Space Ready Act
The Space Ready Act would authorize NASA to run a pilot program that invites private and public investment in specific Kennedy Space Center infrastructure projects. It creates the Infrastructure Investment Fund in the U.S. Treasury to receive deposits from contractual assessments tied to agreements that support public and commercial activities at KSC. Amounts deposited in the Fund would be used by NASA to conduct capital repairs, maintenance, and improvements to NASA-owned infrastructure at KSC, with improvements remaining the property of the United States. The bill also requires annual reporting on deposits and expenditures and sets an end date for the authority to collect assessments (December 31, 2035). The overall aim is to leverage external funding to maintain and upgrade the Kennedy Space Center’s infrastructure while preserving federal ownership and oversight.
Key Points
- 1Pilot program authorizes NASA to pursue private and public investment in infrastructure projects at the Kennedy Space Center.
- 2Establishment of the Infrastructure Investment Fund in the Treasury to hold deposits from assessments tied to agreements under 51 U.S.C. 20113(e) that support KSC activities.
- 3Funds in the Infrastructure Investment Fund must be used for capital repairs, maintenance, and improvements to NASA-owned infrastructure at KSC, with improvements remaining property of the United States.
- 4Annual reporting requirement to Congress detailing deposits, expenditures, and proposed uses; first report due within 180 days after enactment and then annually.
- 5Termination of assessment authority is December 31, 2035, with a clarifying rule that expiration does not affect the validity of existing agreements or the administration’s ability to retain and use proceeds from those agreements.