51 U.S.C. § 50501 Definitions

• Library: United States Statutes
• Edition: 2023 Edition
• Currency: Current through P.L. 118-19 (published on www.congress.gov on 10/06/2023)

In this chapter:

(1) AGENCY.-The term "agency" means an executive agency as defined in section 105 of title 5.

(2) ANCHOR TENANCY.-The term "anchor tenancy" means an arrangement in which the United States Government agrees to procure sufficient quantities of a commercial space product or service needed to meet Government mission requirements so that a commercial venture is made viable.

(3) COMMERCIAL.-The term "commercial" means having-

(A) private capital at risk; and

(B) primary financial and management responsibility for the activity reside with the private sector.

(4) COST EFFECTIVE.-The term "cost effective" means costing no more than the available alternatives, determined by a comparison of all related direct and indirect costs including, in the case of Government costs, applicable Government labor and overhead costs as well as contractor charges, and taking into account the ability of each alternative to accommodate mission requirements as well as the related factors of risk, reliability, schedule, and technical performance.

(5) LAUNCH.-The term "launch" means to place, or attempt to place, a launch vehicle and its payload, if any, in a suborbital trajectory, in Earth orbit in outer space, or otherwise in outer space.

(6) LAUNCH SERVICES.-The term "launch services" means activities involved in the preparation of a launch vehicle and its payload for launch and the conduct of a launch.

(7) LAUNCH SUPPORT FACILITIES.-The term "launch support facilities" means facilities located at launch sites or launch ranges that are required to support launch activities, including launch vehicle assembly, launch vehicle operations and control, communications, flight safety functions, and payload operations, control, and processing.

(8) LAUNCH VEHICLE.-The term "launch vehicle" means any vehicle constructed for the purpose of operating in or placing a payload in outer space or in suborbital trajectories, and includes components of that vehicle.

(9) PAYLOAD.-The term "payload" means an object which a person undertakes to launch, and includes subcomponents of the launch vehicle specifically designed or adapted for that object.

(10) PAYLOAD INTEGRATION SERVICES.-The term "payload integration services" means activities involved in integrating multiple payloads into a single payload for launch or integrating a payload with a launch vehicle.

(11) SPACE RECOVERY SUPPORT FACILITIES.-The term "space recovery support facilities" means facilities required to support activities related to the recovery of payloads returned from space to a space recovery site, including operations and control, communications, flight safety functions, and payload processing.