---
kind: "section"
citation: "51 U.S.C. § 50506"
title: "51"
title_heading: "National and Commercial Space Programs"
number: "50506"
heading: "Commercial Space Achievement Award"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/51/50506"
units:
  - "Subtitle V — Programs Targeting Commercial Opportunities"
  - "Chapter 505 — Commercial Space Competitiveness"
---

# §50506. Commercial Space Achievement Award

- (a) **Establishment.—** There is established a [Commercial](/usc/51/50501.md?p=3) Space Achievement Award. The award shall consist of a medal, which shall be of such design and materials and bear such inscriptions as determined by the [Secretary](/usc/51/50301.md?p=5) of Commerce. A cash prize may also be awarded if funding for the prize is available under [subsection (d)](#d).
- (b) **Criteria for Award.—** The [Secretary](/usc/51/50301.md?p=5) of Commerce shall periodically make awards under this section to individuals, corporations, corporate divisions, or corporate subsidiaries substantially engaged in [commercial](/usc/51/50501.md?p=3) space activities that in the opinion of the [Secretary](/usc/51/50301.md?p=5) of Commerce best meet the following criteria:
  - (1) **Non-governmental revenue.—** For corporate entities, at least half of the revenues from the [space-related activities](/usc/51/50101.md?p=3) of the corporation, division, or subsidiary is derived from sources other than the [United States](/usc/51/50501.md?p=14) Government.
  - (2) **Substantial contribution.—** The activities and achievements of the individual, corporation, division, or subsidiary have substantially contributed to the [United States](/usc/51/50501.md?p=14) gross national product and the stature of [United States](/usc/51/50501.md?p=14) industry in international markets, with due consideration for both the economic magnitude and the technical quality of the activities and achievements.
  - (3) **Substantial advancement of technology.—** The individual, corporation, division, or subsidiary has substantially advanced space technology and space applications directly related to [commercial](/usc/51/50501.md?p=3) space activities.
- (c) **Limitations.—** No individual or corporate entity may receive an award under this section more than once every 5 years.
- (d) **Funding for Award.—** The [Secretary](/usc/51/50301.md?p=5) of Commerce may seek and accept gifts of money from public and private sources for the purpose of making cash prize awards under this section. Such money may be used only for that purpose, and only such money may be used for that purpose. The [Secretary](/usc/51/50301.md?p=5) of Commerce shall make publicly available an itemized list of the sources of such funding.

## Source credit

(Pub. L. 111–314, § 3, Dec. 18, 2010, 124 Stat. 3407.)

## Notes

| Historical and Revision Notes |  |  |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Revised<br>Section | Source (U.S. Code) | Source (Statutes at Large) |
| 50506 | 15 U.S.C. 5808. | Pub. L. 102–588, title V, § 510, Nov. 4, 1992, 106 Stat. 5129. |

In subsection (b), in the matter before paragraph (1), the words “The Secretary of Commerce shall periodically make awards” are substituted for “The Secretary of Commerce shall periodically make, and the Chairman of the National Space Council shall present, awards” to eliminate obsolete language. The reference to the Chairman of the National Space Council is obsolete because the National Space Council (established by section 501 of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Authorization Act, Fiscal Year 1989 (Public Law 100–685, 102 Stat. 4102)) has not functioned or been staffed since 1993.