S.Amdt. 710

SA 710. Mr. STRANGE submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by
him to the bill H.R. 2810, to authorize appropriations for fiscal year
2018 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 appropriate place, insert the following:

SEC. ___. EVOLVED EXPENDABLE LAUNCH VEHICLE MODERNIZATION AND
SUSTAINMENT OF ASSURED ACCESS TO SPACE.

(a) Development.--
(1) Evolved expendable launch vehicle.--Using funds
described in paragraph (2), the Secretary of Defense may only
obligate or expend funds to carry out the evolved expendable
launch vehicle program to--
(A) develop a domestic rocket propulsion system to replace
non-allied space launch engines;
(B) develop the necessary interfaces to, or integration of,
such domestic rocket propulsion system with an existing or
new launch vehicle;
(C) develop capabilities necessary to enable new or
existing commercially available space launch vehicles or
infrastructure to meet any requirements that are unique to
national security space missions to meet the assured access
to space requirements pursuant to section 2273 of title 10,
United States Code, with respect to only--
(i) modifications to such vehicles required for national
security space missions, including--

(I) certification and compliance of such vehicles for use
in national security space missions;
(II) fairings necessary for the launch of national security
space payloads to orbit; and
(III) other upgrades to meet performance, reliability, and
orbital requirements that cannot otherwise be met through the
use of new or existing commercially available launch
vehicles; and

(ii) the development of infrastructure necessary for
national security space missions, such as infrastructure for
the use of heavy launch vehicles, including--

(I) facilities and equipment for the vertical integration
of payloads;
(II) secure facilities for the processing of classified
payloads; and
(III) other facilities and equipment, including ground
systems and expanded capabilities, unique to national
security space launches and the launch of national security
payloads;

(D) conduct activities to modernize and improve existing
certified launch vehicles, or existing launch vehicles
previously contracted for use by the Air Force, including

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restarting a dormant supply chain, and infrastructure to
increase the cost effectiveness of the launch system;
(E) certify new, modified, or existing launch vehicle
systems; or
(F) develop, design, and integrate parts for new launch
vehicle systems necessary for national security use.
(2) Funds described.--The funds described in this paragraph
are the funds authorized to be appropriated by this Act or
otherwise made available for fiscal year 2018 for research,
development, test, and evaluation, Air Force, for the evolved
expendable launch vehicle program.
(b) Other Authorities.--Nothing in this section shall
affect or prohibit the Secretary from procuring launch
services of evolved expendable launch vehicle launch systems,
including with respect to any associated operation and
maintenance of capabilities and infrastructure relating to
such systems.
(c) Notification.--Not later than 30 days before any date
on which the Secretary publishes a draft or final request for
proposals, or obligates funds, for the development under
subsection (a)(1), the Secretary shall notify the
congressional defense committees of such proposed draft or
final request for proposals or proposed obligation, as the
case may be. If such proposed draft or final request for
proposals or proposed obligation relates to intelligence
requirements, the Secretary shall also notify the Permanent
Select Committee on Intelligence of the House of
Representatives and the Select Committee on Intelligence of
the Senate.
(d) Assessment.--Not later than 120 days after the date of
the enactment of this Act, the Secretary, in coordination
with the Director of Cost Assessment and Program Evaluation,
shall submit to the congressional defense committees, the
Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence of the House of
Representatives, and the Select Committee on Intelligence of
the Senate a report containing an assessment of the most
cost-effective method to meet the assured access to space
requirements pursuant to section 2273 of title 10, United
States Code, with respect to each of the following periods:
(1) The five-year period beginning on the date of the
report.
(2) The 10-year period beginning on the date of the report.
(3) The period consisting of the full lifecycle of the
evolved expendable launch vehicle program.
(e) Rocket Propulsion System Defined.--In this section, the
term ``rocket propulsion system'' means, with respect to the
development authorized by subsection (a)(1), a main booster,
first-stage rocket engine (including such an engine using
kerosene or methane-based or other propellant) or motor. The
term does not include a launch vehicle, an upper stage, a
strap-on motor, or related infrastructure.
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