National Aeronautics and Space Administration

HUMAN SPACE FLIGHT

For necessary expenses, not otherwise provided for, in the conduct and support of human space flight research and development activities, including research, development, operations, and services; maintenance; construction of facilities including repair, rehabilitation, and modification of real and personal property, and acquisition or condemnation of real property, as authorized by law; space flight, spacecraft control and communications activities including operations, production, and services; and purchase, lease, charter, maintenance and operation of mission and administrative aircraft, $5,510,900,000, to remain available until September 30, 2001: Provided, That $40,000,000 of the amount provided in this paragraph shall be available to the space shuttle program only for preparations necessary to carry out a life and micro-gravity science mission, to be flown between STS-107 and December 2001.

SCIENCE, AERONAUTICS AND TECHNOLOGY

For necessary expenses, not otherwise provided for, in the conduct and support of science, aeronautics and technology research and development activities, including research, development, operations, and services; maintenance; construction of facilities including repair, rehabilitation, and modification of real and personal property, and acquisition or condemnation of real property, as authorized by law; space flight, spacecraft control and communications activities including operations, production, and services; and purchase, lease, charter, maintenance and operation of mission and administrative aircraft, $5,606,700,000, to remain available until September 30, 2001.

MISSION SUPPORT

For necessary expenses, not otherwise provided for, in carrying out mission support for human space flight programs and science, aeronautical, and technology programs, including research operations and support; space communications activities including operations, production and services; maintenance; construction of facilities including repair, rehabilitation, and modification of facilities, minor construction of new facilities and additions to existing facilities, facility planning and design, environmental compliance and restoration, and acquisition or condemnation of real property, as authorized by law; program management; personnel and related costs, including uniforms or allowances therefor, as authorized by 5 U.S.C. 5901-5902; travel expenses; purchase, lease, charter, maintenance, and operation of mission and administrative aircraft; not to exceed $35,000 for official reception and representation expenses; and purchase (not to exceed 33 for replacement only) and hire of passenger motor vehicles, $2,515,100,000, to remain available until September 30, 2001.

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OFFICE OF INSPECTOR GENERAL

For necessary expenses of the Office of Inspector General in carrying out the Inspector General Act of 1978, as amended, $20,000,000.

ADMINISTRATIVE PROVISIONS

Not withstanding the limitation on the availability of funds appropriated for Human space flight', Science, aeronautics and technology', or Mission support' by this appropriations Act, when any activity has been initiated by the incurrence of obligations for construction of facilities as authorized by law, such amount available for such activity shall remain available until expended. This provision does not apply to the amounts appropriated in Mission support' pursuant to the authorization for repair, rehabilitation and modification of facilities, minor construction of new facilities and additions to existing facilities, and facility planning and design. Not withstanding the limitation on the availability of funds appropriated for Human space flight', Science, aeronautics and technology', or Mission support' by this appropriations Act, the amounts appropriated for construction of facilities shall remain available until September 30, 2002. Not withstanding the limitation on the availability of funds appropriated for Mission support' and Office of Inspector General', amounts made available by this Act for personnel and related costs and travel expenses of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration shall remain available until September 30, 2000 and may be used to enter into contracts for training, investigations, costs associated with personnel relocation, and for other services, to be provided during the next fiscal year. Unless otherwise provided for in this Act or in the joint explanatory statement of the committee of conference accompanying this Act, no part of the funds appropriated for Human space flight' may be used for the development of the International Space Station in excess of the amounts set forth in the budget estimates submitted as part of the budget request for fiscal year 2000.

Sec. 433. Commercial Space Launch Indemnification Extension. Section 70113(f) of title 49, United States Code is amended by striking December 31, 1999', and inserting December 31, 2000'. Sec. 434. Space Station Commercial Development Demonstration Program.

(a) Purpose: The purpose of this section is to establish a demonstration regarding the commercial feasibility and economic viability of private sector business operations involving the International Space Station and its related infrastructure. The goal will be furthered by the early use of the International Space Station by United States commercial entities committing private capital to commercial enterprises on the International Space Station. In conjunction with this demonstration program, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) shall establish and publish a price policy designed to eliminate price uncertainty for those planning to utilize the International Space Station and its related facilities for United States commercial use.

(b) Use of Receipts for Commercial Use: Any receipts collected by NASA from the commercial use of the International Space Station shall first be used to offset any costs incurred by NASA in support of the United States commercial use of the International Space Station. Any receipts collected in excess of the costs identified pursuant to the prior sentence may be retained by NASA for use without fiscal year limitation in promoting the commercial use of the International Space Station.

(c) Report: NASA shall submit an annual report to the Congress that identifies all receipts that are collected under this section, the use of the receipts and the status of the demonstration. NASA shall submit a final report on the status of the demonstration, including any recommendation for expansion, within 120 days of the completion of the assembly of the International Space Station or the end of fiscal year 2004, whichever is earlier.

(d) Definitions: As used in this section, the term United States commercial use' means private commercial projects that are designed to benefit the United States through the sales of goods or services or the creation of jobs, or both.

(e) Termination: The demonstration program established under this section shall apply to United States commercial use agreements that are entered into prior to the date of the completion of the International Space Station or the end of fiscal year 2004, whichever is earlier. Sec. 435. Insurance; Indemnification; Liability.

(a) Amendment: The National Aeronautics and Space Act of 1958 (42 U.S.C. 2451 et seq.) is amended by inserting after section 308 the following new section:

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EXPERIMENTAL AEROSPACE VEHICLE

(a) In General: The Administrator may provide liability insurance for, or indemnification to, the developer of an experimental aerospace vehicle developed or used in execution of an agreement between the Administration and the developer. (b) Terms and Conditions:

(1) In general: Except as otherwise provided in this section, the insurance and indemnification provided by the Administration under subsection (a) to a developer shall be provided on the same terms and conditions as insurance and indemnification is provided by the Administration under section 308 of this Act to the user of a space vehicle.

(2) Insurance:

(A) In general: A developer shall obtain liability insurance or demonstrate financial responsibility in amounts to compensate for the maximum probable loss from claims by--

(i) a third party for death, bodily injury, or property damage, or loss resulting from an activity carried out in connection with the development or use of an experimental aerospace vehicle; and

(ii) the United States Government for damage or loss to Government property resulting from such an activity.

(B) Maximum required: The Administrator shall determine the amount of insurance required, but, except as provided in subparagraph (C), that amount shall not be greater than the amount required under section 70112(a)(3)of title 49, United States Code, for a launch. The Administrator shall publish notice of the Administrator's determination and the applicable amount or amounts in the Federal Register within 10 days after making the determination.

(C) Increase in dollar amounts: The Administrator may increase the dollar amounts set forth in section 70112(a)(3)(A) of title 49, United States Code, for the purpose of applying that section under this section to a developer after consultation with the Comptroller General and such experts and consultants as may be appropriate, and after publishing notice of the increase in the Federal Register not less than 180 days before the increase goes into effect. The Administrator shall make available for public inspection, not later than the date of publication of such notice, a complete record of any correspondence received by the Administration, and a transcript of any meetings in which the Administration participated, regarding the proposed increase.

(D) Safety review required before administrator provides insurance: The Administrator may not provide liability insurance or indemnification under subsection (a) unless the developer establishes to the satisfaction of the Administrator that appropriate safety procedures and practices are being followed in the development of the experimental aerospace vehicle.

(3) No indemnification without cross-waiver: Notwithstanding subsection (a), the Administrator may not indemnify a developer of an experimental aerospace vehicle under this section unless there is an agreement between the Administration and the developer described in subsection (c).

(4) Application of certain procedures: If the Administrator requests additional appropriations to make payments under this section, like the payments that may be made under section 308(b) of this Act, then the request for those appropriations shall be made in accordance with the procedures established by subsections (d) and (e) of section 70113 of title 49, United States Code. (c) Cross-Waivers:

(1) Administrator authorized to waive: The Administrator, on behalf of the United States, and its departments, agencies, and related entities, may reciprocally waive claims with a developer or cooperating party and with the related entities of that developer or cooperating party under which each party to the waiver agrees to be responsible, and agrees to ensure that its own related entities are responsible, for damage or loss to its property for which it is responsible, or for losses resulting from any injury or death sustained by its own employees or agents, as a result of activities connected to the agreement or use of the experimental aerospace vehicle.

(2) Limitations:

(A) Claims: A reciprocal waiver under paragraph (1) may not preclude a claim by any natural person (including, but not limited to, a natural person who is an employee of the United States, the developer, the cooperating party, or their respective subcontractors) or that natural person's estate, survivors, or subrogees for injury or death, except with respect to a subrogee that is a party to the waiver or has otherwise agreed to be bound by the terms of the waiver.

(B) Liability for negligence: A reciprocal waiver under paragraph (1) may not absolve any party of liability to any natural person (including, but not limited to, a natural person who is an employee of the United States, the developer, the cooperating party, or their respective subcontractors) or such a natural person's estate, survivors, or subrogees for negligence, except with respect to a subrogee that is a party to the waiver or has otherwise agreed to be bound by the terms of the waiver.

(C) Indemnification for damages: A reciprocal waiver under paragraph (1) may not be used as the basis of a claim by the Administration, or the developer or cooperating party, for indemnification against the other for damages paid to a natural person, or that natural person's estate, survivors, or subrogees, for injury or death sustained by that natural person as a result of activities connected to the agreement or use of the experimental aerospace vehicle.

(3) Effect on previous waivers: Subsection (c) applies to any waiver of claims entered into by the Administration without regard to whether it was entered into before, on, or after the date of the enactment of this Act. (d) Definitions: In this section:

(1) Cooperating party: The term cooperating party' means any person who enters into an agreement with the Administration for the performance of cooperative scientific, aeronautical, or space activities to carry out the purposes of this Act.

(2) Developer: The term developer' means a United States person (other than a natural person) who--

(A) is a party to an agreement with the Administration for the purpose of developing new technology for an experimental aerospace vehicle;

(B) owns or provides property to be flown or situated on that vehicle; or

(C) employs a natural person to be flown on that vehicle.

(3) Experimental aerospace vehicle: The term experimental aerospace vehicle' means an object intended to be flown in, or launched into, orbital or suborbital flight for the purpose of demonstrating technologies necessary for a reusable launch vehicle, developed under an agreement between the Administration and a developer.

(4) Related entity: The term related entity' includes a contractor or subcontractor at any tier, a supplier, a grantee, and an investigator or detailee. (e) Relationship to Other Laws:

(1) Section 308: This section does not apply to any object, transaction, or operation to which section 308 of this Act applies.

(2) Chapter 701 of title 49, united states code: The Administrator may not provide indemnification to a developer under this section for launches subject to license under section 70117(g)(1) of title 49, United States Code.'. (b) Repeal: Section 431 of the Departments of Veterans Affairs and Housing and Urban Development, and Independent Agencies Appropriations Act, 1999 (Public Law 105-276) is repealed.

JOINT EXPLANATORY STATEMENT OF THE COMMITTEEOF CONFERENCE

The managers on the part of the House and the Senate at the conference on the disagreeing votes of the two Houses on the amendment of the Senate to the bill (H.R. 2684) making appropriations for the Departments of Veterans Affairs and Housing and Urban Development, and for sundry independent agencies, boards, commissions, corporations, and offices for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2000, and for other purposes, submit the following joint statement to the House and the Senate in explanation of the effect of the action agreed upon by the managers and recommended in the accompanying report.

The language and allocations set forth in House Report 106-286 and Senate Report 106-161 should be complied with unless specifically addressed to the contrary in the conference report and statement of the managers. Report language included by the House which is not changed by the report of the Senate or the conference, and Senate report language which is not changed by the conference is approved by the committee of conference. The statement of the managers, while repeating some report language for emphasis, does not intend to negate the language referred to above unless expressly provided herein. In cases in which the House or Senate have directed the submission of a report, such report is to be submitted to both House and Senate Committees on Appropriations.

Unless specifically addressed in this report, the conferees agree to retain the reprogramming thresholds for each department or agency at the level established by the fiscal year 1999 conference agreement.

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Appropriates a total of $13,652,700,000 for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, instead of$12,653,800,000 as proposed by the House and $13,578,400,000 as proposed by the Senate.

The conferees agree to retain the current NASA account structure for fiscal year 2000.

The conferees agree to include a general provision which provides indemnification and cross-waivers of liability with regard to experimental aerospace vehicle programs. The language is included as a general provision in title IV of the Act and is a modification of language included as part of the fiscal year 1999 appropriations Act. The conferees have also agreed to include a general provision which provides for a one year extension of indemnification for commercial space launches.

In addition, the conferees have agreed to include a general provision which authorizes NASA to carry out a program to demonstrate commercial feasibility and economic viability of private sector business operations involving the International Space Station.

The conferees believe that the International Space Station will be a catalyst for future economic development activity in low earth orbit. Therefore, the conferees have included bill language establishing a demonstration program intended to test the feasibility of commercial ventures using the station, and whether or not it is possible to operate the station in accordance with business practices. In order to encourage private investment and increase economic activity in low earth orbit, NASA may negotiate for payments, at a value set by the private market, and retain any funds received in excess of costs for re-investment in the station economic development program.

The demonstration program applies only to the transition period associated with station assembly and early operations--a period during which fledgling businesses will experience their first opportunity for sustainable, continuous access to orbital laboratories. The conferees expect NASA to refrain from picking winners and losers in this coming era and instead enable the power of the U.S. capital markets to come to bear on this new frontier of U.S. economic development.

The conferees intend that the results of this demonstration program--and lessons learned along the way--will be incorporated into NASA's planning for long-term commercialization of the station, in concert with other ongoing activities such as the establishment of a non-government organization for station utilization and management.

Of the amounts approved in the following appropriations accounts, NASA must limit transfers of funds between programs and activities to not more than $500,000 without prior approval of the Committees on Appropriations. Further, no changes may be made to any account or program element if it is construed to be policy or a change in policy. Any activity or program cited in this report shall be construed as the position of the conferees and should not be subject to reductions or reprogramming without prior approval of the Committees on Appropriations of the House and Senate. Finally, it is the intent of the conferees that all carryover funds in the various appropriations accounts are subject to the normal reprogramming requirements outlined above.

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HUMAN SPACE FLIGHT

Appropriates $5,510,900,000 for human space flight. The House had proposed $5,388,000,000 in this account. The Senate had proposed two new accounts, International Space Station and Launch Vehicles and Payload Operations, with a total of $5,638,700,000. Within the amount provided, the appropriation for space shuttle is$3,011,200,000, the appropriation for payload and utilization is $169,100,000, and the appropriation for space station development related activities is $2,330,600,000.

The amount provided for space shuttle operations is $25,000,000 greater than the budget request. The increase is provided for urgent safety upgrades for the shuttle and may be augmented with additional funding from shuttle operations if such funding is identified throughout the fiscal year. The conferees agree that NASA is to undertake upgrades that are necessary to ensure continued safe operation of the shuttle and NASA is to provide a report to the Committees on Appropriations which identifies proposed upgrades, a schedule for accomplishing the upgrades, and the cost associated with each upgrade. The report is to be provided to the Committees on Appropriations by February 1, 2000.

The conferees have included a proviso within the Human Space Flight account which reserves $40,000,000 for use only in connection with a shuttle science mission to be flown between the flight of STS-107 and December of 2001. The conferees have taken this action because of the belief that dedicated science missions must continue during the assembly of the International Space Station to ensure that the scientific community remains fully engaged in human space flight activities. Funding of $15,000,000 provided for the life and microgravity science program in fiscal year 1999 is to be used for STS-107 ($5,000,000) and for principal investigators associated with the dedicated flight which will occur before December, 2001 ($10,000,000).

The amount provided for the international space station program is $2,330,600,000, a decrease of $152,100,000 from the budget request. The reductions include a transfer of $17,100,000 to Mission Support to cover emergent personnel costs, a reduction of $100,000,000 from the funds requested for development of the crew return vehicle, and a general reduction of $35,000,000.

The conferees agree that international agreements to provide hardware for the space station should be binding and such agreements should be structured in such a way as to avoid complicating the assembly of the station. In order to be more fully informed on what potential problems may arise due to a reliance on foreign entities providing necessary hardware, NASA is directed to provide the Committees on Appropriations with a report on all external hardware components needed for the station that have been contracted for internationally, the schedule for delivery of these components, and the current status of each component with regard to completion and delivery.

The conferees agree that the two quarterly reports requested in the International Space Station section of the Senate report shall not be required. Instead, NASA shall provide a quarterly report, beginning on April 1, 2000 and every three months thereafter, which provides the status of station hardware construction and assembly, as well as associated costs. The report shall highlight schedule and cost variance relative to the schedule and cost included as the basis for the fiscal year 2000 budget request.

The conferees recognize the funds appropriated by this Act for the development of the International Space Station may not be adequate to cover all potential contractual commitments should the program be terminated for the convenience of the Government. Accordingly, if the Space Station is terminated for the convenience of the Government, additional appropriated funds may be necessary to cover such contractual commitments. In the event of such termination, it would be the intent of the conferees to provide such additional appropriations as may be necessary to provide fully for termination payments in a manner which avoids impacting the conduct of other ongoing NASA programs.

SCIENCE, AERONAUTICS AND TECHNOLOGY

Appropriates $5,606,700,000 for science, aeronautics and technology. The House had proposed $4,975,700,000 in this account and the Senate had proposed $5,424,700,000. The amount provided is $182,000,000 above the budget request. The amount provided consists of:

$2,197,850,000 for space science.

$277,200,000 for life and microgravity sciences.

$1,455,200,000 for earth sciences.

$1,158,800,000 for aeronautics and space transportation.

$406,300,000 for mission support.

$141,300,000 for academic programs.

$29,950,000 in general reductions.

The conferees are aware of a recent capabilities briefing that took place at NASA's Independent Verification and Validation (IV&V) Facility in conjunction with the quarterly Senior Management Council Meeting in June, 1999.The conferees understand that most NASA Center Directors or their designees were present at this briefing, as were the Assistant Administrators of the various NASA enterprises. The conferees expect substantial integration of the IV&V Facility into the NASA system, and in particular, the activities of the Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC). This Center should take specific note of this opportunity due to its close proximity to the IV&V Facility. To these ends, the conferees direct the Administrator to report, in conjunction with GSFC and no later than June 1, 2000, on what new activities the various NASA Centers are initiating with the IV&V Facility.

The conferees are aware of the NASA Sounding Rocket Operations contract (NSROC) competitive procurement for rocket systems now underway, and see this as an excellent opportunity to invigorate the domestic sounding rocket industry, which has languished in recent years. Therefore, NASA is directed to instruct the NSROC contractor to choose the best domestic competitor for this procurement, if the NASA Administrator determines the competitor has satisfied the requirements of the contract.

The conferees are concerned that the large amount of data being collected as part of NASA science missions is not being put to the best possible use. To allay these concerns, the conferees direct NASA to contract with the National Research Council for the study of the availability and usefulness of data collected from all of NASA's science missions. The study should also address what investments are needed in data analysis commensurate with the promotion of new missions.

The conferees note that the fiscal year 1998 Statement of Managers (House Report 105-297) outlined a change in the allocation of advanced technology funding for space science so that 75 percent of all such funding would be done competitively through an announcement of opportunity. The conferees urge NASA to continue its efforts to reach the75 percent target in a manner that does not undermine the core competencies of the NASA centers. Furthermore, the conferees direct NASA to present a plan to the Committees on Appropriations by February 1, 2000 that details how the agency will meet the 75 percent goal for both space and earth sciences and preserve core competencies at NASA Centers. The plan should also articulate how non-competitive funding will be allocated, by Center, to preserve core competencies. In addition, the report shall include a plan to link NASA Centers with relevant academic laboratories to enhance Center capabilities and core competencies.

The conferees direct NASA to submit project status reports on a quarterly basis for all space and earth science missions. The project status reports must include all projects in either phase B or phase C/D status and all mission operations and data analysis funding. The reports must also include all advanced technology funding by subprogram activity and future flight profile, and salary and expense costs. The conferees further expect NASA to include in these quarterly project status reports a review of any mission or project that is exceeding its annual or aggregate budget by more than 15 percent. This review shall include a status report on the feasibility of the mission or project, the reasons for the cost overrun, and a cost containment plan, in cases where NASA has determined to continue the mission or project. The conferees have included this reporting requirement as an alternative to the Senate recommendation that NASA missions and projects be terminated where their costs exceed their budget by 15 percent.

The conferees believe NASA should seek further opportunities to expand the scope of the Consolidated Space Operations Contract as a means to achieve additional savings for the agency and the taxpayer. Thus far, large portions of the deep space network (DSN) and related mission operations infrastructure have been exempted from CSOC. Therefore, the conferees direct NASA's space operations management office (SOMO) to undertake a study, to be submitted to the Committees on Appropriations by February 8, 2000, that evaluates transferring all remaining non-CSOC work in the telecommunications and mission operations directorate (TMOD), including all work designated for mission operations partnership services (MOPS), Jet Propulsion Lab (JPL) mission services, DSN operations architecture development and the deep space network services management system (DSMS) to the CSOC contract.

The space operations management office should identify and compare the full and total existing direct and indirect cost of the TMOD workforce with the projected cost of this workforce when transferred to CSOC on October 1,2000. The transfer and cost analysis shall include all positions in the entire TMOD base, including employees assigned to specific flight projects, data services, mission services and research and development costs related to the deep space network operations infrastructure. Cost calculations for determining the existing full costs of TMOD shall utilize the rates and estimates stated in the FY 99-01 JPL Cost Estimation Rates and Factors Manual and shall include direct labor, fringe benefits, leave, vacation pay, and full burden rates applied to the work performed at JPL. The full JPL burden rate calculation for estimating current TMOD costs shall follow precisely all terms and rates stated in the FY 99-01 JPL Cost Estimation Rates and Factors Manual.

Specific program adjustments are outlined below.

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SPACE SCIENCE

The conferees agree to the following changes to the budget request:

1. Reduce funding for future planning for the Explorer program by $6,100,000. The conferees direct NASA to ensure that this reduction will not impact the current Explorer announcement of opportunity selection, ensuring that there will be two awards made for the mid-explorer competition.

2. Reduce funding for future planning for the Discovery program future mission by $23,700,000. The conferees expect that this reduction will not adversely impact funds available for Contour, Messenger and Deep Impact so that each can launch on its current schedule. In addition, the conferees expect that there will be sufficient funds in fiscal year 2000 to extend NEAR operations to correspond to next year's encounter with the Eros asteroid.

3. Reduce funding for Mars missions by $22,800,000. The conferees have made this adjustment without prejudice in light of the recent failure of this mission. The Committees on Appropriations are troubled by this second failure of a Mars orbiting spacecraft in recent years and expect a complete report on the cause of the most recent failure and what corrective actions NASA will take to prevent a failure on subsequent Mars missions. This report is due within 180 days of enactment of this Act.

4. Reduce funding for supporting research and technology by $4,400,000.

5. A reduction of $37,400,000 in the funding for the Champollion mission due to cancellation of the mission.

6. A reduction of $100,000 to finance personnel related expenses. These funds are provided within the Mission Support account.

7. An increase of $8,000,000 for Space Solar Power.

8. An increase of $2,000,000 for the Science Center at Glendale Community College.

9. An increase of $1,500,000 for the Louisville Science Center.

10. An increase of $1,500,000 for the Science Center Initiative at Ohio Wesleyan University.

11. An increase of $5,000,000 for the Polymer Energy Rechargeable System (PERS). The conferees recognize the leadership of NASA Glenn in battery technology development and encourage NASA to continue this program. Working with scientists at Wright Patterson Air Force Base, the PERS program will develop significant space, defense, and commercial applications and therefore should continue at NASA Glenn.

12. An increase of $2,000,000 for the center on life in extreme thermal environments at Montana State University in Bozeman.

13. An increase of $3,000,000 for the Adler Planetarium in Chicago, Illinois.

14. NASA is directed to provide an increase of $10,000,000 for fundamental physics research.

15. An increase of $23,000,000 for science costs related to the next servicing mission of the Hubble Space Telescope. The conferees are aware of the strong support in the scientific community for proceeding with the infrared channel on Wide Field-3 Camera. The conferees have provided sufficient resources in fiscal year 2000 to begin work on its development so that it will be ready for the final servicing mission now scheduled for Hubble in the2002-03 timeframe.

16. An increase of $21,000,000 for the Sun-Earth Connections program, including an increase of $15,000,000 for STEREO and $6,000,000 for advanced technology for post-STEREO missions.

17. An increase of $3,000,000 for the development of STEP-Air SEDS, an electrodynamic tether facility to place and manipulate satellites in their orbits without the use of chemical propellants. To the extent this is a viable and useful technology, it is expected that NASA will include the necessary funds in the fiscal year 2001 budget.

18. An increase of $1,000,000 for a satellite telescope at Western Kentucky University.

19. An increase of $4,000,000 for the Sci-Quest hands-on science center in Huntsville, Alabama.

20. An increase of $2,000,000 for research into advanced hardware and software technologies at Montana State University, Bozeman.

21. An increase of $2,500,000 for the Bishop Museum.

22. An increase of $1,000,000 for the Chabot Observatory, Oakland, California.

23. An increase of $4,000,000 for the Green Bank Radio Telescope Museum.

24. An increase of $750,000 for the Museum of Discovery and Science in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida.

25. An increase of $500,000 for the Science and Technology Museum, Discovery Place in Charlotte, North Carolina.

LIFE AND MICROGRAVITY SCIENCES

The conferees have included a provision in the Human Space Flight account which calls for two science missions prior to December of 2001. The first mission, STS-107 will utilize up to $5,000,000 of the amounts provided in this account in fiscal year 1999. The remaining $10,000,000 from the fiscal year 1999 appropriation is to be used to finance principal investigators affiliated with the second science mission.

The conferees agree to the following changes to the budget request:

1. An increase of $14,000,000 for infrastructure needs at the University of Missouri, Columbia.

2. An increase of $1,000,000 for the Garden Machine' program at Texas Tech University.

3. An increase of $4,000,000 for the Space Radiation program at Loma Linda University Hospital.

4. An increase of $2,000,000 for the Neutron Therapy Facility at Fermi Lab.

EARTH SCIENCES

The conferees have not terminated the Triana program as the House had proposed. Instead, the conferees direct NASA to suspend all work on the development of the Triana satellite using funds made available by this appropriation until the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) has completed an evaluation of the scientific goals of the Triana mission. The conferees expect the NAS to move expeditiously to complete its evaluation. In the event of a favorable report from the NAS, NASA may not launch Triana prior to January 1, 2001. The conferees have no objection to NASA's reserving funds made available by this appropriation for potential termination costs. The conferees recognize that, if a favorable report is rendered by the NAS, there will be some additional cost resulting from the delay.

The conferees agree with the House language directing NASA to develop a five-year plan detailing a robust program for Code Y utilization of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). The conferees expect NASA to move ahead with the UAV Science Demonstration Program as detailed in the fiscal year 2000 budget justification, and to request fiscal year 2001 funding for this program in conformity with the five-year plan.

The conferees do not agree with the Senate directive to provide a report on the commercialization of EOSDIS data.

The conferees agree that NASA is to submit a report by March 15, 2000 on an EOS-II strategy that articulates in detail the NASA plan for earth science through fiscal year 2010.

The conferees direct NASA, in conjunction with the National Science Foundation, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency, to report by April 15, 2000 on a plan to demonstrate the potential benefits of remote sensing.

The conferees agree to the following changes to the budget request.

1. An increase of $2,000,000 for a Remote Sensing Center for Geoinformatics at the University of Mississippi.

2. An increase of $1,000,000 for the Advanced Tropical Remote Sensing Center of the National Center for Tropical Remote Sensing Applications and Resources at the Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science.

3. An increase of $10,000,000 for the Regional Application Center in Cayuga County, New York.

4. An increase of $2,500,000 for a joint U.S./Italian space-based research initiative for the study and detection of forest fires.

5. An increase of $3,000,000 for continuation of programs at the American Museum of Natural History.

6. An increase of $1,500,000 for a remote sensing center at the Fulton-Montgomery Community College in New York. The center is to work through the Regional Application Center at Cayuga County, New York.

7. An increase of $1,000,000 for continued development of nickel metal hydride battery technology.

8. An increase of $31,000,000 for the EOSDIS Core System.

9. An increase of $2,000,000 for the Advanced Fisheries Management Information System, of which $500,000 is to be used to develop a companion program at the University of Alaska, Fairbanks.

10. An increase of $2,000,000 for the EOS National Resource Training Center at the University of Montana, Missoula.

11. An increase of $1,000,000 for the PIPELINE project at Iowa State University and Southern University, Baton Rouge.

12. An increase of $7,000,000 to the EOSDIS Core System to develop additional uses for NASA's Earth Observing System to make data more readily available for potential user communities.

13. An increase of $1,000,000 for the Field Museum for the underground adventure' exhibit.

14. An increase of $2,000,000 for research in remote sensing applications at the University of Missouri, Columbia.

15. An increase of $300,000 for the State University of New York College of Environmental Sciences and Forestry for a remote sensing applications project.

16. A decrease of $20,000,000 from the LightSAR program. The conferees agree that NASA's action to terminate the LightSAR program has resulted in a missed opportunity by failing to recognize the commitment to commercial investment and significant interest shown by private industry in the current structure of the program. LightSAR continues to offer tremendous potential for a number of practical applications, most particularly as an all-weather method for remote sensing of the Earth's surface. The conferees direct NASA to review the history of this program and report to the Congress by February 1, 2000 on actions the agency can undertake to support industry-led efforts to develop an operational synthetic aperture radar capability in the United States, with particular focus on NASA as a data customer.

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17. A decrease of $23,500,000 from reserves being held for the PM-1 mission.

18. A decrease of $5,700,000 from algorithm development.

19. A decrease of $22,000,000 from the funding requested for EOS special spacecraft.

AERONAUTICS AND SPACE TRANSPORTATION

The conferees agree that an independent review of NASA's decision to terminate the High Speed Research and Advanced Subsonic Technology programs is necessary. The conferees direct the Office of Science and Technology Policy to conduct such a review which should address the overall impact of these terminations on the United States aviation industry as well as the impact on the core competencies of NASA centers. The review should also address the merits of NASA undertaking a program to improve aircraft safety and reduce aircraft noise emissions. The conferees direct that this report be completed no later than July 1, 2000.

The conferees are aware of NASA's recent ERAST research announcement to bid competitively, important technology thrusts for combustible fuel vehicle research, with the goal of providing unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) platforms to meet Code Y requirements by fiscal year 2002. The conferees are equally supportive of NASA's plan for flight testing as part of the solar-electric airplane program at the Pacific Missile Range Facility (PMRF). Therefore, the conferees expect NASA to balance carefully these two important initiatives. Furthermore, NASA should remain sensitive to transition funding for the partners of the ERAST Alliance during this period, such that past NASA investments in these partners is not undermined.

The conferees are aware of the many successful technology transfer arrangements negotiated in rural states through the NASA Techlink program and expect NASA to continue the program at the current level.

The conferees are concerned that significant reductions in NASA's budget request for rotorcraft research will undermine the core competencies in this technology at the Glenn and Langley research centers. The conferees believe that NASA should take into consideration the valuable service these centers provide to the Department of Defense for its Joint Transport Rotorcraft and tilt rotor programs and take efforts to ensure the centers retain their expertise in rotorcraft research.

The conferees agree to the following changes to the budget request:

1. An increase of $20,000,000 for Ultra Efficient Engine Technology.

2. An increase of $1,800,000 for phase two of the synthetic vision information system being tested at the Dallas-Ft. Worth Airport.

3. An increase of $1,200,000 for continued support of the Dynamic Runway Occupancy Measurement System demonstration at the Seattle-Tacoma Airport.

4. An increase of $2,000,000 to facilitate the acquisition of a 16 beam SOCRATES system and integration of SOCRATES into the AVOSS program.

5. An increase of $10,000,000 for the Trailblazer program at the Glenn Research Center.

6. An increase of $1,000,000 for the Institute for Software Research to continue its collaborative effort with NASA-Dryden, focusing on adaptive flight control research, including a flight control upgrade to the F-15 Active.

7. An increase of $1,500,000 for the Software Optimization and Reuse Technology program.

8. An increase of $2,000,000 for the establishment of the NASA-Illinois Technology Commercialization Center as an extension of the Midwest Regional Technology Transfer Center, to be located at the DuPage County Research Park.

9. An increase of $1,000,000 for Miami-Dade Community College-Homestead Campus to develop a technology-oriented business incubator in Homestead, Florida.

10. An increase of $2,000,000 for the Earth Alert program for a test of the system throughout the State of Maryland.

11. An increase of $1,500,000 for the National Technology Transfer Center, to bring total funding for the center up to $7,200,000.

12. An increase of $500,000 to study aircraft cabin air quality at the Education and Research Center for Occupational Safety and Health in Baltimore, Maryland.

13. An increase of $80,000,000 for Space Liner 100 efforts.

14. An increase of $1,500,000 for the Western Environmental Technology Office, Butte Montana.

15. An increase of $5,000,000 for the National Center for Space Technology.

16. An increase of $3,000,000 for enhanced vision system technology development.

17. An increase of $20,000,000 for efforts related to aircraft noise reduction.

18. An increase of $1,000,000 for the Institute for Software Research, for the modeling and simulation of electromagnetic phenomena for alternative space propulsion concepts.

19. An increase of $200,000 for the Garret Morgan Initiative in Ohio.

20. A decrease of $2,900,000 for personnel related expenses, transferred to Mission Support.

MISSION COMMUNICATIONS

The conferees have provided $406,300,000 for Mission Communications, the same amount as provided by the House and Senate.

ACADEMIC PROGRAMS

The conferees have agreed to the following changes to the budget request:

1. An increase of $6,500,000 for the National Space Grant College and Fellowship Program, for a total of $19,100,000.

2. An increase of $1,500,000 for the Franklin Institute for development of an exhibit on astronomy.

3. An increase of $2,300,000 for the JASON Foundation's JASON XI expedition, Going to Extremes.'

4. An increase of $1,000,000 for the Carl Sagan Discovery Center at the Children's Hospital at Montefiore Medical Center.

5. An increase of $4,000,000 for the Texas Learning and Computational Center at the University of Houston.

6. An increase of $4,000,000 for the Space Science Museum and Educational Program at Downey, California. The conferees are concerned about the transfer of NASA property at the space shuttle manufacturing facility in Downey, California to the City when the contractor leaves the facility at the end of the year. The conferees endorse the process established by GSA for disposal of historic artifacts at the facility, specifically, the space shuttle mock-up and astronaut footprints. The conferees do not intend to circumvent this process, but the conferees agree that GSA should take into consideration the historical significance of these artifacts at the Downey site, a significance that would be lost if the artifacts were to move to a different location.

7. An increase of $2,000,000 for the Ohio View Project.

8. An increase of $2,000,000 for continued academic and infrastructure needs related to the computer sciences, mathematics and physics building at the University of Redlands.

9. An increase of $5,400,000 for the EPSCoR program.

10. An increase of $1,000,000 for the Science Learning Center in Kenai, Alaska.

11. An increase of $2,000,000 for the Lewis and Clark Rediscovery Web Technology Project.

12. An increase of $1,000,000 for the Science Museum at Spelman College.

13. An increase of $7,600,000 for Minority University Research and Education projects, including $1,000,000 to provide support for the establishment of a Center of Excellence in Mathematics and Science at Texas College.

14. An increase of $500,000 for the University of San Diego for a Science and Education Center.

15. An increase of $500,000 for the City of Ontario, California for the development of a Science and Technology Learning Center.

16. The conferees agree to provide the budget request of $2,000,000 for the Classroom of the Future project.

MISSION SUPPORT

Appropriates $2,515,100,000 for mission support instead of $2,269,300,000 as proposed by the House and$2,495,000,000 as proposed by the Senate. The amount provided includes an increase of $20,200,000, derived from other accounts, to cover emergent personnel related requirements including lower than anticipated personnel retirements and government-wide pay rate changes.

The conferees continue to prohibit the use of funds appropriated or otherwise made available to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration by this Act, or any other Act enacted before the date of enactment of this Act, by the Administrator of NASA to relocate aircraft of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration based east of the Mississippi River to the Dryden Flight Research Center in California.

OFFICE OF INSPECTOR GENERAL

Appropriates $20,000,000 for the Office of Inspector General as proposed by the Senate, instead of $20,800,000 as proposed by the House.

ADMINISTRATIVE PROVISONS

Deletes language proposed by the House which directed NASA to develop a revised appropriations structure for fiscal year 2001.

Deletes language proposed by the Senate which directed NASA to terminate any program which experienced a cost growth of 15 percent.

Inserts a new general provision which limits the amounts NASA may use for the International Space Station.

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