[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 114 (Tuesday, July 14, 2026)]
[Senate]
[Page S3953]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

  SA 6680. Mr. HICKENLOOPER (for himself, Mr. Cruz, and Mr. Lujan) 
submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by him to the bill S. 
4784, to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2027 for military 
activities of the Department of Defense, for military construction, and 
for defense activities of the Department of Energy, to prescribe 
military personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for other 
purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:

       At the end of subtitle A of title XV, add the following:

     SEC. 1510A. REPORT ON SAFE ORBITAL TRAJECTORY OPTIONS FROM 
                   INLAND AND NONTRADITIONAL LAUNCH SITES.

       (a) In General.--Not later than 180 days after the date of 
     the enactment of this Act of this Act, the Secretary of 
     Defense, in consultation with the Administrator of the 
     Federal Aviation Administration and the Administrator of 
     National Aeronautics and Space Administration, shall submit 
     to the congressional defense committees, the Committee on 
     Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate, and the 
     Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of the House of 
     Representatives a report on safe orbital launch trajectory 
     options from inland and nontraditional launch sites.
       (b) Elements.--The report required by subsection (a) shall 
     include the following:
       (1) An assessment of the flight safety requirements 
     necessary to permit overland launch trajectories for both 
     expendable and partially or fully reusable launch systems to 
     the various inclinations and orbital regimes, including Low-
     Earth Orbit (LEO), Medium-Earth Orbit (MEO), Geostationary 
     Orbit (GEO), and Highly Elliptical Orbit (HEO).
       (2) Public safety and debris-risk modeling for prospective 
     full-cycle launch and reentry operations, including economic 
     and environmental impacts.
       (3) An evaluation of the types of full-cycle launch and 
     reentry vehicles suitable for inland and nontraditional 
     sites, explicitly addressing the infrastructure required to 
     support vertical launch capabilities and distinguishing among 
     expendable, partially reusable, and fully reusable launch 
     systems.
       (4) A cost estimate for the infrastructure and operational 
     needs associated with activating and using individual inland 
     and nontraditional launch sites, considering both existing 
     commercial spaceport infrastructure and potential new sites.
       (5) A cost-benefit analysis weighing the national security 
     resilience benefits of expanded launch infrastructure with 
     the substantial investments required to support heavy-lift 
     launch vehicles.
       (6) An analysis of the manner in which such alternative 
     launch options will inform future operational and capability 
     requirements for national security launch providers.
       (7) A framework for integrating nontraditional and inland 
     ranges into the national launch enterprise through Federal 
     range services, dynamic airspace management, and flexible 
     deployment capabilities.
       (8) The assumptions and conditions on which the report is 
     based and an assessment of their viability.
       (c) Form.--The report required by subsection (a) shall be 
     submitted in unclassified form but may contain a classified 
     annex.
                                 ______