Powering the Future of American Space Dominance Act
Rep. Kennedy Introduces Bill to Use Nuclear Power for NASA Moon and Mars Missions
This bill is currently in the early stages of the legislative process after being sent to the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology for review. It is considered active, but no further meetings or votes have been scheduled yet. There is no companion bill listed at this time.
Legislative Progress
While space exploration often has bipartisan support, many bills introduced in the House never make it past the committee stage or get a vote in the Senate.
Key Points
Impact Analysis
Personal Impact
NASA employees working on space nuclear programs would face new reporting requirements within 120 to 180 days of enactment, including updated plans, a lessons-learned assessment of the failed DRACO program, a lunar power demand report, and a review of indemnification frameworks. This creates a significant short-term workload increase for staff in relevant divisions but also signals continued investment in their programs.
“Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall submit to the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate an update to each of the plans required under subsections (a)(3) and (b)(2) of section 10841”
Milestones
Referred to the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology.
Introduced in House
The bill was officially filed and given a number. It now enters the legislative queue.
Votes
No votes have been recorded for this legislation yet.
Related News
2 articles
House Proposal Looks to Leverage Nuclear Power for Space Exploration
A House proposal rolled out Tuesday looks to leverage nuclear power and propulsion technologies to further galvanize U.S. space exploration, including by establishing a new framework to develop technologies specific to the U.S. Moon-to-Mars missions.
Congress Targets Technology Governance with Flurry of New Bills
Representative Mike Kennedy (R-Utah) introduced the Powering the Future of American Space Dominance Act, a proposal that seeks to forge a partnership framework between NASA and the private sector for joint development of nuclear reactors and lunar power systems.
Source Information
Document Type
Congressional Bill
Official Title
Powering the Future of American Space Dominance Act
Data Sources
Sponsor
Cosponsors
(1)Analysis generated by AI. Always verify with official sources.