---
kind: "section"
citation: "42 U.S.C. § 18354"
title: "42"
title_heading: "The Public Health and Welfare"
number: "18354"
heading: "Management of the ISS national laboratory"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/42/18354"
units:
  - "Chapter 159 — Space Exploration, Technology, and Science"
  - "Subchapter IV — Continuation, Support, and Evolution of the International Space Station"
---

# §18354. Management of the ISS national laboratory

- (a) **Cooperative agreement with not-for-profit entity for management of national laboratory—**
  - (1) **In general—** The [Administrator](/usc/42/18302.md?p=1) shall provide initial financial assistance and enter into a cooperative agreement with an appropriate organization that is exempt from taxation under [section 501(c)(3) of title 26](/usc/26/501.md?p=c-3) to manage the activities of the [ISS](/usc/42/18302.md?p=5) national laboratory in accordance with this section.
  - (2) **Qualifications—** The organization with which the [Administrator](/usc/42/18302.md?p=1) enters into the cooperative agreement shall develop the capabilities to implement research and development [projects](/usc/42/13641.md?p=2) utilizing the [ISS](/usc/42/18302.md?p=5) national laboratory and to otherwise manage the activities of the [ISS](/usc/42/18302.md?p=5) national laboratory.
  - (3) **Prohibition on other activities—** The cooperative agreement shall require the organization entering into the agreement to engage exclusively in activities relating to the management of the [ISS](/usc/42/18302.md?p=5) national laboratory and activities that promote its long term research and development mission as required by this section, without any other organizational objectives or responsibilities on behalf of the organization or any parent organization or other entity.
- (b) **NASA liaison—**
  - (1) **Designation—** The [Administrator](/usc/42/18302.md?p=1) shall designate an official or employee of the Space Operations Mission Directorate of [NASA](/usc/42/18302.md?p=6) to act as liaison between [NASA](/usc/42/18302.md?p=6) and the organization with which the [Administrator](/usc/42/18302.md?p=1) enters into a cooperative agreement under [subsection (a)](#a) with regard to the management of the [ISS](/usc/42/18302.md?p=5) national laboratory.
  - (2) **Consultation with liaison—** The cooperative agreement shall require the organization entering into the agreement to carry out its responsibilities under the agreement in cooperation and consultation with the official or employee designated under [paragraph (1)](#b-1).
- (c) **Planning and coordination of ISS national laboratory research activities—** The [Administrator](/usc/42/18302.md?p=1) shall provide initial financial assistance to the organization with which the [Administrator](/usc/42/18302.md?p=1) enters into a cooperative agreement under [subsection (a)](#a), in order for the organization to initiate the following:
  - (1) Planning and coordination of the [ISS](/usc/42/18302.md?p=5) national laboratory research activities.
  - (2) Development and implementation of guidelines, selection criteria, and flight support requirements for non-[NASA](/usc/42/18302.md?p=6) scientific utilization of [ISS](/usc/42/18302.md?p=5) research capabilities and facilities available in United States-owned modules of the [ISS](/usc/42/18302.md?p=5) or in partner-owned facilities of the [ISS](/usc/42/18302.md?p=5) allocated to United States utilization by international agreement.
  - (3) Interaction with and integration of the International Space Station National Laboratory [Advisory Committee](/usc/42/17061.md?p=2) established under [section 70906 of title 51](/usc/51/70906.md) with the governance of the organization, and review recommendations provided by that Committee regarding agreements with non-[NASA](/usc/42/18302.md?p=6) departments and [agencies](/usc/42/8262.md?p=1) of the United States Government, academic institutions and consortia, and commercial entities leading to the utilization of the [ISS](/usc/42/18302.md?p=5) national laboratory facilities.
  - (4) Coordination of transportation requirements in support of the [ISS](/usc/42/18302.md?p=5) national laboratory research and development objectives, including provision for delivery of instruments, logistics support, and related experiment materials, and provision for return to Earth of collected samples, materials, and scientific instruments in need of replacement or upgrade.
  - (5) Cooperation with [NASA](/usc/42/18302.md?p=6), other departments and [agencies](/usc/42/8262.md?p=1) of the United States Government, the [States](/usc/42/2021b.md?p=14), and commercial entities in ensuring the enhancement and sustained operations of non-exploration-related research payload ground support facilities for the [ISS](/usc/42/18302.md?p=5), including the Space Life Sciences Laboratory, the Space Station Processing Facility and Payload Operations Integration Center.
  - (6) Development and implementation of scientific outreach and education activities designed to ensure effective utilization of [ISS](/usc/42/18302.md?p=5) research capabilities including the conduct of scientific assemblies, conferences, and other fora for the presentation of research findings, methods, and mechanisms for the dissemination of non-restricted research findings and the development of educational programs, course supplements, interaction with educational programs at all grade levels, including student-focused research opportunities for conduct of research in the [ISS](/usc/42/18302.md?p=5) national laboratory facilities.
  - (7) Such other matters relating to the utilization of the [ISS](/usc/42/18302.md?p=5) national laboratory facilities for research and development as the [Administrator](/usc/42/18302.md?p=1) may consider appropriate.
- (d) **Research capacity allocation and integration of research payloads—**
  - (1) **Allocation of ISS research capacity—** The [ISS](/usc/42/18302.md?p=5) national laboratory managed experiments shall be guaranteed access to, and utilization of, not less than 50 percent of the United States research capacity [allocation](/usc/42/2021b.md?p=2), including power, cold stowage, and requisite crew time onboard the [ISS](/usc/42/18302.md?p=5) through at least September 30, 2030. Access to the [ISS](/usc/42/18302.md?p=5) research capacity includes provision for the adequate upmass and downmass capabilities to utilize the [ISS](/usc/42/18302.md?p=5) research capacity, as available. The [Administrator](/usc/42/18302.md?p=1) may allocate additional capacity to the [ISS](/usc/42/18302.md?p=5) national laboratory should such capacity be in excess of [NASA](/usc/42/18302.md?p=6) research requirements.
  - (2) **Additional research capabilities—** If any [NASA](/usc/42/18302.md?p=6) research plan is determined to require research capacity onboard the [ISS](/usc/42/18302.md?p=5) beyond the percentage allocated under [paragraph (1)](#d-1), such research plan shall be prepared in the form of a requested research opportunity to be submitted to the process established under this section for the consideration of proposed research within the capacity allocated to the [ISS](/usc/42/18302.md?p=5) national laboratory. A proposal for such a research plan may include the establishment of partnerships with non-[NASA](/usc/42/18302.md?p=6) institutions eligible to propose research to be conducted within the [ISS](/usc/42/18302.md?p=5) national laboratory capacity. Until at least September 30, 2030, the official or employee designated under [subsection (b)](#b) may grant an exception to this requirement in the case of a proposed experiment considered essential for purposes of preparing for exploration beyond low-Earth orbit, as determined by joint agreement between the organization with which the [Administrator](/usc/42/18302.md?p=1) enters into a cooperative agreement under [subsection (a)](#a) and the official or employee designated under [subsection (b)](#b).
  - (3) **Research priorities and enhanced capacity—** The organization with which the [Administrator](/usc/42/18302.md?p=1) enters into the cooperative agreement shall consider recommendations of the National Academies Decadal Survey on Biological and Physical Sciences in Space in establishing research priorities and in developing proposed enhancements of research capacity and opportunities for the [ISS](/usc/42/18302.md?p=5) national laboratory.
  - (4) **Responsibility for research payload—** [NASA](/usc/42/18302.md?p=6) shall retain its roles and responsibilities in providing research payload physical, analytical, and operations integration during pre-flight, post-flight, transportation, and orbital phases essential to ensure safe and effective flight readiness and vehicle integration of research activities approved and prioritized by the organization with which the [Administrator](/usc/42/18302.md?p=1) enters into the cooperative agreement and the official or employee designated under [subsection (b)](#b).

## Source credit

(Pub. L. 111–267, title V, § 504, Oct. 11, 2010, 124 Stat. 2825; Pub. L. 114–90, title I, § 114(b)(3), Nov. 25, 2015, 129 Stat. 716; Pub. L. 117–167, div. B, title VII, § 10815(c), Aug. 9, 2022, 136 Stat. 1738.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### Codification

In subsec. (c)(3), “section 70906 of title 51” substituted for “section 602 of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Authorization Act of 2008 (42 U.S.C. 17752)” on authority of Pub. L. 111–314, § 5(e), Dec. 18, 2010, 124 Stat. 3443, which Act enacted Title 51, National and Commercial Space Programs.

### Amendments

2022—Subsec. (d)(1). Pub. L. 117–167, § 10815(c)(1), substituted “The ISS” for “As soon as practicable after October 11, 2010, but not later than October 1, 2011, ISS” and “September 30, 2030” for “September 30, 2024”.

Subsec. (d)(2). Pub. L. 117–167, § 10815(c)(2), substituted “September 30, 2030” for “September 30, 2024”.

2015—Subsec. (d)(1), (2). Pub. L. 114–90 substituted “at least September 30, 2024” for “September 30, 2020”.