilities and we say, OK, we need to maneuver. But if we 
are--.
    The Chairman. Are these functioning objects or are they 
junk? When I hear debris, I think of something left over from 
something in the past.
    Mr. Bridenstine. Yes, sir. So this object that we had to 
maneuver for just a few days ago is unidentified. We don't know 
what it is. We don't know where it came from. It is not 
something that is operated by--it is junk. It is literally junk 
in space.
    Now, there are also satellites that have become debris 
because they just came to the end of their useful lives and 
they don't they don't deorbit themselves. They will over a 
number of years, but they are still there now. And then we also 
have just a lot more activity from our international friends, 
if you will. And they don't necessarily all follow the debris 
mitigation guidelines established by NASA and supported by the 
U.S. Government.
    The Chairman. So there is no international protocol yet on 
space debris?
    Mr. Bridenstine. What we have is we have international 
guidelines that NASA creates, the U.S. Government adopts and 
then those get adopted, you know, at the U.N. and other places. 
The question is, what are we doing to make sure that people 
adhere to those guidelines? Anybody can say they follow them. 
But the question is, how do you follow up and make sure that 
they actually are? And how do you prove that they are not, if 
they are not?
    The Chairman. So there are guidelines that have been 
developed by the United States and have been adopted by the 
United Nations?
    Mr. Bridenstine. Yes. And in fact----
    The Chairman. The individual countries didn't need to sign 
on? Is that ideal?
    Mr. Bridenstine. Well, yes. I mean, it is better that they 
sign on than not sign on. But a lot of countries sign on and 
then they don't fully adhere to those principles.
    The Chairman. OK, well, just one other thing and then I 
will recognize Senator Gardner. He is in the queue. The 
Department of Commerce intends to or has taken over the space 
situational awareness mission for civil and commercial 
entities. Do you support that? And how would authorizing the 
Office of Space Commerce to take over this function from DOD be 
helpful?
    Mr. Bridenstine. A couple of things. Right now you have the 
Department of Defense that is responsible for fighting and 
winning wars in space now with the Space Force and U.S. Space 
Command, the challenge is we are having them at the combined 
space operations center. We are having them operate as though 
they are the FAA for space. So they are doing conjunction 
analysis and warning for all of the commercial activities in 
space. They are doing it for all of the international 
activities in space. And all of those international and 
commercial folks that are using that facility, that capability, 
they are not paying for it.
    So we are providing basically global space situational 
awareness and space traffic management to the world for free. 
In order to relieve them of that duty, we need to have--this is 
just think about the 1950s. You know, we had the Department of 
Defense responsible for air traffic control throughout the 
Nation. Now, it wasn't as crowded back then, but there came a 
time in 1958 when President Eisenhower said, you know, we are 
done with this because there are too many midair collisions. He 
said we are done with this.
    We need a civilian agency that can do this activity. We are 
now there for space right now. So we need to take the 
unclassified data from the combined space operations center. We 
need to flow that to the Department of Commerce. And we need to 
combine that data with commercial--it is all about data. It is 
about quantity and quality of data.
    We need to take that data, combine it with commercial and 
international data to create a single integrated space picture 
that can be shared with the world. And by the way, the world 
needs to support us in that effort. So if we are doing space 
situational awareness and space traffic management, and the 
rest of the world is not, that creates a big problem.
    The Chairman. Is there broad consensus within the 
Administration for this move?
    Mr. Bridenstine. Yes, sir, 100 percent.
    The Chairman. And it is being done administratively, I 
understand.
    Mr. Bridenstine. Well, when you say administratively, right 
now, these activities are being done by the Department of 
Defense. The challenge right now is the Department of Commerce, 
under an executive order, basically a space policy directive 
three from the President, the Department of Commerce should be 
picking up these missions, but they haven't been--they don't 
have the authorities provided by Congress at this point, nor do 
they have the appropriations provided by Congress. And so we 
are kind of in limbo right now.
    The Chairman. So you need the appropriators to address this 
issue and hopefully late in the year or early next year, and 
this needs to be a provision in the next authorization bill. Is 
that correct?
    Mr. Bridenstine. I would be very supportive of that.
    The Chairman. Thank you very much. Senator Gardner.

                STATEMENT OF HON. CORY GARDNER, 
                   U.S. SENATOR FROM COLORADO

    Senator Gardner. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and thank you, 
Administrator Bridenstine, for your service and all the work 
that you do for NASA and our aerospace companies in Colorado 
and beyond. It is imperative that we preserve America's 
leadership in innovation and science, particularly in space. 
And we certainly know our adversaries are working very 
diligently to undermine our leadership, and our space for 
programs, obviously, continue to be the envy of the world. And 
nations like China and others are trying to steal our ingenuity 
and displace U.S. leadership.
    Mr. Chairman, I would like to enter into the record a CNBC 
global CFO council article dated March 1, 2019, entitled ``One 
in Five Corporations Say China Has Stolen Their IP Within the 
Last Year.'' I would also like to enter a May 12, 2020 space 
news article entitled ``Space Force Vice Commander: China Can't 
be Allowed to Buy Bankrupt U.S. Space Companies,'' which 
highlights concerns raised by Lieutenant General David Thompson 
regarding how Chinese interest may seek to invest in companies 
being squeezed by the COVID 19 pandemic.
    Finally, I would like to enter into a record a Reuters 
article dated September 15 entitled, ``Exclusive, White House 
Asks U.S. Agencies to Detail All China Related Funding,'' which 
outlines a request by the Office of Management and Budget to 
understand how funding may be aiding China in unintended ways. 
Look, we know that Chinese actors are stealing intellectual 
property from American businesses. We know that they are using 
their corporate social credit system in a very worrisome way 
and that many of the criteria of this system envisions that it 
could be used to require the transfer of technology or make it 
easier for Chinese interests to steal American intellectual 
property.
    A report from the Commission on Theft of American 
Intellectual Property estimates that China steals up to $600 
billion worth of American intellectual property every year. Put 
that into perspective, every single year China is stealing 
property from the United States worth nearly three times the 
size of the entire GDP of the Nation of Portugal.
    That threat is--that theft is enabled in part through 
China's Internet security law, which was implemented back in 
2017, which allows them to review sensitive company information 
that puts IP and human rights equally at risk. But it is not 
just this misguided law or China's unyielding quest to upend 
freedoms of all kinds around the globe. Without someone to step 
in and stop them, China thinks they will get away with this 
kind of behavior. Administrator Bridenstine, do you agree that 
China has a clear history of stealing American intellectual 
property?
    The Chairman. Senator Gardner, you asked for three items to 
be admitted into the record--.
    Senator Gardner. Yes, correct.
    The Chairman. Without objection, that will be done.
    [The information referred to follows:]

                  FOUNDING MEMBERS | CNBC CFO COUNCIL

                            THE BOTTOM LINE

1 in 5 corporations say China has stolen their IP within the last year: 

                            CNBC CFO survey

 PUBLISHED FRI, MAR 1 2019 5:00 AM EST | UPDATED FRI, MAR 1 2019 10:21 
                                 AM EST

                         Eric Rosenbaum@ERPROSE

KEY POINTS
   Theft of intellectual property by Chinese companies is a 
        major point of contention between the Trump administration and 
        Chinese government.

   Just under one-third of CFOs of North America-based 
        companies on the CNBC Global CFO Council say Chinese firms have 
        stolen from them at some point during the past decade.

   U.S. trade policy remains a negative for businesses around 
        the world, but right now European CFOs are expressing the 
        biggest concerns about trade policy as an external risk factor.
        
        
    As President Donald Trump says his administration is moving closer 
to a trade deal with China, one of the major sticking points has been 
China's disregard of intellectual property protections and claims 
dating back years about rampant Chinese theft of corporate trade 
secrets. The allegations are not hyperbole.
    One in five North American-based corporations on the CNBC Global 
CFO Council says Chinese companies have stolen their intellectual 
property within the last year. In all, 7 of the 23 companies surveyed 
say that Chinese firms have stolen from them over the past decade.
    As the Trump administration works on a trade deal with China and 
hundreds of billions in potential tariffs loom if a deal can't be 
reached--Trump has delayed the tariffs scheduled for Mar. 1 based on 
``significant progress'' he said is being made--the issue of IP theft 
has been a huge sticking point.
    The CNBC Global CFO Council represents some of the largest public 
and private companies in the world, collectively managing nearly $5 
trillion in market value across a wide variety of sectors. The survey 
was conducted between Feb. 7 and Feb. 22 among 54 members of the 
council located across the globe, including the subset of North 
America-based chief financial officers.
    One of the bigger grievances that led to recent US-China trade 
negotiations has been U.S. accusations of Chinese companies stealing IP 
from U.S. companies. Has your company been the victim of such a theft 
in the recent past?
    Hardline Trump U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer said on 
Wednesday in testimony on Capitol Hill that a deal with China must not 
only include more Chinese purchases of U.S. products but enforcement. 
There have been recent reports that Lighthizer is unhappy with Trump's 
willingness to make a deal with the Chinese without extracting strong 
enough terms. White House officials have downplayed the reported 
tensions.
    ``We can compete with anyone in the world, but we must have rule, 
enforced rules, that make sure market outcomes and not state capitalism 
and technology theft determine winners,'' Lighthizer said in testimony 
to the House Ways and Means Committee on Wednesday.
    ``Let me be clear,'' Lighthizer testified. ``Much still needs to be 
done both before an agreement is reached and, more importantly, after 
it is reached, if one is reached.''
    After the December G20 meeting in Buenos Aires, Argentina, China 
took a step that conservative think tank American Enterprise 
Institute--which for years has been sounding alarms about IP theft by 
China--described as significant, when the Chinese government issued a 
memo that set out some 38 punishments for IP violators, including 
denial of access to government funding.
    ``The mere publication of the memo (which explicitly referred to 
American complaints) was an important concession: Until quite recently 
the Chinese government had officially denied that significant IP theft 
occurred in China,'' AEI's Claude Barfield wrote in a blog post. But 
the issues are complicated by, among other things, blurred lines 
between cyber espionage committed by the Chinese government against 
corporate and military targets and the passing on of those secrets to 
Chinese companies.


    U.S. President Donald Trump, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo 
and members of their delegation hold a dinner meeting with Chinese 
President Xi Jinping, Chinese Foreign Affairs Minister Wang Yi and 
Chinese government representatives at the end of a G-20 summit in 
Buenos Aires, on Dec. 01, 2018.
    Saul Loeb | AFP | Getty Images

    There are no exact statistics on trade secret theft ranked by 
nation, but China remains the world's principal IP infringer across all 
types of IP theft, according to a spokesman for the IP Commission, 
which estimates up $600 billion annually in cost to the U.S. economy 
from these actions. The IP commission noted that Chinese citizens are 
prosecuted most frequently in U.S. courts for trade secret theft.
    Cases of IP theft in recent years brought by the U.S. government 
against Chinese employees of U.S. firms and Chinese intelligence 
officers have involved large companies including Apple, IBM and GE.
Trade policy is now the biggest issue in Europe
    North American-based companies are less concerned that they have 
been in recent quarters about the impact of U.S. trade policy on their 
business. Only 17 percent said uncertainty surrounding trade policy 
would hurt their companies ability to make long-term investments. 
Eighty-three percent indicated that tax reform and eased regulations 
outweigh any ongoing trade issues. CFOs across the globe also remain 
confident that the U.S. economy will not face a recession in 2019--not 
a single North America-based CFO taking the survey thinks there is a 
risk of recession this year.
    But in Europe, where trade tensions between the U.S. and EU 
countries have been rising, the risks from U.S. trade policy are 
becoming more prominent. U.S. trade policy was the No. 1 external risk 
factor cited by CFOs from the Europe, Middle East and Africa region 
taking the survey, with 35 percent saying it was the biggest current 
threat to their business. That was higher than the percentage of CFOs 
from the Asia-Pacific region citing trade policy as the biggest 
external risk (29 percent). Only 17 percent of North America-based CFOs 
cited trade policy--concern about consumer demand was cited by many 
more CFOs from the U.S. (43 percent).
    Across the total of 54 CFOs included in the Q1 CNBC Global CFO 
Council survey, consumer demand was cited as the No. 1 external risk 
factor (28 percent). Meanwhile, U.S. trade policy fell from No. 1 in 
the fourth quarter of 2018 to No. 2, with 26 percent of global CFOs 
citing it as the biggest external risk.
    U.S. trade policy remains far from a positive contributor to 
business outlook even as it slipped from the top spot among risk 
factors. CFOs across the globe overwhelmingly say its impact will be 
negative over the next six months, but the severity of that view 
declined from the fourth quarter of 2018 (when 73 percent of CFOs said 
it would be negative) to the Q1 survey (63 percent).
                                 ______
                                 

                               SPACENEWS

Space Force vice commander: China can't be allowed to buy bankrupt U.S. 
                            space companies

Lt. Gen. Thompson: DoD is working with the White House and plans to 
        work with Congress to help space companies that face 
        bankruptcy.

                       Sandra Erwin May 12, 2020


    Arianespace conducted its third launch for OneWeb March 21 from the 
Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Credit: CC Yuzhny/Roscosmos.

    WASHINGTON--If the Chinese government made a move to buy the assets 
of the bankrupt space internet company OneWeb, could the U.S. Space 
Force do anything to stop it?
    That question was posed to Lt. Gen. David Thompson, vice commander 
of the U.S. Space Force, during an online interview May 12 with retired 
Lt. Gen. David Deptula, dean of the Air Force Association's Mitchell 
Institute for Aerospace Studies.
    Thompson did not comment on any specific actions that DoD might 
take regarding OneWeb. The company's assets are up for grabs after it 
filed for bankruptcy on March 27, becoming a poster child for the space 
industry's COVID-19 financial setbacks.
    He said DoD is working with the White House and plans to work with 
Congress ``not just focused on OneWeb but on all of the commercial 
space companies that face bankruptcy and face those concerns. We want 
to see what we can do in terms of securing the capabilities we need for 
national security, number one, and ensuring that our adversaries don't 
have the opportunity to acquire those capabilities.''
    Deptula pointed out that the U.S. military was counting on OneWeb 
to provide satellite-based broadband communications in the Arctic, an 
area of the world where China plans to grow its influence. Before going 
out of business, OneWeb launched 74 high-speed broadband satellites 
into orbit.
    As venture capital has retreated from the space sector during the 
pandemic, the Pentagon has raised concerns that China could move in to 
acquire distressed companies that have technologies relevant to 
national security. The Pentagon has not explained how it could stop 
Chinese acquisitions but officials have indicated that they are paying 
close attention to the space sector partly for that reason.
    Thompson mentioned the work of the Space Acquisition Council--a new 
organization created by Congress that includes the senior leadership of 
the Department of Defense, the U.S. Air Force and Space Force, and the 
intelligence community. The council in recent weeks has held emergency 
meetings to discuss options to help the commercial space industry and 
protect national security capabilities.
    The council ``recognized that what they really needed to do quickly 
was consider the threat that this virus posed to commercial space, to 
smaller space companies in the commercial and national security sectors 
and what they might do about it,'' said Thompson.
    He said one of the topics that will be discussed with Congress is 
what investments could be made quickly to ``provide capabilities we 
know we need, in areas we need to be more aggressive that are also 
going to help the commercial and national security space sector.''
    According to the British newspaper The Telegraph, two firms with 
links to the Chinese government have submitted proposals to buy some of 
OneWeb's assets. The paper also reported that OneWeb has approached DoD 
about a possible support package to help ward off the Chinese.
                                 ______
                                 
Sandra Erwin
    Sandra Erwin writes about military space programs, policy, 
technology and the industry that supports this sector. She has covered 
the military, the Pentagon, Congress and the defense industry for 
nearly two decades as editor of NDIA's National Defense. . .
                                 ______
                                 

   REUTERS--MONEY NEWS SEPTEMBER 4, 2020/6:10 AM/UPDATED 3 YEARS AGO

          Exclusive: White House asks U.S. agencies to detail

                       all China-related funding

                          By David Shepardson

    WASHINGTON (Reuters)--The White House has asked U.S. government 
agencies for extensive details of any funding that seeks to counter 
China's global influence and business practices, or supports Beijing, 
amid growing tensions between Washington and Beijing.


    FILE PHOTO: Chinese and U.S. flags flutter near The Bund, before 
U.S. trade delegation meet their Chinese counterparts for talks in 
Shanghai, China July 30, 2019. REUTERS/Aly Song/File Photo

    According to an Aug. 27 White House Office of Management and Budget 
(OMB) document seen by Reuters, the OMB directed U.S. agencies to 
submit ``cross-cutting data on Federal funding that aids or supports 
China, or that directly or indirectly counters China's unfair 
competition and malign activities and influence globally.''
    China denies it engages in unfair competitive practices.
    The document, titled ``Strategic Competition with China Crosscut,'' 
does not say how the information will be used other than that it will 
``inform policymakers'' of the myriad ways U.S. government spending 
involves China.
    The United States and China have grown antagonistic toward each 
other with disagreements that stretch from a two-year-old trade war, to 
the Trump administration blaming Beijing for a lack of transparency 
about the spread of COVID-19.
    The sweeping budget data request will be used to help policymakers 
and notes all funding should ``reflect strategic priorities'' when 
responding to China.
    Some U.S. programs and spending under review dates back a decade or 
more. The document directs Federal agencies to respond by Sept. 21.
    A spokesman for OMB confirmed the agency effort, telling Reuters 
that ``to ensure that the United States remains strong and in a 
position of strength against rival nations like China, OMB has asked 
Federal agencies for all funding meant to counter China, or which could 
aid China.''
    The memo includes instructions on how to submit both classified and 
unclassified U.S. spending details and seeks details of all U.S. 
government funding directed for spending inside China.
    The White House document asks for data for all U.S. government 
funding used to ``counter malign Chinese influence or behavior 
incongruent with American interests.''
    It cites as examples ``funding for programming to counter the One 
Belt One Road (OBOR) or Belt and Road Initiative (BRI); funding for 
military operations, equipment and infrastructure, the primary purpose 
of which is to deter aggressive Chinese behavior.''
    It also seeks details of ``secondary'' U.S. efforts on China like 
``marginal contributions which were necessary to maintain a U.S. lead 
over China in terms of voting power within key international 
organizations'' and funding for other U.S. efforts.
    The document also seeks data on U.S. government funding for 
programs whose primary purpose is to counter Chinese technological 
prowess in key sectors like 5G and wireless communications, 
semiconductors, artificial intelligence and machine learning, quantum 
computing, cyber and system security, advanced manufacturing and 
robotics, autonomous and electric vehicles, biotechnology, advanced 
energy, and space technologies.
    The White House sought details of spending on technical assistance 
from U.S. government experts, bilateral funding for the U.S.-China 
Clean Energy Research center and any other U.S. bilateral economic 
assistance programs.
    It also seeks data on ``HHS (Health and Human Services) funding for 
CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), NIH (National 
Institutes of Health) and other programming in China.''
    The request also seeks details on any spending that ``would overall 
contribute to Chinese GDP or technical capacities, including to Chinese 
government or military entities, State-owned commercial or industrial 
entities and entities functionally directed by'' Chinese government 
leadership as well as grants or credit provided by U.S. supported 
international organizations.
    Agencies must submit data on 2019 and 2020 budgets enacted into 
law, the 2021 Trump budget proposal and 2022 agency budget requests.
    The budget review is just the latest effort that could lead to more 
actions against China.
    Last week the United States blacklisted 24 Chinese companies and 
targeted individuals it said were part of construction and military 
actions in the South China Sea, the first such U.S. sanctions move 
against Beijing over the disputed strategic waterway.

    Senator Gardner. Thank you. Administrator Bridenstine, do 
you agree that China has a clear history of stealing American 
intellectual property?
    Mr. Bridenstine. There is no question.
    Senator Gardner. And the Reuters story that the Chairman 
kindly entered into the record there regarding OMB's request to 
Federal agencies, I would like to share a quote from the 
article which reads, ``a spokesman for OMB confirmed that 
agency effort telling Reuters that to ensure the U.S. remains 
strong and in a position of strength against rival nations like 
China, OMB has asked Federal agencies for all funding meant to 
counter China or which could aid China.'' Do you share the 
White House's concern and belief that we should be taking a 
hard look at how our efforts at the Federal level could be 
benefiting China?
    Mr. Bridenstine. Yes.
    Senator Gardner. Do you agree we should be concerned with 
potential Chinese interest seeking to invest in U.S. companies 
and what that could mean to our economic and national security?
    Mr. Bridenstine. Yes.
    Senator Gardner. Given your answers to those questions, do 
you agree it only makes sense for NASA to consider Chinese 
investment as part of its contracting process?
    Mr. Bridenstine. Yes. I think the answer is absolutely 100 
percent, yes. And just so you know, we are grateful for your 
leadership on this. I can tell you are very passionate. I would 
also say how that is done really matters to NASA. What we have 
to do as an agency is make sure that we don't put ourselves in 
the role of CFIUS or we don't put ourselves in the role of the 
Department of Justice or the FBI.
    We have to be really careful that we do the things that we 
are good at like getting to the moon and onto Mars. We have to 
be careful about how--100 percent agree with everything you 
just said, but we are not really an investigative agency, so we 
need to be careful about how we go about doing this.
    Senator Gardner. Well, I just want to make sure that we are 
investigating Chinese investments into U.S. aerospace companies 
and making sure that we are treating NASA as important to this 
issue as we are TikTok, with Chinese investments and concerns.
    I would think that our aerospace, national security space 
interests, Space Force, Space Command and NASA are equally 
important. That we give the attention to that with China, in 
regards to China as we do to TikTok with China. Administrator 
Bridenstine, thank you. Mr. Chairman, thank you for your time.
    The Chairman. Well, thank you very much, Senator Gardner. 
Let me say, there are no other Senators in line. I have another 
question, but a note. A number of offices are listening, and if 
members of the Committee intend to ask questions, they should 
let us know, because if not, this may be the last round of 
questioning.
    Mr. Administrator, let's talk about the enhanced upper 
stage, EUS or Block B. The enhanced upper stage will allow NASA 
to make full use of the SLS. I am concerned that the budget 
request defers funding to develop this. How necessary is this 
and what suggestion do you have for the Senate and the House?
    Mr. Bridenstine. Yes, sir. So to start, because Congress 
and the Senate have fully funded all of our activities for the 
exploration upper stage--just so you know, those activities are 
underway, and we are, you know, getting to the point now where 
we have got, you know, key decision point C or, you know, 
critical design review right in front of us. So all of this to 
say that----
    The Chairman. We are talking enhanced upper stage.
    Mr. Bridenstine. Yes, sir. Yes.
    The Chairman. Alright.
    Mr. Bridenstine. Well, EUS, some people call it enhanced, 
some people call it exploration upper stage, but we are talking 
about the same.
    The Chairman. Good. Just want to make clear.
    Mr. Bridenstine. And so, to the extent that we have an 
exploration upper stage or an enhanced upper stage, that would 
be gratefully beneficial to the agency and we can use it. And 
so that is important to note. It is also true that when we go 
to the moon by 2024 with Artemis 3, we are going to be going 
with what is called an interim cryogenic propulsion stage, 
ICPS.
    That ICPS is already--you know, it is a system that is in 
place that we can use and will get us to the moon by 2024. When 
we think about what happens beyond that, depending on if the 
Senate and the House make it available to us, we can certainly 
use the exploration upper stage or the enhanced upper stage. At 
this point, we think that there are opportunities to use 
commercial vehicles potentially in the future. But of course, 
all options are, you know, should be considered.
    The Chairman. Thank you. Senator Udall is next.

                 STATEMENT OF HON. TOM UDALL, 
                  U.S. SENATOR FROM NEW MEXICO

    Senator Udall. OK. You got me there?
    The Chairman. We can hear you. We can hear you well.
    Senator Udall. OK. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, for the 
recognition, and let me welcome the Administrator here. I 
remember having a good conversation with him when he came 
through so good to see you. Satellite servicing and debris 
removal will become an increasingly important part of space 
operations as low Earth orbit and other heavily populated 
orbits become increasingly congested by small satellites.
    Last October, I introduced Senate Resolution 386, a 
resolution supporting improvements in space, situational 
awareness, and advances in technology, and calling for 
international cooperation to address the increasing dangerous 
of space debris. Do you support the kind of improvements to and 
advancements in situational awareness technology called for in 
my resolution?
    Mr. Bridenstine. Yes, sir, without question. The challenge 
that we have as an agency--not as an agency, but as a Federal 
Government is data. And so we need the ability to get as much 
information on the debris that is in low Earth orbit as 
possible to keep our missions safe. Yes, sir. We need new, 
more, and better technology and data.
    Senator Udall. Appreciate that answer. How important is it 
to ensure international cooperation on this issue and implement 
the 21 guidelines for space sustainability agreed to by the 
United Nations Committee on Peaceful Uses of Outer Space?
    Mr. Bridenstine. So without international support, you 
know, we end up, you know, not getting the results that we are 
going to need. So without question, the United States of 
America is the preeminent space nation, but others are very 
rapidly developing and deploying space assets and creating 
debris that needs to be dealt with. So I am very supportive of 
international agreements that mitigate the debris. And, of 
course, international agreements that enable us to see and 
respond to the debris as well.
    Senator Udall. Thank you for that answer. New Mexico's 
space industry is growing rapidly. Companies such as Virgin 
Galactic, SpinLaunch, and Up Aerospace call New Mexico home. 
And I am glad to hear that NASA is beginning to partner with 
some of these commercial spaceflight companies as well as 
others. Besides using these commercials space entities to 
eventually take individuals to the International Space Station 
and conduct their training for NASA personnel, is this an 
opportunity for NASA to increase other experiments and tests 
conducted from places like Spaceport America in New Mexico? And 
if so, what sort of experiments and testing would NASA conduct?
    Mr. Bridenstine. Yes, sir, we do these activities through 
what we call the Flight Opportunities Program, which is 
resident in the Space Technology Mission Directorate at NASA. 
That Flight Opportunities Program has already conducted, I 
think it is over 700 different experiments and technology 
demonstrations using commercial suborbital vehicles, everything 
from vertical takeoff and landing, using rockets to horizontal 
takeoff and landing using rockets, but also high altitude 
balloons.
    And so we have done hundreds of these kind of experiments 
and there are huge opportunities in front of us. So the value 
is, if you are trying to get access to microgravity, there is 
really only a couple of ways to do it. One is, you know, a drop 
tower. You drop something, you know, from the top of a building 
and you have got a second or two of microgravity. After that, 
we have parabolic flight where you take an airplane and you put 
it on a parabolic trajectory and you can get 20 to 30 seconds 
of microgravity.
    After that, you have to fly all the way to the 
International Space Station, which is, you know, tens of 
millions of dollars and, of course, very challenging. It takes 
years of training, for example. But that commercial suborbital 
capability that you just mentioned gives us a great opportunity 
to do experiments for 5 or 10 minutes in microgravity, which is 
a lot more than the 20 or 30 seconds we can get from a 
parabolic flight. What does that mean? We can test things. You 
ask what kind of things we could test.
    Well, right now we have been using it to prove that we can 
do 3-D printing in microgravity, which is very difficult, but 
it can be done and we are proving that, that we can create the 
technologies capable of doing that. 3D printing is hugely 
valuable when you do spaceflight because you want to take as 
few things as possible but be able to make things in space. We 
think about cryogenic management. How do fluids move in a 
microgravity kind of environment? So we use these kind of 5 or 
10 minute flights for those types of activities. Fluids are 
critically important to spaceflight and different fluids 
operate very differently in microgravity.
    Understanding that is necessary as we progress in our 
missions and not having to fly those kind of experiments all 
the way to the International Space Station is hugely valuable 
to the taxpayer of the United States of America. You know, 
there are other experiments that we do. We are looking at--in 
fact, right now, for the first time, one of my initial 
initiatives as the NASA Administrator was what about human 
tended payloads?
    A lot of these experiments are conducted by university 
researchers or private institutions, and some of them wanted 
human tended payloads. Well, we now have an opportunity to 
accept human tended payloads. Wouldn't be NASA astronauts, but 
they would be commercial, suborbital scientists or researchers 
that can fly on these commercial vehicles funded by NASA. So 
that is a huge development that we have just put forward.
    And I think eventually we are going to be able to use these 
vehicles to, in fact, fly American astronauts as well for 
training and experiments and other capabilities. So I really 
think, Senator Udall, there is a great future here with 
commercial suborbital vehicles.
    Senator Udall. Thank you, Mr. Administrator, for that 
excellent answer, and good to see the good work you are doing 
over there at NASA. I yield back, Mr. Chairman.
    Mr. Bridenstine. Thank you, sir.
    The Chairman. I think the bipartisan sentiment expressed by 
Senator Udall is widely shared. Senator Capito.

            STATEMENT OF HON. SHELLEY MOORE CAPITO, 
                U.S. SENATOR FROM WEST VIRGINIA

    Senator Capito. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. And Administrator 
Bridenstine, it is nice to see you again, however remotely. I 
really enjoyed your visit to West Virginia when we renamed the 
IV&V Center for West Virginian's own Katherine Johnson. She has 
since passed away since we met and she was quite a pioneer. So 
the 700 jobs across the state that NASA has and the billions of 
dollars of economic output of NASA was really--great 
partnerships all throughout our state, particularly in the 
regions that we were in.
    I would like to ask a quick question. It is more on the 
appropriations side that--you know, I support NASA leveraging 
innovation and investment that you all bring about. But it 
seems that NASA's plan to develop a moon lander differs from 
the usual contracting approach that NASA has taken and has used 
on development of other major programs and spacecraft. I wonder 
if you could talk about that. Have you found it beneficial, and 
how is that rolled out?
    Mr. Bridenstine. Yes, ma'am. It is a critically important 
question. When we think about these successes that we have had 
with the Commercial Crew program, for example, which we just 
saw--you know, we launched our American astronauts on a 
commercial vehicle, which was fantastic. The goal that we have 
in that activity, as well as commercial resupply of the 
International Space Station, the goal that we have is 
ultimately for NASA to be one customer of many customers in a 
very robust commercial marketplace for human activities in low 
Earth orbit.
    But also we want to have numerous suppliers that are 
competing against each other on cost and on innovation and on 
safety. And we have achieved that with Commercial Resupply, 
now, Commercial Crew. We also want to start now Commercial 
Habitation. So commercial space stations themselves.
    So this is kind of the progression. The question that we 
had to answer was, given all of the programs that NASA has had 
in its history, if we are going to go to the moon as quickly as 
possible, how do we want to organize our efforts? And the 
decision that we made was we are going to model this after 
Commercial Resupply and Commercial Crew. And so we said, we are 
going to partner with commercial industry to go sustainably to 
the moon, again with the intent that they get customers, maybe 
not initially but eventually, that are not NASA and where they 
are competing against each other on cost and innovation and on 
safety.
    And if we can do that, we can drive down costs, we can 
increase access. We can we can have sustainability at the moon, 
which the Apollo program never delivered on. And that is 
ultimately our goal. Our goal is to figure out how do we have a 
program where we go to the moon and stay. And that commercial 
capability is ultimately what we think is a big part of that 
success that we are going to see in the future.
    Senator Capito. So in the initial--in the phase in which 
you are in right now, are you finding this there are those 
private and commercial entities that want to join the space, 
that there is enough to provide for competition? Or is this 
something that maybe our educational institutions and other 
private businesses could be developing toward? What are you 
finding in that space?
    Mr. Bridenstine. So right now, ma'am, we had initially, 
when we did this program to start, we had five proposals and a 
number of those proposals had large capital investments behind 
them from the private sector already. So I think that there is 
lots of capability here already. We have selected three of 
those five proposals.
    And then, of course, we are grateful for the funding that 
we got from the House and the Senate for what we call the base 
period. So now we have got three commercial lunar landers under 
development right now in the base period which ends in February 
2021. And then from that point in February, we are going to 
make a determination whether or not there is one, two, or even 
three of those companies that we believe can get to the moon as 
soon as 2024. And so I would say, yes, ma'am, we have had a lot 
of support from private industry for this activity.
    Senator Capito. Good. I introduced with the Senator Sinema 
the 21st Century Space Grant Modernization Act, which is 
included in the reauthorization that passed. And I think you 
and I have talked about how the space grant program really 
benefits people all across this country. Have you had any stops 
and starts during the COVID era with this? Are you still 
processing their proposals in a timely fashion, and what are 
the steps of that program?
    Mr. Bridenstine. So as of right now, ma'am, we are OK. But 
it is going to be more challenging as time goes on for sure. So 
we provide grants to universities for them to deliver on 
specific tasking. And, of course, universities are having 
challenges delivering on that tasking, the same as NASA, when 
we do things at our centers. If we have, you know, an outbreak 
at a center, our people can't go to work anymore than the 
people at a university can go to work. So this is a nationwide 
challenge that we are going to have to deal with.
    So there is a day in the future when we are going to have 
to make tough decisions. And those decisions are going to be 
maybe we don't start a new project and we use the funding that 
we receive for the continuation of the projects that have 
fallen behind. Or we are going to have to come back to the 
House and the Senate and request additional appropriations in 
order to do the new starts.
    So I want to be clear, there is an impact from COVID. We 
have been successful as an agency moving forward with missions 
that we call essential, and now we are opening up very rapidly 
missions that we call mission critical functions, which would 
have an impact to the agency, but they are not quite as high of 
an urgency as mission essential functions. But there will be an 
impact for a lot of missions that are not in those two 
categories. And a lot of those early technology readiness level 
capabilities that universities are involved in are going to see 
challenges.
    Senator Capito. Thank you. Thank you. I yield back. Thank 
you.
    The Chairman. Thank you, Senator Capito. Senator Peters.

                STATEMENT OF HON. GARY PETERS, 
                   U.S. SENATOR FROM MICHIGAN

    Senator Peters. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. And Administrator 
Bridenstine, good to have you here and hear your testimony. 
Congress just recently passed a bipartisan PROSWIFT Act that I 
authored with Senator Gardner to better predict and mitigate 
the threats of the geomagnetic storms and other space weather. 
And if the COVID 19 pandemic has taught us anything, that we 
need to be prepared for disruptions that can upend our economy 
in a significant way.
    And Administrator, I know that you are the author of a 
similar bill when you were serving in the House. So I know you 
can talk quite a bit about this topic. And just would like to 
get your sense of your concern about impacts of space weather 
and what they can have on everyday lives and the significant 
threat that they pose, and why this legislation is important, 
why you authored it in the House, and now that it is passed 
into law, what can we expect?
    Mr. Bridenstine. Yes, sir. Senator Peters, you and Senator 
Gardner should be absolutely commended for leading on this 
issue. You know, I was happy to support it in the House when I 
was there, but certainly without your leadership, it would not 
have happened. And working on it for all of these years from 
2015, finally getting it done. I know that wasn't easy. But 
this is going to have huge impacts for America's human 
spaceflight capability. We think about the Artemis program and 
going to the moon. We are building a space station called 
Gateway. It is a small space station around the moon for--and 
in order to enable the reusability of human landers.
    But we think about Buzz Aldrin and Neil Armstrong on the 
surface of the moon in 1969. Had they been there longer than 
they were, they would have been hit with a solar flare from the 
sun. And that would have damaged them, and in fact, could have 
very well ended their lives early. But we didn't know that back 
then. Now we do know that. So understanding the sun, the solar 
winds, solar radiation, we think about coronal mass ejections 
and solar flares, these are things that we have to understand 
very well if we are going to have a sustainable presence beyond 
the Van Allen radiation belts.
    And that is our goal. We want to explore space. And this 
bill is going to go a long ways to enabling us to have the 
early warning that we need and to be able to do the research 
necessary to even predict, to warn people based on the 
prediction not just the detection of those kind of activities.
    Senator Peters. As the Ranking Member of the Armed Services 
Emerging Threats subcommittee, I was pleased to see in the 
Memorandum of Understanding announced last week that General 
Raymond and the Space Force that highlighted the importance of 
completing the survey of near Earth objects. These hazardous 
objects impact the Earth, as you know, and pose a threat to our 
safety, security, and to our military. The NASA Reauthorization 
Act of 2019 includes an amendment that I authored to direct the 
Secretary of Defense to support NASA's work in the area.
    And the importance of this was highlighted with the 
discovery of Comet NEOWISE earlier this year, which was 
previously unknown. Can you talk briefly about the importance 
of completing the survey of hazardous objects, something that 
Americans consistently list as a top priority for NASA, and how 
the Department of Defense can help, particularly with respect 
to the deployment of a new space based telescope to better 
track these threats?
    Mr. Bridenstine. Yes, sir. Again, critically important to 
the Nation and the world, in fact. You know, I have often said 
and others have said, you know, the dinosaurs didn't have a 
space program and it didn't help them. So we think back to 2013 
was my first year in the House of Representatives and we saw 
the Chelyabinsk incident where we had this asteroid come in and 
explode over Russia. And while it didn't kill anybody that we 
know of, it resulted in over 1,000 people going to the hospital 
and broken windows and damaged buildings. And that was that was 
an asteroid. I don't remember how big it was, but it was on the 
something like 30 meters big in diameter. So we think about 
that incident. Then we think about how those incidents happened 
throughout history. There have been other incidents.
    So in the early 1900s, there was an incident that took out 
like 800 square miles in Russia, for example. So, yes, we need 
to be able to detect these objects. We need to make sure that 
we do have a near Earth objects surveillance mission, 
partnering with the United States Space Force. We are doing 
that already with the space surveillance telescope down in 
Australia, NASA and partnered with, at the time it was Air 
Force Base Command, to put our own algorithms into their 
mission.
    Their mission, of course, is to detect nefarious activities 
in space. Our mission is to look for bolides in space. But we 
put our algorithms into their space telescope. It is now in 
Australia delivering great work for the Air Force or Space 
Force now. And we as an agency get to detect bolides. So that 
is a great partnership and extending that partnership into new 
domains would be--we would be very supportive of that.
    Senator Peters. Alright. Thank you for your testimony. I 
appreciate it.
    Mr. Bridenstine. Yes, sir. Thank you.
    The Chairman. Thank you, Senator Peters. Senator Thune.

                 STATEMENT OF HON. JOHN THUNE, 
                 U.S. SENATOR FROM SOUTH DAKOTA

    Senator Thune. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Administrator 
Bridenstine, welcome to the Committee. Did you make your annual 
trek to South Dakota?
    Mr. Bridenstine. I have not. COVID might have gotten in the 
way of that one, but there will be another day.
    Senator Thune. Good. Well, and you are little busy and we 
appreciate that. The global space economy has greatly expanded 
over the last 10 years, meaning that United States leadership 
in space is more critical now than ever before. And I think, as 
you know, we have lots of discussions around here about 
allocation of tax dollars, how to get the best return, whether 
or not investments in some areas make sense.
    So could you describe how the American taxpayer stands to 
benefit from continued investment in NASA missions and programs 
and what this investment means for job growth, technological 
advancement, and economic prosperity in the United States?
    Mr. Bridenstine. Yes, sir. So I will just start with maybe 
a little history here. When we think about the Apollo program, 
a lot of people didn't really know what was going to 
materialize from the Apollo program. But right now we are 
having a hearing and these cameras are on and people are 
watching all over the country using Direct TV or Dish Network 
or Internet broadband from space. They might be listening to it 
on the radio with XM Radio.
    So these are communication capabilities born from this 
little agency called NASA, all tied to that early, you know, 
NASA era. We think about how we navigate with GPS and how that 
has fundamentally transformed the American economy. We think 
about precision agriculture, critically important to South 
Dakota, for example. We are using space assets right now in 
order to sense the Earth and every part of the electromagnetic 
spectrum and make determinations as to how can we increase crop 
yields while reducing water usage by as much as 25 percent.
    And so that is going to feed more of the world than ever 
before. So how we produce food, how we produce energy cleanly 
so that, you know, pipe pipelines, we can detect leaks early, 
shut those leaks down for, you know, greenhouse gases so that 
energy companies don't get fined by the EPA, for example.
    So NASA is playing a role there. The way we do disaster 
relief is dependent on a lot of these technologies that NASA 
has developed. We don't do disaster relief, but we have 
developed these technologies that have now been commercialized 
that the Government benefits from. We think about how we 
predict weather, how we understand climate and how it is 
changing, and, of course, national security and defense. So 
many capabilities that that NASA initiated have been utilized 
by the Department of Defense and vice versa.
    If you go back in time, it was intercontinental ballistic 
missiles that first launched, for example, Alan Shepard, to 
space. So, I think these technology development programs have 
demonstrated that, you know, we really don't know at the end of 
the day where all of it goes, but we know this, the investment, 
the return on investment is huge. Now, those are things that we 
really can't measure.
    But I hear a lot, as the NASA Administrator, I hear about 
Tang and Velcro, for example, because of the Apollo program and 
how those were, you know, I guess, very nostalgic kind of 
capabilities that were promoted in the Apollo era. But it goes 
so far beyond that. But we did an economic impact study because 
I wanted to understand what is the impact, and disregarding 
everything I just mentioned, just the direct economic impact to 
the United States for the year 2019 was $64 billion.
    And it was 312,000 jobs in the United States of America, 
you know, directly impacted from NASA investments and 
capabilities. So all of that, I think, is tremendously 
valuable. And I think, if you want to get a very specific 
return on investment, it is very--it is hard to measure that. 
You know, we have been working remotely and I use this little 
camera that is in my cell phone. That camera was developed for 
a Mars mission in the 1990s, and then it was licensed by Nokia, 
for example, and put into a phone. And all of a sudden now 
everybody on the globe has these cell phones with cameras in 
them that are used to communicate all over the world.
    And of course, that has been proven to be very valuable, 
during the COVID era especially. So I think the return that we 
get from NASA is overwhelming and well worth--sir, I think 
maybe sometimes it is missed by the public that we as an agency 
get about one third of 1 percent of the Federal budget, like 
less than half of 1 percent of the Federal budget. And the 
return on that has been just astonishing.
    Senator Thune. Indeed. And it is a long and a very good 
list and one that probably I guess a lot of us sometime don't 
appreciate just how much impact that has had. Very quickly, 
could you share any updates on the development of optical 
communication technologies at NASA and the potential of these 
innovations to improve the NASA missions in low Earth orbit and 
beyond?
    Mr. Bridenstine. Yes, sir. So optical communications, 
basically get a very high frequency, which means you can pack a 
lot more data so you get very high data rates, and optical 
communications, the spectrum is very narrow and so you are able 
to prevent jamming in ways that you can't do with radio 
communications. And you can actually communicate from a lot 
further away with larger data rates. So it focuses the energy 
specifically where you want the energy to go.
    For example, when we communicate from Mars with a high 
aperture antenna, you know, it is hitting the entire Earth and 
a lot of the signal isn't hitting the Earth at all, which is 
just wasted energy. But if you can put it into optical 
communications and narrowly focus it, you can target not just 
the Earth, but you can target a very specific point on the 
Earth, maybe an area the size of the State of South Dakota, for 
example.
    So optical communications have tremendously valuable 
impacts. Right now, we are partnering with the Space Force to 
do a laser communication technology demonstrator that they are 
going to fly on our behalf and we are going to use that kind of 
technology to communicate the great data and information that 
we get in future missions to Mars or other places in the solar 
system.
    Senator Thune. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
    The Chairman. Thank you, Senator Thune. Senator Sinema.

               STATEMENT OF HON. KYRSTEN SINEMA, 
                   U.S. SENATOR FROM ARIZONA

    Senator Sinema. Well, thank you, Mr. Chairman. And thank 
you to our Administrator for testifying today. NASA partners 
with universities and those partnerships provide significant 
benefits both to NASA and to the universities. All three 
Arizona public universities, the University of Arizona, Arizona 
State University, and Northern Arizona University provide 
students with hands on STEM education and research 
opportunities thanks to the Space Grant Program and other NASA 
partnerships. For example, the University of Arizona is a 
leader on the OSIRIS-REx mission, which will bring the first 
asteroid sample to Earth.
    And at ASU, the Psyche mission marks the first time a 
university has led a deep space NASA mission. Once the 
spacecraft launches in 2023 and arrives at the asteroid in 
2030, the Psyche ASU team will be the first scientists to study 
an asteroid, which is remarkably similar to a planetary core. 
In the past, Administrator, you have testified to this 
committee that university led missions are more likely to be on 
schedule and under budget. I appreciate your continued support 
for these valuable NASA university partnerships. But just last 
week, I learned of some potential changes to the near Earth 
Object Surveillance Mission at the University of Arizona and 
that raises some important questions.
    As you know, in 2005, Congress required NASA to discover 90 
percent of near Earth objects 140 meters and larger by 2020. 
The University of Arizona's Dr. Amy Mainzer has been a leader 
on this issue for years and has led the precursor projects in 
this area. Three months ago, NASA approved an organizational 
plan that took Dr. Mainzer on the role of survey director for 
the surveillance mission. But last week, without any 
consultation, NASA decided to remove her from the survey 
director role and transfer the mission leadership to NASA's Jet 
Propulsion Laboratory Center. Could you explain this decision 
to transfer the mission leadership?
    Mr. Bridenstine. Yes. So thank you for the question, 
Senator Sinema. And I will say that I have been briefed on 
this. I can tell you that we are 100 percent committed to the 
Neo surveillance mission. And I can also tell you that Dr. Amy 
Mainzer is somebody that NASA highly regards. And she is in the 
lead on this project and she will be in the lead on this 
project, period. That is going to happen.
    I will also say that I think the issue here was a 
communication error. And I would also say that, you know, Dr. 
Zurbuchen, and I know Dr. Zurbuchen has been working this 
issue. He is the head of the Science Mission Directorate at 
NASA. I will tell you, he is 100 percent committed to this 
mission and making sure that we get this organizational 
structure right. But I think this has--and I want to be really 
careful with what I say here. But I think this issue has been 
resolved and I think it has been resolved in a way that is very 
favorable to all parties. And just know that we want to make 
sure that we are getting this done right. And I will make sure 
that Dr. Zurbuchen is in communications with your office 
regularly on this issue.
    Senator Sinema. I appreciate that very much, Administrator. 
We have not heard any information since last week clarifying 
this change. And of course, as you can imagine, we in Arizona 
are very interested in ensuring that the University of Arizona 
and Dr. Mainzer retain this position in this very important 
mission in partnership with NASA. So I will move on to my next 
question summit. Some in NASA have said that direct admissions 
need to be let out of NASA centers and not universities.
    Now, we know that is not a statutory requirement and it 
appears to be inconsistent with the evidence that university 
led missions such as OSIRIS-REx have proven to be cost 
effective. Can you talk a little about your position? Should 
direct missions be led out of a NASA center or is university-
led appropriate?
    Mr. Bridenstine. I think there is a lot of opportunities to 
have these missions led by universities. I think the two that 
you highlighted are perfect examples of missions that have been 
very successful from universities. And these are not small 
missions. We are talking about OSIRIS-REx, which for the first 
time--you know, we have never been able to orbit an object like 
OSIRIS-REx is now orbiting. It is an asteroid in deep space 
called Bennu.
    And in fact, we are going to do for the first time in 
American history, in October, we are going to go down and we 
are going to grab some material from Bennu for the first time 
ever and bring that back to Earth. So an asteroid return 
mission and that mission, of course, is led by the University 
of Arizona. And then, of course, you mentioned Psyche, which is 
in the asteroid belt on the other side of Mars in front of 
Jupiter, but a huge steel ball that is likely to be a planetary 
core that came apart at some point.
    And we have never been able to study a planetary core 
before and now we are going to be able to do it. And it is led 
by Arizona State University. These two missions, I think, are 
perfect examples of what can happen when you have the 
university lead. And I know you are very well aware of this and 
you are a champion of it. But when a university leads, you get 
the scientists and the engineers that are sitting side by side 
and making determinations. So NASA comes in and we say, hey, 
here is the budget and here is the schedule. What can you do? 
The universities propose and other nonprofit kind of research 
institutes they propose.
    When NASA selects the university, you get the scientists, 
the engineers, and they are forced to make trades early in the 
process. And because of those trades, they are able to keep a 
schedule and they are able to keep budget. So the engineer 
says, well, you know, we are not going to be able to achieve 
this, what if we did this instead? And the scientists can say, 
well, that will result in our ability to collect the science 
instead of that science and evaluate it this way instead of 
that way.
    And those trades made early in the process results in 
schedule and budget actually being maintained. And even better 
is that students get involved. And so graduate students, even 
undergraduate students. So it is really--it is Government, it 
is academia, and it is students that come together, make it 
happen, and keeps cost and schedule, and then you have students 
that are graduating with hands on experience that is 
tremendously valuable for our agency and our partners to help 
us develop capabilities. So I am a huge advocate of enabling 
universities as much as possible.
    Senator Sinema. I appreciate that. Thank you, Administrator 
Bridenstine. And thank you, Mr. Chair. I yield back.
    The Chairman. Thank you very much, Senator Sinema. Senator 
Sullivan is next.

                STATEMENT OF HON. DAN SULLIVAN, 
                    U.S. SENATOR FROM ALASKA

    Senator Sullivan. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Can 
you hear me?
    The Chairman. Yes. We can hear you.
    Senator Sullivan. OK, great. Thank you, Mr. Chairman and 
Administrator Bridenstine. Thank you for your testimony. You 
know, one of the things that I wanted--and you know, you and I 
have talked about this quite a lot, but NASA's history of 
inspiring Americans, particularly young Americans. And with the 
50th anniversary of the Apollo mission last year, I think, 
which had a lot of inspirational moments, you know, I think you 
have read this book.
    You and I talked about this American Moonshot, which is a 
great book by Douglas Brinkley on the Apollo missions. I 
actually think that with the work you are doing right now, the 
Artemis program, the work that other agencies, not other 
agencies, but companies like SpaceX and others are doing, it is 
an incredible moment for the next generation to be inspired, 
young Americans to work for you, to get involved in this 
mission, to get involved in the vision. You were just talking 
to Senator Sinema about your collaboration with universities. 
You know, I have raised the issue of the movie ``The Martian'' 
a couple of times.
    One of my favorite movies in part because it is so 
inspiring for young people. Can you tell me a little bit more 
detail what you are doing, kind of, to really inspire the next 
generation of Americans, young Americans, who we can rely on 
for their science and technology expertise to really get them 
not only involved, but leading on the next exciting phases of 
NASA's mission?
    Mr. Bridenstine. Yes, sir. So I will tell you the biggest 
thing that we can do as an agency to inspire that next 
generation that you talk about is we have to do stunning 
achievements. And as you identify, that is really what the 
American Moonshot was all about in the 1960s and that is what 
the Artemis program is all about today.
    So when we think back to the 1960s, if you walk around 
people at NASA today and you ask them what made you get 
involved in the space, you know, business, the ones who are old 
enough will tell you that, you know, they can tell you exactly 
where they were when Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin were 
walking on the moon. And then, of course, we did five moon 
missions after that. Every single one of them was impressive 
and inspiring. And that got that generation inspired to do 
space.
    I will tell you, my generation, we were inspired by the 
space shuttles. I remember the first space shuttle launch. I 
was in kindergarten. And then we think about, you know, some of 
the setbacks that we saw with the shuttles, the Challenger and 
Columbia. And my generation, we remember exactly where we were 
when those events happened. And I will also tell you----
    Senator Sullivan. Sorry to interrupt, but can I just ask 
you, what is NASA doing----
    Mr. Bridenstine. Yes, sir.
    Senator Sullivan.--right now to help get the word out? Are 
you going to campuses? Are you recruiting? Are you 
collaborating with Hollywood? I mean, what are you doing right 
now to actively get--because I think we are at this moment? It 
is very exciting.
    And I think that the young people that I talk to see this 
as a great opportunity. But what are you doing exactly with 
some specifics to reach out, make them understand, and really 
get to a point where we can inspire a next generation of 
Americans to lead on these really important issues and of 
course, would have all kinds of knock off effects that are 
positive for our country, our society, like the Apollo missions 
have?
    Mr. Bridenstine. Absolutely. Yes, sir. So we invest through 
the Science Mission Directorate into what is called First 
Robotics, which gets young people involved in robotic 
capabilities. And of course, our agency is as filled with 
people who were involved in First Robotics when they were in 
high school or even before. We are engaging universities from 
the Space Grant and MURep kind of opportunities, EPSCoR, for 
example. These are all things that enable us to reach into 
those younger folks and share with them what we are doing, but 
also get them engaged, directly engaged in the missions that we 
do. And of course, contracting with universities throughout the 
United States to do some of these big missions is actually very 
big as well.
    We started what is called the Lunar Surface Innovation 
Initiative, where we have partnered with now I think it is 
about 130 institutions across the United States using the Johns 
Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory. They are kind of the 
integrator of the program where they are they are bringing all 
of these institutions across the United States to include a lot 
of universities together to create things like surface power on 
the Moon, and dust mitigation on the Moon, and how we are going 
to maneuver rove on the Moon, these kind of things, habitation 
on the Moon.
    So, how we are going to use the resources of the moon to 
live and work for long periods of time. So we are engaging 
young people across the United States through those different 
programs. So and then, of course, you know, we even have 
programs that reach into elementary and junior high schools 
through the office of STEM Engagement at NASA. So we are doing 
what we can. You mentioned Hollywood. We are working to do 
private astronaut missions that might include some famous 
actors.
    Senator Sullivan. Right. I don't usually mention Hollywood 
in this hearings, right but I do think that there is an 
opportunity here to really inspire. There have been some great 
movies that have that ability. So are you doing anything with 
them or other media types that can get the word out?
    Mr. Bridenstine. Absolutely. So we are creating a new 
program called Private Astronaut Missions. And we are working 
every day to make sure that people who are everyday people that 
want to go to space and do things, that we are making space 
available to them. Now, those private astronaut missions are 
going to come with a price tag. We are not--we are not flying 
people to space for free. But certainly there is a lot of 
interest there from Hollywood and others. And so we are going 
to leverage all of that capability.
    The Chairman. Thank you, Senator Sullivan.
    Senator Sullivan. Great. Well, thank you, Mr. Chairman. I 
appreciate it. And if there is any other issues you want the 
Congress to work on you with that involves this issue of 
inspiring the next generation of Americans with the work that 
you are doing, let us know. I think it is a bipartisan issue 
here in the Senate that a lot of us want to get behind. So 
thank you. Keep up the good work.
    Mr. Bridenstine. Thank you, sir. And you can count on it. 
We will. We will call you.
    The Chairman. Continued bipartisan enthusiasm about this 
subject matter. Senator Blumenthal.

             STATEMENT OF HON. RICHARD BLUMENTHAL, 
                 U.S. SENATOR FROM CONNECTICUT

    Senator Blumenthal. Thanks, Mr. Chairman. And you are 
absolutely right that there is bipartisan enthusiasm. And I am 
pleased to be a supporter and very passionate supporter of 
space exploration. My recollection, perhaps reflecting my age, 
about the first space exploration by man was the Sputnik, which 
was a sign of American potential failure, and then, of course a 
great recovery by this country, not without its mishaps and 
obstacles, but very, very inspiring in the end.
    And space has always inspired man. My fear is that the 
moment that a lot of young potential scientists and explorers 
may be seeing right now is their dad being laid off from an 
aerospace company or contracting Coronavirus. On Earth here we 
have a pandemic. And I am concerned about the effects of that 
pandemic on our aerospace industry about potentially losing a 
whole class of early career scientists and losing companies 
that are struggling. I see them in my State of Connecticut and 
in particular in the area of aeronautics.
    I note that the NASA investment in aeronautics is just 3 
percent of the total budget. And I wonder whether you think 
that is sufficient, given the important impact of aeronautics, 
not only on scientific development, but also, quite honestly, 
on jobs and economic progress. Connecticut is known, as least 
we know ourselves as the aerospace alley. We are very proud of 
our role in aeronautics and aerospace. And I would like to know 
whether you think that that budget should be increased?
    Mr. Bridenstine. So I think the--a lot has changed in our 
country, as you have said, and we think about the Coronavirus 
pandemic, we think about the challenges with MAX 8. And that 
has had a devastating effect on aeronautics in general. I do 
believe that at this point in American history, now is not the 
time to rest on our laurels.
    And I think there is room for additional support that we 
are going to need. This is a huge export for our country, 
which, as you identified, creates tons of jobs and it offsets 
the trade deficit that we have around the world in a 
significant way. We saw, when Boeing had its challenges with 
MAX 8, it impacted the GDP by about half a percent. I mean, 
that is a huge impact because of aeronautics. So I think the 
lesson taken from that is that if we were to make the right 
investments, earlier Senator Cantwell asked me about a truss 
braced wing, I think that is one investment that would be 
tremendously valuable.
    But I would also say, and this might be of interest to 
Connecticut, we need small core engines, using advanced 
materials, higher pressure and temperature capabilities, 
because what we need out of our engines are higher bypass 
ratios for more fuel efficiency, fewer carbon emissions. Those 
are investments that we are investing in, in this budget, but I 
can also say that as we go forward, when we think about years 
in the future, it would be--there are very few investments I 
can think of that would have a bigger impact for the American 
economy than sustaining our leadership in aeronautics.
    Senator Blumenthal. So why not invest more? Only 3 percent 
of your budget.
    Mr. Bridenstine. So I think we have a good investment for 
this budget, for, you know, where we are right now. But I think 
as years go by, this is going to be an area that we are going 
to have to consider even more.
    Senator Blumenthal. Will you commit to a larger investment, 
given that we are in competition with other nations as well?
    Mr. Bridenstine. I can commit to that I will work toward 
that end.
    Senator Blumenthal. Let me ask about a different area, the 
Spacesuit program. As you know, on August 31st, the NASA Office 
of Inspector General notified the Congress of an impending 
audit examining NASA's management development of the next 
generation spacesuits for the lunar missions and future deep 
space exploration.
    I have concerns about the issues with the current 
acquisition strategy for that next generation spacesuit and the 
potential effect it could have on companies in Connecticut. As 
you well know, Connecticut is very deeply involved in spacesuit 
development and production. Should we be concerned that there 
are technical and schedule issues with the next generation 
spacesuit, and what are you doing about them?
    Mr. Bridenstine. Yes, sir. So the key, I think, on the 
spacesuit issue is when we go to the Moon, as you know, an 
entirely different spacesuit because you have got dust, you 
have to be able to walk. The spacesuit that we use on the moon 
is very different than the spacesuit we use to do space walks 
on the International Space Station. So what NASA is doing 
rapidly right now is developing that capability.
    And for the moon landing, for Artemis 3, we are going to be 
developing that internally, but we are doing it with an intent 
and forethought to make sure that what we want to see in the 
future is all of the production capabilities of these 
spacesuits be transferred to the commercial sector. And I think 
that follows along with our goal when we talk about the human 
landing system being developed commercially, we want spacesuits 
developed commercially as well. So we are moving toward that 
very rapidly. If there are specific things that we can work on 
together, I am happy to.
    Senator Blumenthal. Well, I would like to work with you, 
but may I suggest that engaging the industry perhaps more 
positively and proactively might be useful as well?
    Mr. Bridenstine. Yes, sir.
    Senator Blumenthal. Thank you.
    The Chairman. Thank you, Senator Blumenthal. Senator Rosen.

                STATEMENT OF HON. JACKY ROSEN, 
                    U.S. SENATOR FROM NEVADA

    Senator Rosen. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank 
you, Administrator Bridenstine, for your enthusiasm, your 
knowledge. You mentioned Tang a while ago. It brought back a 
lot of childhood memories for me. And so my mom would put Tang 
on the breakfast table. That was really a big deal for us. And 
I am glad that you also mentioned MURep because I want to talk 
about that too, women and minorities in research.
    So, of course NASA, you have several programs to support 
states with space research and to help recruit, retain STEM 
students from underrepresented populations. As you know, NASA 
EPSCoR is a joint Federal State program designed to allow more 
states like Nevada to participate in space and aeronautics 
research. The Minority University Research Education Project, 
the one that you mentioned, MURep, awards research grants to 
minority serving institutions with the goal of diversifying 
NASA's workforce as well as the larger STEM workforce.
    I am proud to know that for the first time in our state's 
history a Nevadan was selected for a three year fellowship with 
the MURep program, Alexandria Washington. She is an UNLV 
doctoral student. She is going to be working on a project to 
develop a robotic mobile platform that can traverse unique 
terrains like the kinds you are going to find perhaps on the 
Moon and explore places humans cannot yet reach.
    However, despite the success of NASA's ESPCoR, MURep, and 
other STEM education programs at NASA, the President's most 
recent budget request proposed terminating NASA's Office of 
STEM Engagement and proposed drastic cuts to funding EPSCoR, 
MURep. So Administrator Bridenstine, you are so passionate 
about these programs. Can you describe your familiarity with 
the work that MURep and EPSCoR is doing, the importance of 
increasing our diversity in scientific research?
    Mr. Bridenstine. Yes, ma'am. So I will say that the folks 
at NASA that are involved in the MURep program are doing 
amazing work. And of course, it does, in fact, pay dividends. 
It is also true that what the budget request does is it focuses 
on the mission directorates and what they are trying to achieve 
as national goals.
    And it really focuses on those activities that will help us 
achieve those national goals. Now, I would be clear, if the 
Senate funds, as the Senate has in past years, the Office of 
STEM Engagement, we are going to move forward and we are going 
to execute and those programs are going to serve NASA very 
well. But I also--.
    Senator Rosen. Do you think that you will need the programs 
and the Office of STEM Engagement? Would you like to see us do 
that and see the President support that?
    Mr. Bridenstine. Well, I will tell you, it has been 
tremendously valuable. I would also tell you that I think there 
are other opportunities to fund those types of programs that 
would be more in alignment with NASA's missions. And that is 
really where the budget is focused. But I can--say that again?
    Senator Rosen. Would you share some of those programs with 
us? Your focus then, please?
    Mr. Bridenstine. Oh, sure. So, for example, when we think 
about contracting with universities, we initiated a program 
within the Aeronautics Mission Directorate, for example, that 
is a university leadership initiative where the Aeronautics 
Mission Directorate is partnering directly with minority 
universities to engage them in aeronautics activities, to 
include unmanned aerial systems and things like that that have 
a direct impact to NASA's mission.
    We have other programs that we are doing through the 
Science Mission Directorate as it relates to robotics for going 
to the surface of the moon and other things. So I think we are 
all committed to achieving what you have highlighted is so 
important, which is creating that diversity for the workforce 
and creating that diversity for students, for opportunities. 
And I think I can very clearly say that we are committed to 
that agenda.
    Senator Rosen. I am concerned that you are trying to pull 
things into one enterprise solution, and so moving forward, I 
would really like to see, know how you plan to keep EPSCoR as a 
separate research enhancement program, not by diluting its 
mission by folding it into other programs. And, you know, 
speaking about our budget and if we scaled down, how are we 
going to then inspire those future generations, our space 
ambitions, going to Mars, going to other places if we don't 
invest in the next generation of NASA innovators?
    Mr. Bridenstine. Yes, ma'am. I think we are 100 percent 
committed to investing in that next generation and doing those 
really amazing, stunning achievements like the Artemis program 
where we are going to take not just the next man, but the first 
woman to the surface of the moon. And I can tell you, nobody is 
more excited for that than my 12 year old daughter.
    And so I think these are the kind of things that we are 
focused on and we want to move out on. And certainly engaging 
all along the way MUReps and other institutions that encourage 
that next generation to get involved in the STEM fields.
    Senator Rosen. Thank you, I appreciate your service. I 
yield back.
    The Chairman. Thank you, Senator Rosen. Senator Scott.

                 STATEMENT OF HON. RICK SCOTT, 
                   U.S. SENATOR FROM FLORIDA

    Senator Scott. Thank you, Chairman Wicker. Thank you for 
hosting this and I would just thank Chairman Wicker for his 
commitment to NASA and space exploration. You have had a lot of 
years up here and what I have watched over the years is you 
have had a significant commitment and I know it is important to 
your home state so thank you for that. As you know, NASA is 
pretty important to Florida, as it is in Mississippi and a few 
other states.
    I became Governor back in 2010 and, you know, the space 
industry was in pretty bad shape then. We got the--I think we 
lost over 7,000 jobs in 2009, the Obama cuts, and when they 
stopped manned flight. But since then, the Federal Government 
has been a good partner in the state. When I was Governor, we 
put up a lot of money every year to get space exploration and 
bring it back. And now it is unbelievable what is going on 
there. And I just want to thank NASA for their commitment to 
using the private sector to do things.
    I think it was a big deal this summer to see the SpaceX 
launch and so it was exciting to be there. I am sure your 12 
year old daughter is excited. My 8 year old grandson is 
committed to be the first man on Mars. He is very comfortable 
between that and being a paratrooper and a policeman. He has 
picked--he told his mom he has picked jobs that are not 
dangerous. And he told me that it is not dangerous to go to 
space anymore.
    Mr. Bridenstine. OK, well that means we are doing a good 
job.
    Senator Scott. But, you have created--I think what you have 
done is doing a good job of creating excitement for these young 
people. And I think that is going to pay off not just for the 
space industry, but just for STEM education in our country so 
thanks for doing that.
    Mr. Bridenstine. Thank you, sir.
    Senator Scott. So what do you need that you don't have to 
continue the goal that I know that you have and the President 
have, and the Chairman, Chairman Wicker has to continue to 
explore space and to do it in a responsible manner?
    Mr. Bridenstine. Yes, sir. I think probably the biggest 
thing, and especially for the State of Florida--and I want to 
say that the State of Florida had benefited greatly when you 
were a Governor with the establishment of Space Florida and all 
those commercial activities and your leadership on that.
    And now, you know, the Kennedy Space Center in Cape 
Canaveral being this multiuser spaceport. So the vision there 
and the execution has been very helpful to us as an agency and 
we are grateful for that. A couple of things that I think are 
important to note. We all know that the International Space 
Station is going to come to an end of its life at some point. 
It cannot last forever. And of course, it has been--you know, 
in November, we are celebrating 20 years of a continually 
occupied space station. That is a long time and amazing.
    But we need to start making the investments for what comes 
next. And that what comes next is the commercialization of low 
Earth orbit. As you have seen, we have done Commercial 
Resupply. We have now done Commercial Crew, launching American 
astronauts from the space coast there in Florida. The next big 
thing is commercial space stations. All of those resupply 
missions and those commercial crew missions need a place to go. 
And if the International Space Station comes to the end of its 
life and we don't have commercial space stations, there is 
going to be a lot of rockets that aren't going to get launched. 
And I think it is important that we fund our efforts as an 
agency for those commercial space stations.
    We have put that in the budget request in years past and it 
hasn't gotten funded. That is critically important for the 
country. China is building their own what they call the Chinese 
International Space Station. They are working very hard to 
attract our international partners, which we have helped build 
their capacity and now they are going to potentially take that 
to China. We are working to prevent that from happening.
    But at the same time, it is important for us to think about 
the architecture that we need. We need Commercial Resupply, 
Commercial Crew, Commercial Habitats. NASA needs to be a 
customer there. We will be a tenant customer. But we need to 
change the paradigm like we have done with launch vehicles. We 
need to change the paradigm for habitation in space and then 
apply what we have learned within those programs to commercial 
access to the moon.
    We are happy and excited that, you know, in November of 
next year, we are going to launch the most powerful rocket that 
has ever been built. It is currently being tested at Stennis. 
We are going to get that rocket--.
    Senator Scott. Which State does that? Yes, I wonder which 
State.
    Mr. Bridenstine. So without Mississippi, we can't get that 
rocket to Florida. And so it is an all of the above strategy 
and certainly we are excited about launching that next year. So 
I would--you asked what we need and I am making the best case I 
can that we need to start thinking about what happens next in 
low Earth orbit.
    Senator Scott. I know the Chairman will be supportive of 
trying to do space exploration. Let me just finish by just 
asking you, or thanking you. You have been a real partner in 
the Visitor's Center, and I think it does an unbelievable job 
of exciting families about what goes on in space. And so thanks 
for being a partner. I know they work really hard to try to do 
a great job and excite kids to want to explore space. So thank 
you for what you are doing.
    Mr. Bridenstine. It is an amazing place.
    Senator Scott. Thanks.
    The Chairman. Thank you, Senator Scott. And thank you for 
that shout out for the Stennis Space Center in Mississippi. 
Administrator Bridenstine, you had a little bit of a rocky 
confirmation process before this committee------
    Mr. Bridenstine. I don't remember.
    The Chairman. Well, I do. And let me just say that you have 
won over a number of skeptics and I think the bipartisan 
support for the job you are doing has been indicated very 
profoundly today and I appreciate the job you are doing. The 
drink Tang has been mentioned. Let me just say that every time 
you come on the screen today, you have been an advertisement 
for Mountain Dew, and I think that I think PepsiCo needs to 
make a great contribution to NASA based on all of the publicity 
that you have given them today.
    That said, the hearing record will remain open for two 
weeks. During this time, Senators are asked to submit any 
questions for the record. Upon receipt, our distinguished 
witness is requested to submit his written answers to the 
Committee as soon as possible.
    Mr. Bridenstine. Yes, sir.
    The Chairman. So with that, we conclude the hearing and 
express our appreciation to Administrator Bridenstine.
    Mr. Bridenstine. Thank you, Chairman.
    [Whereupon, at 11:39 a.m., the hearing was adjourned.]

                            A P P E N D I X

  Response to Written Questions Submitted by Hon. Marsha Blackburn to 
                          Hon. Jim Bridenstine
    Question 1. One of the hallmarks of NASA is its ability to 
encourage new generations of scientists and engineers by example and 
through outreach. Looking at your FY2021 budget request, however, I was 
greatly concerned seeing that you've zeroed out funding for the Office 
of STEM Engagement in favor of exploration. While I agree that 
exploration is the core mission of NASA, I think a lack of STEM 
engagement could have severe long-term consequences. How do you intend 
to engage the next generation of researchers and explorers with zero 
funding in this office?
    Answer. The functional Office of STEM Engagement at NASA 
Headquarters will continue to oversee Agency-wide strategic direction 
and coordination of NASA's STEM engagement efforts. A common vision, 
mission, and strategic goals would continue to drive NASA's future 
endeavors in STEM engagement. Through Mission Directorate activities, 
NASA would continue to create unique opportunities for a diverse set of 
students to contribute to NASA's work; build a diverse future STEM 
workforce by engaging students in authentic learning experiences with 
NASA's people, content and facilities; and attract diverse groups of 
students to STEM through learning opportunities that spark interest and 
provide connections to NASA's mission and work. NASA's mission and 
endeavors in exploration and discovery would continue to inspire the 
next generation to pursue STEM studies.

    Question 2. Like many other Americans, I'm looking forward to 
seeing the James Webb Telescope's first light in orbit. While its 
potential is immense, this project has been subject to cost overruns 
and schedule delays. The latest expected launch date of March 2021 is 
likely going to be delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This is 
understandable given the circumstances; however, I'm concerned this 
delay may result in even more of NASA's funds being siphoned away from 
other projects to support the telescope. Do you have an update on the 
expected launch date, and how do you intend to mitigate the costs 
associated with any delays?
    Answer. Earlier this year, NASA completed a planned schedule risk 
assessment for the James Webb Space Telescope (Webb) addressing 
remaining integration and test activities before launch. As a result, 
the new Launch Readiness Date for Webb is October 31, 2021, with a 
development cost estimate of $8.8 billion. NASA conducted a cost 
analysis that concluded the development budget estimate remains 
unchanged, with no increases to its lifecycle cost and adequate to fund 
Webb through launch.
                                 ______
                                 
   Response to Written Questions Submitted by Hon. Maria Cantwell to 
                          Hon. Jim Bridenstine
    Question 1. What is the status of the Transonic Truss Brace Wing 
aircraft and what are the next steps to move from planning to 
development and flight testing such an X-plane?
    Answer. The Transonic Truss Braced Wing (TTBW) concept has been 
studied by NASA and Boeing since 2008. This concept has been the 
subject of multiple wind tunnel tests, from 2011 through 2019, to study 
its performance and attributes under various simulated flight 
conditions. With each of these tests, the NASA team of researchers has 
learned more about the configuration's behavior and potential to 
significantly reduce fuel burn and carbon emissions. Specifically, in 
the 2019 tests, NASA confirmed the potential of the TTBW's aerodynamic 
efficiency at high-speed cruise conditions and the ability to integrate 
a high-lift system for low-speed take-off and landing conditions. At 
present, NASA is preparing for further low-speed tests of a TTBW model 
in the 14x22-foot wind tunnel at NASA Langley Research Center exploring 
off-nominal conditions such as ice impacts, and high-speed tests in the 
11x11-foot wind tunnel at NASA Ames Research Center exploring unique 
off-nominal, aerodynamically-induced vibration characteristics. These 
tests will provide additional insights into how the TTBW configuration 
performs throughout a range of projected flight conditions.
    Additional insights from currently planned wind tunnel testing 
could inform future decisions on potential flight testing of a TTBW 
configuration. In FY 2021, NASA plans to identify options and better 
understand the pros and cons of various flight test approaches. NASA 
recently released a Request for Information (RFI), link below, the 
responses to which will help inform options for further advancing this 
technology.
    https://beta.sam.gov/opp/9322f65e4e0d457fa0824c6dfa9692fd/
view?keywords=80
afrc21ss003&sort=-relevance&index=&is_active=true&pa.
    Once responses to the RFI are received, NASA will hold additional 
discussions with U.S. industry and with NASA subject matter experts to 
gain deeper insight into potential flight test approaches and 
associated timelines, projected costs, and necessary engagements and 
partnerships with industry.

    Question 2. What level of insight will NASA have on commercial 
spaceflight systems procured as a service?
    Answer. NASA employs varying degrees of insight that are uniquely 
tailored for each commercial spaceflight system effort. The level and 
type of insight varies based on factors such as the nature of the 
services NASA is acquiring; the risk level of these services; the 
development maturity and flight history of the spaceflight system 
providing the service in question; NASA's familiarity with, and prior 
involvement on, the capability; and whether the service procured relies 
on mature capabilities developed under prior NASA-funded efforts. For 
instance, NASA's contracts for the development and provision of crew 
transportation capabilities such as Commercial Crew and Human Landing 
System mandate substantial NASA insight into the contractors' safety 
and mission-critical development activities throughout contract 
performance. In general, NASA will have sufficient insight into any 
commercial spaceflight services contract to enable the Agency to verify 
that its requirements have been satisfactorily met.

    Question 3. In the event of a spaceflight mishap, what role do you 
think NASA should play in the investigation of a commercially licensed 
spaceflight if NASA also flies on that spacecraft or rocket?
    Answer. Since the enactment of U.S. Code, Title 51, Chapter 707 in 
2005, which requires the establishment of a Presidential Commission in 
response to many mishaps involving commercial vehicles, NASA's human 
spaceflight mission has evolved significantly. The Space Shuttles have 
been retired, and in the post-Shuttle era, the Agency's human 
spaceflight activities are becoming more varied. In addition to the 
ongoing full-time occupancy of the International Space Station (ISS), 
there are operational Commercial Crew flights to and from the ISS, and 
there will be human spaceflight missions beyond low-Earth orbit (LEO) 
with Orion and the Space Launch System (SLS), including missions to the 
lunar Gateway and to the lunar surface using contractor-provided Human 
Landing Systems (HLS). As a result, NASA will require an investigative 
process flexible enough to deal with incidents that may occur in 
different flight regimes, while responsive enough to avoid 
unnecessarily lengthy delays in safely resuming flights. This process 
must be comprehensive, transparent, responsive, tailored, and timely to 
maintain safe, continued permanent occupation of the ISS, and maintain 
the Nation's commitments to its international partners.
    NASA's Commercial Crew Program (CCP) is using commercial space 
vehicles to transport crew to the ISS and these launches are licensed 
by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Currently, the National 
Transportation Safety Board has the responsibility for investigating 
commercial human space mishaps, such as the Virgin Galactic accident in 
2014.

    Question 4. What are the testing requirements for the lunar landers 
and will NASA require in-space testing?
    Answer. The HLS procurement is designed to allow the contractors to 
propose commercial solutions and use commercial strategies and 
standards, as long as those approaches are ultimately approved by NASA 
and also meet all of NASA's contractual performance requirements. This 
philosophy, when applied to testing requirements, resulted in a 
situation in which NASA did not mandate a high number of specific 
tests, but rather, mandated technical and safety standards that 
required the contractor to develop and propose its own suggested tests. 
For example, an HLS technical standard might require the contractor to 
perform a ``demonstration of loads capability.'' But it is then up to 
the contractor to propose the specific test or demonstration that they 
will use, and when, to meet that requirement. Through each phase of the 
HLS competition, contractors are required to propose a wide variety of 
tests, including ground testing, in-space testing, and associated 
technical analyses for their respective capabilities in order to meet 
these requirements. A notable exception to this overall approach to 
testing is that NASA is requiring the HLS contractors to successfully 
execute uncrewed lunar landing tests of their HLS capabilities prior to 
performing crewed demonstrations.

    Question 5. In the aviation certification bill I am working on with 
Chairman Wicker, we called for the establishment of a ``Technical 
Certification Board'' that could advise the FAA during the 
certification of aircraft involving new technology or novel design. 
Does NASA have the expertise to advise or inform the FAA on 
certification or development of civil aircraft?
    Answer. NASA does not participate directly in the FAA certification 
process because the Agency's expertise is aligned with a different 
mission as a technical research organization. NASA conducts cutting-
edge research to generate and develop innovative concepts, 
technologies, capabilities and knowledge to enable revolutionary 
advances for a wide range of air vehicles. NASA Aeronautics works 
closely with counterparts in the FAA to coordinate and share 
information about our research activities, and through these exchanges 
can gain an understanding where there may be knowledge gaps associated 
with new and emerging areas. NASA can help provide sound, 
scientifically-based data to the FAA about our research and the current 
state of the art in associated technologies. NASA research also helps 
inform technical standards that can be integral to the certification 
process.

    Question 6. COVID-19 has negatively impacted many sectors, 
including the aerospace industry. In the CARES Act, Congress gave 
agencies the ability to extend contract flexibilities in section 3610, 
which were recently extended until mid-December. What is NASA doing to 
mitigate these impacts and to what extent are those efforts are enabled 
by section 3610?
    Answer. NASA Office of Procurement issued Procurement Information 
Circular (PIC) 20-02A entitled, ``Novel Coronavirus Disease 2019 
(COVID-19) Contractor Guidance'' on May 4, 2020, updated June 4, 2020. 
The purpose was to provide a path forward for NASA Contracting Officers 
and NASA Contractors regarding work, cost incurrence, and reporting 
related to ongoing work or interruptions associated with COVID-19 with 
the goal of preserving the space industrial base and maintaining 
mission operational readiness to assume full performance of all 
contract requirements when the emergency passes. NASA has enabled 
certain flexibilities such as maximizing telework use and 
identification of alternate work that can be performed remotely.
    As identified in the Agency's Memo to NASA Contractors signed on 
March 24, 2020, Contractors were required to ``maintain readiness to 
assume full performance of all contract requirements when the emergency 
has passed.'' To facilitate a mobile ready state, NASA has authorized 
contractors to use existing clauses in their contracts. These include 
NFS 1852.242-72, Denied Access, when a NASA facility is closed and 
there is no work that the contractor's employees can accomplish from a 
remote location; FAR 52.242-15, Stop Work Order (Offsite) when a 
contractor informs us that they cannot safely perform work at their 
facilities, either due to state guidelines or their own internal 
assessment; and applicable clauses such as 52.212(4) Terms and 
Conditions for Commercial Items.
    NASA also has enabled contractors to submit requests for 
reimbursement of employee leave costs when NASA or contractor 
facilities are closed or restricted and the employee's job cannot be 
performed remotely, as authorized by Section 3610 (Federal Contractor 
Authority) of the ``Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security 
Act'' (P.L. 116-136) (``the CARES Act''). Accordingly, NASA has 
developed an Advance Agreement template to be used by Contracting 
Officers to establish terms between NASA and the Contractor in a 
proactive manner that will regulate subsequent requests for equitable 
adjustments and provide for provisional billing during facility 
closures related to COVID-19.
                                 ______
                                 
   Response to Written Questions Submitted by Hon. Amy Klobuchar to 
                          Hon. Jim Bridenstine
    Diversity in STEM. Ensuring diversity in STEM fields is a top 
priority for me. I introduced bipartisan legislation that was signed 
into law in March to encourage veterans and military spouses to pursue 
careers in STEM fields, and I also led bipartisan legislation to 
encourage women and minorities to pursue careers in aerospace and STEM 
that was signed into law in 2017.

    Question 1. Can you speak to the importance of ensuring that we 
have a diverse workforce in the STEM field?
    Answer. Building a strong Science, Technology, Engineering, and 
Mathematics (STEM) workforce for the 21st century and beyond requires 
the development of a stronger and more diverse pipeline for STEM, 
including women and individuals from other underrepresented and 
underserved groups. To maintain a globally competitive Nation, our 
education programs develop and deliver activities that support the 
growth of NASA's and the Nation's STEM workforce, help develop STEM 
educators, engage and establish partnerships with institutions, and 
inspire and educate the public.

    Question 2. In Fiscal Year 2021, NASA did not submit any funding 
requests for STEM education. What actions is NASA taking to continue 
its outreach to students and veterans to encourage them to pursue 
education in STEM fields?
    Answer. The functional Office of STEM Engagement at NASA 
Headquarters will continue to oversee Agency-wide strategic direction 
and coordination of NASA's STEM engagement efforts. A common vision, 
mission, and strategic goals would continue to drive NASA's future 
endeavors in STEM engagement. Through Mission Directorate activities, 
NASA would continue to create unique opportunities for a diverse set of 
students to contribute to NASA's work; build a diverse future STEM 
workforce by engaging students in authentic learning experiences with 
NASA's people, content and facilities; and attract diverse groups of 
students to STEM through learning opportunities that spark interest and 
provide connections to NASA's mission and work. NASA's mission and 
endeavors in exploration and discovery would continue to inspire the 
next generation to pursue STEM studies.

    NASA and COVID-19 Funding. The CARES Act appropriated $60 million 
to NASA so the agency could better protect itself from any negative 
effects related to the coronavirus pandemic. Earlier this year, NASA 
instituted a mandatory telework policy for all employees with limited 
exceptions for essential workers.

    Question 1. Beyond implementing a mandatory telework policy, what 
measures is NASA taking to prioritize the health and safety of its 
workforce?
    Answer. The health and safety of NASA's workforce has always been 
and remains NASA's top priority during this challenging time period.
    NASA is currently using a NASA-developed Return to On-Site Work 
Framework \1\ (RTOW) to safely increase the amount of work being done 
on site at our Centers and facilities. Increased levels of RTOW will be 
gradual as local conditions at each NASA Center/facility become safer. 
NASA also has strict safety protocols in place for employees who are 
returning to on-site work, including requiring all employees (civil 
servant and contractor) and anyone else who enters a NASA facility to 
wear face masks when they cannot ensure appropriate social distancing. 
NASA continues to investigate other technologies that may provide 
protections for our workforce. Should an employee who has been on site 
test positive for COVID-19, NASA has a contact tracing protocol to 
identify and notify others who may have been exposed to an infected 
person. NASA then requires infected and exposed persons to self-
quarantine, and we have aggressive cleaning protocols for impacted 
areas. NASA also continues to actively communicate with other Federal 
agencies about how we are responding to the COVID crisis and to share 
best practices with them, while also learning from the successes of 
others.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \1\ The following website includes specifics about our RTOW plans; 
including a copy of our RTOW Framework; a list of Frequently Asked 
Questions and Answers; and a list of the each Center's operational 
status: https://nasapeople.nasa.gov/coronavirus/coronavirus.htm.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    During these challenging times, NASA continues to keep our 
workforce informed about RTOW plans via e-mails from senior leaders, 
virtual townhall events, and Agency-wide and Center-specific websites. 
Additionally, NASA senior leadership continues to put our employees 
first by maximizing flexibilities for employees to perform their NASA 
work while also enabling them to care for themselves and their 
families. Leave and telework flexibilities consistent with Office of 
Personnel Management (OPM) guidance are available to employees, 
including limited paid leave for care of young children. We also have 
encouraged our supervisors to provide the greatest amount of 
flexibility in what hours employees work., e.g., allowing them to 
change start/stop times or to break up their eight-hour workdays into 
sections to better accommodate their family needs at home. NASA leaders 
also are aware that some employees are working beyond core hours given 
the demand for their expertise, so we are also cognizant and trying to 
minimize the stress these employees are facing. As such, NASA is also 
encouraging employees to ``unplug'' and take breaks during the day and 
we've encouraged supervisors and employees to have ``quiet Fridays'' 
twice a month, which means employees should do their best to avoid 
scheduling meetings and other events on these Fridays, allowing them to 
focus solely on other duties without the constant interruption of 
virtual meetings and phone calls--something employees say has been a 
challenge while working remotely. NASA leaders also have encouraged 
employees to use their annual leave to recharge and take care of other 
priorities in their lives.
    Of even greater importance, NASA remains concerned about the 
emotional and mental wellbeing of our employees--many of whom haven't 
been on site at work since March 2020, and who may be suffering from 
the negative effects of being isolated from family, friends and 
colleagues, or suffering from heightened stress at home during this 
pandemic period. Therefore, NASA has encouraged supervisors to ``check 
in'' on their employees more frequently, as well as finding creative 
ways that groups can socialize virtually without talking about work. 
NASA continues its strong support of mental health and wellness through 
many ongoing outreach programs, including our Employee Assistance 
Program. Additionally, NASA's Office of the Chief Health and Medical 
Officer has prepared a new mental health/suicide prevention toolkit to 
ensure NASA leaders and the workforce are educated about the risk 
factors associated with suicide, while also giving them actionable ways 
to help someone they may identify as high-risk or potentially 
suicidal--whether that be a coworker or a friend or family member.

    Question 2. Does your agency anticipate that current limitations on 
in-person work will affect NASA's ability to meet its long-term goals?
    Answer. NASA's mission and our long-term goals have not changed as 
a result of the pandemic. Instead, our amazing workforce has continued 
to get the job done, even while working remotely.
    In mid-March, Agency senior leaders began making the difficult 
decisions to move nearly the entire workforce, Center-by Center based 
on local conditions, into a telework status. Only a limited number of 
employees performing mission-critical work requiring on-site access for 
the protection and safe operation of critical Agency infrastructure and 
a few select missions (e.g., DM2 launch and Mars Perseverance 
preparations) were initially authorized to be on site, following 
clearly defined health and safety protocols. Thus, NASA has never been 
``closed.'' On the contrary, our employees continue to perform NASA's 
important missions under very difficult personal and professional 
circumstances, leveraging technology and communication tools to 
continue a majority of NASA's work. More than 90 percent of the NASA 
workforce was in a telework status by the end of March 2020. As of mid-
October, about 75 percent of employees and contractors are continuing 
to work remotely, with the amount varying by mission requirement and 
location. We have also continued to hire and onboard new employees and 
contractors, and to support summer interns with virtual learning 
opportunities. We have even worked with our commercial and 
international partners to launch several spacecraft during this 
timeframe. We have seen individuals and teams find new ways to keep the 
mission moving forward, to support each other, to balance work and 
family, and even dedicate their expertise and personal time to partner 
with local companies to help develop technologies to help treat COVID 
patients and to better protect frontline responders. NASA employees 
have capitalized on new ways to virtually connect within their teams 
and with external partners via online tools.
    At the same time, however, it is true that the pandemic has caused 
some negative mission impacts since work was delayed when employees 
couldn't be on site, or because there were other challenges that arose, 
and resources had to be diverted to them in an expedient manner. 
Because there remains significant uncertainty about the duration and 
severity of the pandemic, the progress of restart activities at NASA 
and contractor/partner facilities, and the long-term implication to 
domestic and international partner capabilities, a full assessment of 
the impact of COVID-19 on NASA will not be available until well after 
the crisis has passed.
                                 ______
                                 
     Response to Written Questions Submitted by Hon. Tom Udall to 
                          Hon. Jim Bridenstine
    Question 1. What are the next steps for the Suborbital Crew program 
after NASA's recent Request For Information (RFI)?
    Answer. There are two primary milestones over the coming year for 
the Suborbital Crew program: 1) development of a system qualification 
process for the commercial suborbital vehicles, and 2) preparation of 
an acquisition for system qualification and potentially services for 
commercial suborbital transportation. The timeline for these milestones 
is not firm at this time, but NASA is targeting the Spring of 2021 for 
completion of the system qualification process and the acquisition to 
follow some months after that.

    Question 2. What is the time-frame for NASA to begin purchasing 
rides on commercial suborbital vehicles, such as those provided by 
commercial space flight companies based in New Mexico, like Virgin 
Galactic?
    Answer. The Flight Opportunities program has supported 196 flights 
from its formation in 2011 through FY 2020. Flight tests have been 
performed on a variety of commercial suborbital vehicles, including 
Virgin Galactic and UP Aerospace, which operate out of Spaceport 
America. Flight Opportunities will continue to make use of commercial 
suborbital flights for testing of technology payloads in FY 2021 and 
beyond, including supporting opportunities for researcher-tended 
experiments on qualified vehicles. Regarding purchasing rides on 
commercial suborbital vehicles for NASA personnel, please see the 
response to Question #1.

    Question 3. New Mexico universities are developing strong space-
related programs and have benefited greatly from NASA grant funding, 
such as the Flight Opportunities Program, Minority University Research 
and Education Project, and Next Generation Additive Manufacturing for 
Space Applications. As NASA plans for the future, will expanding these 
programs be a priority?
    Answer. Flight Opportunities recently selected a record 31 
technologies in FY 2020 under the annual Tech Flights solicitation to 
universities and industry. The FY 2020 solicitation also provided 
additional funding to enable proposers to incorporate educational 
activities into their research. The majority of the requests received 
were for collegiate-level educational activities. Based on 
Congressional direction, the Flight Opportunities program is also 
poised to release a nationwide educational initiative aimed at K-12 
students that will start in FY 2021. Flight Opportunities also teamed 
with the NASA Office of STEM Engagement to help fund a Hawaii Space 
Grant project to support suborbital flight tests for an undergraduate 
team of 20 engineering students developing CubeSat technologies. The 
Next Generation Additive Manufacturing for Space Applications is 
managed by the NASA Established Program to Stimulate Competitive 
Research (EPSCoR) project. EPSCoR seeds projects that help states 
develop the capacity to compete successfully for aerospace-related 
research funding and is not intended to provide long-term support.
    The President's Budget proposes to terminate funding for grant 
programs currently managed by the Office of STEM Engagement. The 
functional Office of STEM Engagement at NASA Headquarters will continue 
to oversee Agency-wide strategic direction and coordination of NASA's 
STEM engagement efforts. A common vision, mission, and strategic goals 
would continue to drive NASA's future endeavors in STEM engagement, 
including working with Minority Serving Institutions.

    Question 4. With support from Congress, how would expanding 
programs such as the Flight Opportunities Program, Minority University 
Research and Education Project, and Next Generation Additive 
Manufacturing for Space Applications, shape the future of the NASA 
workforce?
    Answer. The so-called ``democratization of space'' through the 
lower-cost and more-frequent access afforded by CubeSats and commercial 
suborbital flight allows students to experience one or more space 
missions before ever coming to work for NASA. These platforms also 
provide opportunities for internal workforce development and retention. 
Flight Opportunities intends to continue supporting suborbital flights 
for university-led technology payloads; provide funding for educational 
research opportunities on suborbital flights; contribute to the NASA 
CubeSat Launch Initiative for K-12 schools, universities and non-
profits; and provide suborbital flights to technologies under NASA's 
Early Career Initiative. With the support of Congress, Flight 
Opportunities continues to bolster commercial flight capabilities that 
can further this democratization of space and move technologies from 
laboratory to orbit in months instead of years.
    The President's Budget proposes to terminate funding for grant 
programs currently managed by the Office of STEM Engagement. The 
functional Office of STEM Engagement at NASA Headquarters will continue 
to oversee Agency-wide strategic direction and coordination of NASA's 
STEM engagement efforts. A common vision, mission, and strategic goals 
would continue to drive NASA's future endeavors in STEM engagement, 
including working with Minority Serving Institutions.
    It is important to understand that NASA's Science, Technology, 
Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) engagement and outreach efforts 
have always occurred beyond the walls of the Office of STEM Engagement, 
e.g., internships and fellowships managed by our Mission Directorates; 
our Speaker's Bureau, which sends NASA scientists and engineers to meet 
with educational and civic organizations; and NASA employees, who are 
authorized to use work hours to mentor local students in STEM 
activities. These are just a few of the STEM activities that NASA 
employees across the Agency proactively engage on every day. NASA's 
mission successes will continue to inspire the next generation to 
pursue science, technology, engineering, and mathematics studies; join 
us on our journey of discovery; and become the diverse workforce we 
will need for tomorrow's critical aerospace careers. We will use every 
opportunity to engage learners in our work and to encourage educators, 
students, and the public to continue making their own discoveries, 
while more closely aligning Agency STEM efforts with our Mission 
Directorates and their missions.
    In addition to these programs, NASAs uses many Governmentwide civil 
service hiring authorities and programs to shape the workforce. The 
Pathways program, focused on internships, recent graduates, and 
Presidential Management Fellows, is another student program used 
extensively at NASA.

    Question 5. NASA recently outlined plans for realization of a 
future market for lunar resources. How can private sector companies in 
the United States participate in these markets?
    Answer. Learning to ``live off the land'' is vital to the long-term 
sustainability of human exploration and development of the Moon, Mars, 
and other destinations, and NASA is taking steps to catalyze the 
private sector's development of in-situ resource utilization (ISRU) 
capabilities. Toward this end, NASA has funded and will continue to 
fund the strategic development and demonstration of key technologies 
related to ISRU from a number of commercial sources, including small 
businesses. Further, on September 10, 2020, NASA released a 
solicitation for the purchase of lunar regolith obtained by private 
sector companies on the lunar surface. After collection by these 
companies, transfer of ownership of lunar regolith to NASA will occur 
``in place'' on the lunar surface, after which, the collected material 
becomes the sole property of NASA. On December 3, 2020, NASA announced 
the selection of four companies to collect space resources and transfer 
ownership to the Agency: Lunar Outpost of Golden, Colorado; Masten 
Space Systems of Mojave, California; ispace Europe of Luxembourg; and 
ispace Japan of Tokyo.

    Question 6. To realize future market for lunar resources, does NASA 
have plans to partner with other entities like national laboratories 
such as Sandia National Lab or Los Alamos National Lab?
    Answer. NASA is currently examining multiple approaches to partner 
with both domestic and international entities in the public and private 
sectors in order to realize future markets for lunar resources. 
Partnerships with national laboratories, such as Sandia National Lab or 
Los Alamos National Lab, may offer unique opportunities to address 
Agency requirements and/or policy objectives.

    Question 7. How is NASA planning to use suborbital flights and the 
Flight Opportunities program for rapid research and development and 
prototyping that can support the Artemis program?
    Answer. Four companies selected as Commercial Lunar Payload 
Services (CLPS) providers and two of the teams selected to develop 
Human Landing Systems (HLS) for the Artemis program include companies 
that have served as flight providers or tested technologies through 
Flight Opportunities. In addition, at least four of the payloads 
selected to fly to the Moon aboard the commercial landers to date were 
matured in part through Flight-Opportunities supported suborbital 
flight testing. The Space Technology Mission Directorate (STMD) also 
recently selected Masten Space Systems for a Tipping Point public-
private partnership contract to construct a next-generation suborbital 
test bed for lunar landing technologies.

    Question 8. NASA plays an important role in monitoring and 
reporting on climate change and the impact climate change has on the 
Earth. As NASA plans for the future, what programs and initiatives are 
planned to continue this vital work?
    Answer. NASA's role is to advance Earth system science and 
applications, including climate science. To do that, NASA measures the 
Earth's physical and biological characteristics from space and uses the 
measurements to understand Earth's systems and processes--including 
interactions among land, ocean, atmosphere, and cryosphere/ice--as well 
as the role of human communities in these processes. NASA uses our 
understanding of natural and human processes and their interactions to 
provide objective information on changes happening now as well as 
estimates of how our environment might evolve in the future. NASA will 
continue to support world-leading climate change research, high-
performance computing and Earth system modeling, and is developing the 
next generation of space-based missions that will collect observations 
needed to advance our understanding of the interconnected Earth system 
and changes to the Earth system over time.
    Through Research Opportunities in Space and Earth Sciences (ROSES) 
solicitations, NASA annually funds competed, peer-reviewed research in 
climate variability and change at U.S. research institutions to better 
understand the overall state of Earth's climate and the physical 
processes that affect it. This research includes the continued 
development of climate data sets and computer models that leverage 
observations from relevant NASA and non-NASA platforms, including 
satellites, aircraft, and ships, enabling scientists to better predict 
changes in Earth's climate from sub-seasonal to multi-decadal 
timescales. NASA's Earth Science Division (ESD) plans to provide 
continued, long-term support to its Modeling, Analysis, and Prediction 
(MAP) Program, which includes directed funding to the Goddard Institute 
for Space Studies (GISS) Model E and the Global Modeling and 
Assimilation Office's (GMAO) GEOS 5 Earth system models, as well as 
annual competed grants. Using observations from satellites, instruments 
on the International Space Station, airplanes, balloons, ships, and on 
land, ESD researchers collect data about the science of our planet's 
atmospheric motion and composition; land cover, land use, and 
vegetation; ocean currents, temperatures, and upper-ocean life; and ice 
on land and sea. These datasets, which cover even the most remote areas 
of Earth, are freely and openly available to anyone.
    NASA/ESD also develops, launches, and operates a fleet of Earth 
observing satellites and instruments, acquiring measurements of many 
different environmental quantities from the vantage point of space. The 
vantage point of space allows measurements of the complex Earth system 
that can fully illuminate the connections between short and long time 
scales; fine and global spatial scales; and chemical, physical, and 
biological processes. From space, we can make measurements that have 
high spatial resolution and global coverage with uniform accuracy; and 
frequently sample measurements at all locations for long periods of 
time, including the wide range of oceanic, atmospheric, and terrestrial 
observations needed to understand the connections between Earth system 
processes as well as the workings of the individual processes 
themselves.
    The NASA/ESD orbiting fleet presently includes 22 Earth observing 
satellite missions and major instruments, with another 12 missions and 
major instruments in development for launch between November 2020 and 
the end of Fiscal Year 2023. The recently launched Sentinel-6 Michael 
Freilich satellite will contribute to the Earth Science portfolio. 
Specifically, this satellite will collect the most accurate global data 
yet on sea level and how it changes over time, expanding upon nearly 30 
years of continued sea surface height observations. NASA is in the 
planning stages for new missions that will begin development in 2023 
and beyond, consistent with the major Decadal Survey recommendations 
for new missions and instruments to address pressing unanswered 
questions about our Earth system.
    NASA/ESD is also engaging in new, innovative partnership approaches 
with the private sector, including both non-profit and for-profit 
organizations. ESD is using hosting opportunities to place selected 
NASA Earth observing research instruments on commercial geostationary 
communications satellites and private-sector low-Earth orbiting 
spacecraft. NASA also procures commercial data through the Commercial 
Smallsat Data Acquisition program. These efforts augment data from NASA 
systems with data products that can contribute to the advancement of 
Earth systems science and climate change research.

    Question 9. How does NASA plan to utilize the information to 
develop climate change solutions?
    Answer. NASA does not make environmental policy, nor does NASA have 
any regulatory authority in the area of Earth observation. NASA's role 
is to provide unique, comprehensive observations of our environment, to 
conduct research leading to greater understanding of the Earth, and to 
make the observations and the understanding available to government 
policy makers and decision-makers of all sorts, within and external to 
the Federal Government.
    Through our longstanding free and open data policy, NASA provides 
its datasets, models, and research results to anyone who wants to use 
them without cost. For example, data from NASA/ESD research satellites 
are provided in near-realtime to operational agencies, such as the 
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the 
Department of Defense (DoD), and used routinely by those agencies to 
improve the accuracy of their environmental predictions. In addition, 
we support a number of programs through the ESD's Applied Sciences 
program that work to make NASA's observations, including climate-
related observations, more accessible and useable to leaders and 
decisionmakers across sectors in the U.S. and around the globe so that 
NASA's wealth of Earth data and scientific insight can be better 
leveraged for societal benefit.
                                 ______
                                 
    Response to Written Questions Submitted by Hon. Gary Peters to 
                          Hon. Jim Bridenstine
    Question 1. NASA recently released its Economic Impact Report--
which has a breakdown of NASA's economic impact and associated jobs in 
each state. NASA obviously has a long history in certain states--which 
explains a large disparity in economic impact among states. However, 
the report is somewhat troubling particularly when you look at 
America's most industrial states like Michigan and Wisconsin and 
Illinois--in which NASA has a disproportionately small economic impact. 
That is one reason why I authored an amendment in the NASA 
Reauthorization Act of 2019 to direct NASA to survey supply chain 
capabilities--including for the defense sector, which may have 
overlapping relevance to NASA--and to establish a Supply Chain Center 
of Excellence in a state that NASA does not already have a significant 
presence. Given your recent M-O-U with General Raymond and the Space 
Force--do you think this can be another area where you can seek 
assistance from the Department of Defense to bolster your supply chains 
and economic impact in the industrial Midwest?
    Answer. Through its expansive portfolio of partnerships with the 
Department of Defense (DoD), NASA has broad and robust access to 
defense sector supply chains. Like its other partner U.S. Government 
departments and agencies, NASA has a vested interest in the vitality of 
the U.S. domestic industrial base, and in the aerospace/defense 
industrial base in particular. To gain insight and to address concerns 
over the health of the aerospace industrial sector, NASA, the Federal 
Aviation Administration, the National Reconnaissance Office, the 
Missile Defense Agency, the Department of Energy, the Department of 
Commerce, and DoD formed and are members of the Space Industrial Base 
Working Group that examines how these departments and agencies could 
share space technology, collaborate on space-related acquisitions, and 
how the Government purchases technology from the private sector. 
Further, DoD represents NASA for its priority procurements utilizing 
the Defense Priorities and Allocations System.

    Question 2. This past year, Michigan Technological University 
researchers had the privilege of meeting you and discussing their 
contributions to NASA's efforts to develop a robust in-situ resource 
utilization plan for the Moon. When can we expect more comprehensive 
details of NASA's plans for in-situ utilization on the Moon and what if 
any hurdles do you foresee for NASA releasing a roadmap in this area?
    Answer. STMD plans to publish its Strategic Investment Technology 
Plans, including in-situ resource utilization (ISRU), for public review 
in mid-CY 2021. NASA intends to utilize the Lunar Surface Innovation 
Consortium (LSIC), facilitated by Johns Hopkins Applied Physics 
Laboratory (APL), as well as other public forums, to engage industry, 
academia, and the public in the development and vetting of these 
technology plans. As a member of the LSIC, and by participating in the 
ISRU focus group meetings, Michigan Technological University has the 
opportunity to provide input into NASA's drafting of the technology 
plans.
    In parallel, the Space Technology Mission Directorate (STMD) 
continues to offer a multitude of ISRU opportunities for 
collaborations, challenges, and public private partnerships with 
universities and industry. Some examples include the recent Tipping 
Point and Announcement of Collaborative Opportunity awards, the Lunar 
Surface Technology Research (LuSTR) opportunities, Small Business 
Innovation Research (SBIR) awards, and the Breakthrough Innovative 
Game-Changing (BIG) Idea university challenges.

    Question 3. You noted the increasingly common requirement to 
maneuver the International Space Station to avoid catastrophic impacts 
from orbital debris. Nearly a decade ago, DARPA completed their 
``Catcher's Mitt Study''--detailing the threat from orbital debris and 
concluding that debris removal will be required, including in Low-Earth 
Orbit. That study was well before the FCC approved licenses for 
satellite constellations that will amount to more-than-doubling the 
number of satellites in orbit. China, similarly is planning major 
satellite constellations in LEO. What is NASA doing on the debris 
mitigation front?
    Answer. Controlling the growth of the orbital debris population is 
a high priority for NASA, the United States, and the major spacefaring 
nations of the world to preserve near-Earth space for future 
generations. Mitigation measures can take the form of curtailing or 
preventing the creation of new debris, designing satellites to 
withstand impacts by small debris, and implementing operational 
procedures such as using orbital regimes with less debris, adopting 
specific spacecraft attitudes, and even maneuvering to avoid collisions 
with debris.
    A U.S. interagency working group led by NASA and DoD developed a 
work plan to study the debris environment and to work with U.S. 
Government agencies and other spacefaring nations and international 
organizations to design and adopt guidelines to minimize orbital 
debris. In 1997, the working group created a set of U.S. Government 
Orbital Debris Mitigation Standard Practices (ODMSP). Based on a NASA 
standard of procedures for limiting debris, the Standard Practices are 
intended for Government-operated or -procured space systems, including 
satellites as well as launch vehicles. The Standard Practices were 
approved by all U.S. Government agencies by February 2001.
    Consistent with direction in Space Policy Directive 3, in December 
2019, NASA published an update to the ODMSP which includes improvements 
to the original objectives as well as clarification and additional 
standard practices for certain classes of space operations. For 
example, the update incorporates new sections to clarify and address 
operating practices for large constellations, rendezvous and proximity 
operations, small satellites, satellite servicing, and other classes of 
space operations. The 2019 ODMSP, by establishing guidelines for U.S. 
Government (USG) activities, provides a reference to promote efficient 
and effective space safety practices for other domestic and 
international operators. The USG intends to update and refine the ODMSP 
as necessary in the future to address advances in both technology and 
policy.

    Question 4. As a member of the Armed Service Committee, I am 
concerned about the threat that orbital debris poses to our military 
assets in space. Orbital debris mitigation was included in the M-O-U 
that you recently signed with General Raymond of the Space Force. What 
do you envision this will entail and do you think an updated Catcher's 
Mitt Study to account for the commercial build-out of low earth orbit 
is appropriate?
    Answer. The Memorandum of Understanding covers many cooperative 
areas for orbital debris, including object tracking, space situational 
awareness, data sharing, and orbital debris mitigation. NASA defers to 
the DoD on the need for an updated Catcher's Mitt Study. NASA's Orbital 
Debris Program Office continually works with U.S. and international 
partners to assess growth in Orbital Debris, accounting for recent 
commercial constellations.

    Question 5. Can you provide an update on NASA's efforts to further 
investigate the findings related to phosphine on Venus?
    Answer. NASA was not involved in the recent study published in 
Nature Astronomy on the subject of phosphine on Venus and cannot 
comment directly on the findings. However, the Agency trusts in the 
scientific peer review process and looks forward to the robust 
discussion that will follow its publication.
    Over the past two decades, NASA has made new discoveries that 
collectively imply an increase of the likelihood of finding life 
elsewhere. As with an increasing number of planetary bodies, Venus is 
proving to be an exciting place of discovery, though it had not been a 
significant part of the search for life because of its extreme 
temperatures, atmospheric composition, and other factors. Two of the 
next four candidate missions for NASA's Discovery Program are focused 
on Venus, as is the EnVision mission, a proposal (for which NASA is a 
partner) to ESA's Cosmic Vision M5 solicitation. Venus also is a 
planetary destination that can be reached with smaller missions.
                                 ______
                                 
     Response to Written Questions Submitted by Hon. Jon Tester to 
                          Hon. Jim Bridenstine
    Question 1. During the oversight hearing, in response to a question 
from Senator Sullivan, you cited the EPSCoR program among the 
initiatives that NASA is using to inspire the next generation of young 
Americans to lead NASA into the future. I agree: EPSCoR has made it 
possible for countless young Montanans to pursue science and technology 
programs, and I believe many of them will go on to leadership roles at 
NASA and elsewhere. If we all agree that this successful program is 
vital to NASA's future, why does the Administration continue to zero 
out EPSCoR funding in its budget proposals?
    Answer. It is important to understand that NASA's Science, 
Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) engagement and outreach 
efforts have always occurred beyond the walls of the Office of STEM 
Engagement, e.g., internships and fellowships managed by our Mission 
Directorates; our Speaker's Bureau, which sends NASA scientists and 
engineers to meet with educational and civic organizations; and NASA 
employees, who are authorized to use work hours to mentor local 
students in STEM activities. These are just a few of the STEM 
activities that NASA employees across the Agency proactively engage on 
every day. NASA's mission successes will continue to inspire the next 
generation to pursue science, technology, engineering, and mathematics 
studies; join us on our journey of discovery; and become the diverse 
workforce we will need for tomorrow's critical aerospace careers. We 
will use every opportunity to engage learners in our work and to 
encourage educators, students, and the public to continue making their 
own discoveries, while more closely aligning Agency STEM efforts with 
our Mission Directorates and their missions.

    Question 2. The Administration's budget also eliminates the Office 
of STEM Engagement. In explaining the elimination of these programs, 
you seem to suggest that the Agency must prioritize Artemis and related 
mission programs. How should Congress ensure that NASA continues to 
invest in its long-term sustainability even while achieving inspiring 
mission success in the coming decade?
    Answer. The functional Office of STEM Engagement at NASA 
Headquarters will continue to oversee Agency-wide strategic direction 
and coordination of NASA's STEM engagement efforts. A common vision, 
mission, and strategic goals would continue to drive NASA's future 
endeavors in STEM engagement. Through Mission Directorate activities, 
NASA would continue to create unique opportunities for a diverse set of 
students to contribute to NASA's work; build a diverse future STEM 
workforce by engaging students in authentic learning experiences with 
NASA's people, content, and facilities; and attract diverse groups of 
students to STEM through learning opportunities that spark interest and 
provide connections to NASA's mission and work. NASA's mission and 
endeavors in exploration and discovery would continue to inspire the 
next generation to pursue STEM studies.

    Question 3. I'm also concerned about the ways in which the Federal 
contracting process can discourage innovation. If a small company with 
a great new idea misses out on a contracting round, it might have to 
close up shop; the big aerospace corporations don't face the same risk. 
What reforms to the contracting process would you suggest to ensure 
that small, innovative companies can compete on a level playing field?
    Answer. The Office of Procurement, through its authority in the 
Federal Acquisition Regulation, has always looked for ways to set aside 
procurements even in the areas of innovation for Small Business. For 
instance, using the authority under the Small Business Innovation 
Research Program (SBIR) Program, innovative work has taken place under 
Contracts awarded under Phases I--III of the Program. Further, NASA has 
used Broad Agency Announcements (BAA) to award contracts to small 
companies for innovative work.
                                 ______
                                 
    Response to Written Questions Submitted by Hon. Jacky Rosen to 
                          Hon. Jim Bridenstine
    Student Spaceflight Experiments Program. In 2016, Vanderburg 
Elementary School in Henderson, Nevada was one of eleven schools to 
have their soybean germination microgravity experiment conducted on the 
International Space Station (ISS), through the ISS Student Spaceflight 
Experiments Program (SSEP). It was the first time that a Nevada school 
had been selected to run an experiment on the ISS, and it offered an 
invaluable opportunity to engage students in the application of STEM. 
The success at Vanderburg inspired five schools to submit proposals for 
their own microgravity experiment in 2018, including Henderson's own 
Walker Elementary School. A panel of judges selected Walker 
Elementary's experiment, which flew to the ISS in 2019. These Nevada 
students and teachers were inspired by the opportunity to put an 
experiment into space--the creativity, talent, and dedication to the 
process are invaluable lessons for these budding scientists.

    Question 1. How can Congress continue to support the International 
Space Station (ISS) Student Spaceflight Experiments Program (SSEP) so 
that more young students can participate in opportunities that excite 
them to continue their STEM education and pursue STEM fields? Are there 
opportunities to expand this program so that it can have an even 
greater reach?
    Answer. The Student Spaceflight Experiments Program (SSEP) was 
launched in June 2010 by the National Center for Earth and Space 
Science Education (NCESSE) in strategic partnership with NanoRacks, 
LLC. STEM payloads typically fly under arrangements with the 
International Space Station (ISS) National Laboratory operator--the 
Center for the Advancement of Science in Space (CASIS). Student groups 
may also go directly to CASIS to be part of their Science, Technology, 
Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) activities. Questions regarding 
these programs should be addressed to SSEP, NCESSE, and/or CASIS.
    STEM on Station, one of NASA's Office of STEM Engagement (OSTEM) 
Next Generation STEM mission-driven focus areas, is working with 
collegiate student teams through Student Payload Opportunity with 
Citizen Science (SPOCS) to fund the design, flight, and return of five 
student experiments through a partnership with NanoRacks and their 
sister company, DreamUp.

    Question 2. How does NASA conduct outreach and inform schools about 
this program so that more students can participate?
    Answer. Collegiate students were informed of this opportunity 
through a variety of channels. Social media were leveraged across a 
variety of NASA flagship Twitter and Facebook accounts to inform 
students of due dates, and information sessions or subject matter 
expert panels leading up to proposal submissions. STEM on Station also 
shared the opportunity among Minority Serving Institutions (MSI), 
Federal STEM networks, NASA Express, and internal networks to reach a 
diverse audience.

    Reusable Space Planes. The International Space Station (ISS) is 
currently scheduled to be retired within five years, with a possible 
extension to the end of the decade. When the ISS retries, NASA plans to 
contract with commercial companies to help fulfill the science missions 
currently performed in Low Earth Orbit by the ISS. NASA contractors are 
currently building reusable space planes that will allow NASA to bring 
science missions to any major airport in America. This is a big step 
forward from previously used spacecraft that burn up in the atmosphere 
or land in the ocean.

    Question 1. Could you explain why this kind of reusable capability 
is important?
    Answer. Cost is a driving factor in transportation to and from 
space. Reusability is an important capability towards reducing the cost 
of launching and recovering spacecraft. As NASA seeks to expand its 
partnerships with commercial industry to resupply the ISS, and beyond 
low-Earth orbit (LEO) under the Artemis program, lower transportation 
costs will be key to expanding the number of companies and institutions 
that can participate in space exploration, research, and economic 
development.
    Studies on the impact of microgravity on both living organisms and 
materials are often interested in the dynamic changes to those samples. 
Some of these questions are highly sensitive to the change in the 
gravitational vector (on the timescale of four hours or less), and 
others struggle to isolate microgravity effects from masking due to the 
stresses experienced during a high g-force reentry. Vehicles that 
return samples under a low g-force landing profile and to destinations 
close to researcher laboratory facilities to quickly analyze results 
are key to enabling these research capabilities.

    Commercial Technologies. Much of the necessary technology and 
infrastructure needed to return to the Moon does not yet exist. In 
order to solve these problems, when possible, NASA can procure products 
or services from commercial companies to foster growth in the domestic 
space industry. NASA has long invested in the development of commercial 
services--in fact, since the beginning of the ISS commercial resupply 
and crew transportation programs, the United States' share of the 
global commercial launch market has gone from 0 percent in 2011 to 54 
percent in 2017.

    Question 1. How does NASA plan to work with commercial providers on 
research, development, and product acquisition for Artemis?
    Answer. NASA is partnering with both traditional aerospace 
contractors as well as other commercial entities and newer market 
entrants in support of the Artemis program. NASA continues to solicit 
proposals in a competitive environment, which engenders the most 
meritorious and cost-effective approaches, as well as preserves 
leverage for NASA to obtain favorable contract terms and conditions 
without being unduly burdensome on industry. NASA is utilizing firm 
fixed price contracts with milestone-based payments in order to 
maximize contractor incentives to perform efficiently and to control 
costs and schedule.
    For the cislunar Gateway, the development of the Power and 
Propulsion Element (PPE) will leverage existing industry designs and 
prior corporate investments, resulting in a demonstration of 
technologies and capabilities that serve NASA's objectives and that 
also have numerous other commercial applications.
    The Gateway Habitation and Logistics Outpost (HALO) also leverages 
designs from commercial providers supporting the International Space 
Station with the Cygnus vehicle. NASA has also contracted for 
commercial logistics services as a key component in direct support of 
Gateway resupply.
    Further, for the Human Landing System (HLS), NASA is acquiring the 
development of state-of-the-art capabilities from commercial providers 
to enable safe, cost-effective transportation of crew to and from the 
lunar surface. Multiple partners are empowered to propose a variety of 
unique, innovative systems that the providers will own and operate, as 
opposed to NASA mandating the development of a specific design 
solution. After development and demonstration, the HLS providers will 
continue to retain ownership of these capabilities and, by serving non-
NASA customers, will be able to provide cost-effective, safe, and 
sustainable commercial space transportation services to NASA to and 
from the lunar surface.
    NASA's Lunar Discovery and Exploration Program is working with 
several American companies to deliver science and technology to the 
lunar surface through the Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) 
initiative. Under the Artemis program, early commercial delivery 
missions will perform science experiments, test technologies, and 
demonstrate capabilities to help NASA explore the Moon and prepare for 
human missions. The first two CLPS launches are targeted for the third 
quarter of Fiscal Year 2021, with seven total deliveries scheduled 
between 2021 and 2023. This past June, NASA announced that it had 
selected a CLPS commercial provider, Astrobotic of Pittsburgh, to 
deliver NASA's Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover (VIPER) 
to a lunar pole in late 2023. By searching for water ice and other 
potential resources, VIPER will help pave the way for astronaut 
missions to the lunar surface beginning in 2024, and will bring NASA a 
step closer to developing a sustainable, long-term presence on the Moon 
as part of the Agency's Artemis program.

    Question 2. And if these public-private partnerships develop, who 
will ultimately own the product or technology?
    Answer. The Gateway is a partnership of multiple space agencies and 
those agencies will retain ownership of their contributions. For 
instance, hardware developed under NASA contracts (PPE and HALO) will 
be transferred to and owned by NASA. However, the logistics resupply of 
the Gateway will rely on commercially-provided services throughout the 
Gateway operational lifespan, and the commercial services provider will 
retain ownership of the capabilities necessary to perform that function 
for NASA. Finally, after development and demonstration, the HLS 
providers will continue to retain ownership of their respective 
capabilities, and NASA will procure landing services from these 
providers to safely carry crew to and from the lunar surface. Yet HLS 
also employs a unique data rights regime in which NASA will obtain a 
Government Purpose Rights license in much of the technology developed 
under the HLS contract, which will empower NASA to use these 
technologies on future, non-HLS contracts.

    Question 3. Can you talk about the potential practical, earth-based 
applications for technologies developed by these commercial providers?
    Answer. Many technologies necessary for the exploration of the 
lunar environment also have terrestrial applications. For example, 
closed-loop life support systems can provide highly efficient water 
recycling for terrestrial wastewater treatment. Growing crops in space 
can lead to more intensive farming practices to increase food 
production. Advanced medical diagnostic and imaging devices needed to 
ensure crew health on long missions can enhance current telemedicine 
capabilities. Autonomous lunar rovers for transporting the crew can 
leverage and improve ground-based autonomous vehicle technologies such 
as self-driving cars. Finally, lunar surface power systems using solar 
arrays, fuel cells for energy storage, and autonomous power control 
could provide technologies for terrestrial smart electrical power 
grids.

    Representation in STEM. With the Artemis program, NASA will put the 
first woman on the Moon. Incredible women at NASA have paved the way 
for more women in space, but we still have a huge gap in 
representation. One of my top priorities in Congress is supporting the 
STEM workforce and breaking down barriers to success. Last year, the 
Building Blocks of STEM Act, legislation I introduced with Senator 
Capito and others on this committee, was signed into law. This 
initiative focuses on giving our kids, and especially our girls, the 
opportunities to explore STEM-related fields from an early age. 
Research has shown it is critical to offer STEM education opportunities 
when children are young, especially to research historically 
underrepresented groups. Of those students who eventually work in the 
Aerospace and Defense workforce, 71 percent of young professionals 
report they first became interested in these careers during their grade 
school years.

    Question 1. Where is NASA currently seeing its biggest 
representation gaps, and what are you doing to help increase diversity?
    Answer. A review of NASA's mission critical occupations as of 
October 1, 2020, reveals lower than expected participation rates in 
certain job series for Females, Males, Asian Americans/Pacific 
Islanders (AAPI), and White employees as compared to Relevant Civilian 
Labor Force (RCLF) employment data. The RCLF can be used to measure the 
diversity of specific occupations based on the availability of workers 
in the labor force. The Census Bureau defines the RCLF as ``the 
Civilian Labor Force (CLF) data that are directly comparable (or 
relevant) to the population being considered in the labor force.''
    NASA is working to recruit a diverse workforce. NASA's innovative 
recruitment function scales and amplifies resources to promote its 
brand as an employer and position the Agency to be a leading competitor 
in attracting the most qualified, diverse talent to meet future mission 
needs.
    One of NASA's FY 2021 goals is to increase workforce diversity by 
identifying opportunities that attract and target candidates of diverse 
backgrounds while promoting NASA's workforce inclusion. NASA sees this 
as a business imperative. Diversity helps attract and retain quality 
candidates. Studies show that the new generation of job seekers values 
workplace diversity and looks for companies that place an emphasis on 
diversity and inclusion, and that younger job seekers are likely to 
double their average tenure if their employer is committed to 
diversity, equity, and inclusion.
    NASA recruitment highlights and markets diversity as a critical 
element of NASA's Employer Value Proposition (EVP), aligning with 
Agency objectives, visually representing and showcasing a diverse 
employee group in materials, platforms, various special emphasis 
programs, and employee resource groups. NASA's recruitment efforts also 
emphasize the teamwork elements of NASA's Unity Campaign and work to 
welcome all and ensure the Agency is inclusive.
    NASA targets diverse talent pools through digital platforms, as 
well. Recruiters can specifically target diverse audiences through 
LinkedIn's hiring campaigns as well as through direct contact, and seek 
to identify and reach out to candidates with similar skills in other 
industries with greater gender representation.

    Question 2. What are other investments should Congress be 
considering to ensure that today's school-children--particularly those 
from diverse backgrounds, including women--are well equipped to lead 
our space exploration workforce?
    Answer. NASA has a long history of engaging students in its 
mission. The scope of STEM Engagement encompasses all endeavors Agency-
wide to attract, engage, and educate students and to support educators, 
educational institutions, and professional organizations. STEM 
Engagement is comprised of a broad and diverse set of programs, 
projects, activities, and products developed and implemented by NASA 
Headquarters functional Offices, Mission Directorates, and Centers.
    NASA has made noteworthy progress in implementing operational and 
systemic changes to further NASA Strategic Objective 3.3.--Inspire and 
Engage the Public in Aeronautics, Space and Science. In the last two 
years, NASA has improved the cohesiveness and rigor of its STEM 
engagement programming and has implemented a new approach for 
performance measurement, assessment, and evaluation.
    NASA actively supports the National Science and Technology 
Council's Committee on STEM Education endeavors, with NASA 
Administrator Bridenstine serving as the Committee's Co-Chair. The 
Committee's December 2018 report, Charting a Course for Success: 
America's Strategy for STEM Education, lays out the Federal 
Government's role in furthering STEM education by working with state, 
local, education, and American employer stakeholders to build a STEM-
proficient citizenry, create a STEM-ready workforce, and remove 
barriers to STEM careers, especially for women and underrepresented 
groups. Congressional support for the goals, pathways, and objectives 
in this plan is essential to ensuring that all Americans have lifelong 
access to high-quality STEM education, thereby ensuring that the United 
States will continue to be the global leader in STEM literacy, 
innovation, and employment.

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