Reauthorizes NASA through fiscal year 2026 at $24.4 billion, spread across exploration ($7.8B), science ($7.3B), space operations ($4.2B), aeronautics ($935M), space technology ($921M), education ($143M), and safety and infrastructure ($3.2B). The Artemis Moon-to-Mars program continues with a requirement to obtain lunar landing systems from at least two U.S. commercial providers, and Congress mandates reports on cost, schedule, and fallback plans within 60–90 days. The International Space Station must maintain current crew and cargo flight rates through its operational life, a commercial provider must be contracted to build the ISS deorbit vehicle, and GAO must assess U.S. readiness for a post-ISS gap in low-Earth orbit access. On science, NASA must lead a Mars Sample Return mission, maintain development of the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, codify the Planetary Defense Coordination Office in statute (tracking objects 140 meters or larger), and pursue a balanced portfolio of Discovery, New Frontiers, and Flagship planetary missions. New programs in wildland-fire science ("FireSense") and advanced air mobility are established, a public-private employee exchange program is created for NASA and industry, and all NASA collaboration with China or Chinese-owned companies is prohibited unless specifically authorized by future law.
Corporate Benefits
- Commercial providers — required to supply lunar landing systems, ISS deorbit vehicle, commercial space stations, and lunar payload delivery services under NASA contracts
- U.S. commercial satellite data vendors — codified as preferred suppliers for Earth remote sensing data used by NASA and federally funded researchers
- SBIR Phase II flexibility — NASA added alongside Department of Education for small-business research award extensions
- Commercial hypersonics testing program (MACH) — NASA authorized to provide testing opportunities to private industry for high-speed aircraft at no program-development cost to industry
Average Household Impact
- Wildland fire science (FireSense) — NASA required to build tools supporting fire prediction, detection, and recovery benefiting communities in fire-prone areas
- Agricultural data access — NASA required to disseminate soil, water, and vegetation data to U.S. farmers to support crop management and food supply stability
- Space Grant college program — restructured to guarantee at least one funded consortium in all 50 states, D.C., and Puerto Rico, with 85% of funds going directly to institutions
Transparency & Accountability
- Independent cost estimates — required after preliminary design review for all major NASA projects, with funds blocked from obligation until results are reported to Congress
- GAO reviews — mandated on science mission cost caps, early cost estimate accuracy, ISS readiness gap, nongovernmental ISS missions, fire/emergency services at launch sites, and Space Act agreement intellectual-property terms
- NASA Advisory Council — temporarily required to advise Congress as well as NASA (sunsets September 30, 2028)
- Public-private talent exchange — employees swapped between NASA and industry must file annual reports to Congress including names of companies, positions, and duration; GAO reviews implementation at three years
- China collaboration ban — any exception requires FBI consultation, a certification of no national-security or human-rights risk, and 30-day advance notice to Congress
- ISS deorbit costs — annual reports to Congress required on cumulative expenditures and cost-sharing among international partners
- Commercial satellite data program — annual reports required listing all vendor agreements, license terms, and how each advances scientific research
Congressional Summary
NASA Reauthorization Act of 2026This bill reauthorizes through FY2026 the programs and activities of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). The bill also directs NASA to continue planning for the eventual deorbit of the International Space Station (ISS) and to continue lunar and Mars exploration missions.Specifically, the bill requires NASA to submit to Congress a strategy for research and operations in low-Earth orbit. (Low-Earth orbit generally encompasses an altitude of up to 2,000 kilometers.) With respect to the ISS, which sits in low-Earth orbit, NASA must generally maintain a flight cadence necessary to support productive use of the station through its operational lifetime. The bill provides statutory authority for NASA's acquisition of ISS deorbit capabilities from a commercial entity and specifies that NASA must not, to the greatest extent practicable, reduce or deprioritize ISS activities. (In 2024, NASA contracted with SpaceX for the development of an ISS deorbit vehicle.)Further, NASA must report on the risk to science and technology research posed by lack of access to a low-Earth orbit platform (i.e., after retirement of the ISS). NASA may continue to enter into agreements with U.S. commercial entities for the development of one or more private, low-Earth orbit platforms.Separately, the bill directs NASA to continue efforts to support crewed lunar landings and Mars explorations, including through partnerships with the private sector (i.e., the Moon to Mars and Artemis programs).Finally, NASA must continue researching advanced air mobility, unmanned aircraft systems (i.e., drones), and hypersonic technologies.
Legislative Subjects
Details
- Congress
- 119th
- Chamber
- House
- Status
- summarized
- Action
- Introduced in House
- Action Date
- 2026-01-30
- Date Added
- 2026-06-05
- Source
- Congress.gov →
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