---
kind: "section"
citation: "51 U.S.C. § 50907"
title: "51"
title_heading: "National and Commercial Space Programs"
number: "50907"
heading: "Monitoring activities"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/51/50907"
units:
  - "Subtitle V — Programs Targeting Commercial Opportunities"
  - "Chapter 509 — Commercial Space Launch Activities"
---

# §50907. Monitoring activities

- (a) **General Requirements.—** A licensee under this chapter must allow the [Secretary](/usc/51/50301.md?p=5) of Transportation to place an officer or employee of the [United States](/usc/51/50501.md?p=14) Government or another individual as an observer at a [launch site](/usc/51/50902.md?p=10) or [reentry site](/usc/51/50902.md?p=18) the licensee uses, at a production facility or assembly site a contractor of the licensee uses to produce or assemble a [launch vehicle](/usc/51/50501.md?p=8) or [reentry vehicle](/usc/51/50902.md?p=19), at a site not owned or operated by the Federal Government or a foreign government used for [crew](/usc/51/50902.md?p=2), [government astronaut](/usc/51/50902.md?p=4), or [space flight participant](/usc/51/50902.md?p=20) training, or at a site at which a [payload](/usc/51/50101.md?p=2) is integrated with a [launch vehicle](/usc/51/50501.md?p=8) or [reentry vehicle](/usc/51/50902.md?p=19). The observer will monitor the activity of the licensee or contractor at the time and to the extent the [Secretary](/usc/51/50301.md?p=5) considers reasonable to ensure compliance with the license or to carry out the duties of the [Secretary](/usc/51/50301.md?p=5) under sections [50904(c)](/usc/51/50904.md?p=c), [50905](/usc/51/50905.md), and [50906](/usc/51/50906.md) of this title. A licensee must cooperate with an observer carrying out this subsection.
- (b) **Contracts.—** To the extent provided in advance in an appropriation law, the [Secretary](/usc/51/50301.md?p=5) may make a contract with a [person](/usc/51/50902.md?p=15) to carry out [subsection (a)](#a) of this section.

## Source credit

(Pub. L. 103–272, § 1(e), July 5, 1994, 108 Stat. 1334, § 70106 of title 49; Pub. L. 105–303, title I, § 102(a)(7), Oct. 28, 1998, 112 Stat. 2848; Pub. L. 108–492, § 2(c)(17), Dec. 23, 2004, 118 Stat. 3980; renumbered § 70106 then § 50907 of title 51 and amended Pub. L. 111–314, § 4(d)(2), (3)(G), (5)(I), Dec. 18, 2010, 124 Stat. 3440–3442; Pub. L. 114–90, title I, § 112(m), Nov. 25, 2015, 129 Stat. 713.)

## Notes

| Historical and Revision Notes |  |  |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Revised<br>Section | Source (U.S. Code) | Source (Statutes at Large) |
| 70106(a) | 49 App.:2613(a). | Oct. 30, 1984, Pub. L. 98–575, § 14, 98 Stat. 3060. |
| 70106(b) | 49 App.:2613(b). |  |

In subsection (a), the word “duties” is substituted for “responsibilities” for consistency in the revised title and with other titles of the United States Code.

### Editorial Notes

### Amendments

2015—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 114–90 substituted “at a site not owned or operated by the Federal Government or a foreign government used for crew, government astronaut, or space flight participant training” for “at a site used for crew or space flight participant training”.

2010—Pub. L. 111–314, § 4(d)(2), (3)(G), successively renumbered section 70106 of title 49 and section 70106 of this title as this section.

Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 111–314, § 4(d)(5)(I), substituted “sections 50904(c), 50905, and 50906” for “sections 70104(c), 70105, and 70105a”.

2004—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 108–492 inserted “at a site used for crew or space flight participant training,” after “assemble a launch vehicle or reentry vehicle,” and substituted “sections 70104(c), 70105, and 70105a” for “section 70104(c)”.

1998—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 105–303, in first sentence, inserted “or reentry site” after “observer at a launch site” and “or reentry vehicle” after “assemble a launch vehicle” and after “with a launch vehicle”.