Commercial lunar payload services

(a) Sense of congress It is the sense of Congress that— (1) Administration encouragement and support for commercial services for lunar surface delivery capabilities and other related services serves the national interest; and (2) commercial providers benefit from an approach that places low-cost, noncritical instruments on initial deliveries using small- and medium-size landers before proceeding to larger landers for more complex payloads. (b) Commercial lunar payload services The Administrator is authorized to establish a Commercial Lunar Payload Services program for the purposes of procuring, from one or more United States commercial providers, services for delivery of NASA science payloads, and the payloads of other NASA mission directorates, as appropriate and practicable, to the lunar surface. (c) Relationship to other mission directorates A Mission Directorate that seeks to obtain commercial lunar payload services under the program established in subsection (b) shall provide funding for— (1) any payload, instrument or other item sponsored by the Mission Directorate for delivery through the program; and (2) the cost of the commercial lunar payload services obtained on behalf of the Mission Directorate. (d) Implementation In implementing any such activities pursuant to subsection (b), the Administrator shall— (1) conduct updated market research on the commercial lunar economy and identify any changes since the last market analysis; (2) assess NASA’s needs from and role in and contribution to the commercial lunar delivery market; (3) based on such needs identified in paragraph (2), assess the effectiveness of the task order approach in advancing commercial development of lunar delivery services, including an assessment of the appropriate number of providers necessary to support NASA commercial lunar delivery needs, and identify any challenges and recommendations for improvement; and (4) strengthen procedures related to the selection, manifesting, interfaces, and requirements of payloads and other relevant factors that could contribute to minimizing future NASA-directed changes to projects following commercial lunar payload service contract awards. (e) Management plan Not later than 90 days from the date of the enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall, informed by the activities conducted under subsection (c), prepare and implement a management plan with clear leadership authority and responsibility for the program authorized in subsection (b). (f) Briefings Not later than 180 days from the date of the enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall brief the appropriate committees of Congress on the implementation of the management plan in subsection (d). (g) Coordination The Administrator shall ensure coordination between Mission Directorates and the Moon to Mars Program on the administration of the program in subsection (b) to ensure alignment of goals for lunar delivery services.