---
kind: "section"
citation: "51 U.S.C. § 70702"
title: "51"
title_heading: "National and Commercial Space Programs"
number: "70702"
heading: "Establishment of Commission"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/51/70702"
units:
  - "Subtitle VII — Access to Space"
  - "Chapter 707 — Human Space Flight Independent Investigation Commission"
---

# §70702. Establishment of Commission

- (a) **Establishment.—** The President shall establish an independent, nonpartisan [Commission](/usc/51/70701.md?p=1) within the executive branch to investigate any [incident](/usc/51/70701.md?p=2) that results in the loss of—
  - (1) a space shuttle;
  - (2) the International Space Station or its operational viability;
  - (3) any other orbital or suborbital space vehicle carrying humans that is—
    - (A) owned by the Federal Government; or
    - (B) being used pursuant to a contract or Space Act Agreement with the Federal Government for carrying a government astronaut or a researcher funded by the Federal Government; or
  - (4) a crew member or passenger of any space vehicle described in this subsection.
- (b) **Deadline for Establishment.—** The President shall establish a [Commission](/usc/51/70701.md?p=1) within 7 days after an [incident](/usc/51/70701.md?p=2) specified in [subsection (a)](#a).
- (c) **Definitions.—** In this section:
  - (1) **Government astronaut.—** The term “government astronaut” has the meaning given the term in section 50902.
  - (2) **Space act agreement.—** The term “Space Act Agreement” means an agreement entered into by the [Administration](/usc/51/10101.md?p=1) pursuant to its other transactions authority under [section 20113(e)](/usc/51/20113.md?p=e).

## Source credit

(Pub. L. 111–314, § 3, Dec. 18, 2010, 124 Stat. 3432; Pub. L. 115–10, title VIII, § 838, Mar. 21, 2017, 131 Stat. 71.)

## Notes

| Historical and Revision Notes |  |  |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Revised<br>Section | Source (U.S. Code) | Source (Statutes at Large) |
| 70702 | 42 U.S.C. 16842. | Pub. L. 109–155, title VIII, § 822, Dec. 30, 2005, 119 Stat. 2941. |

### Editorial Notes

### Amendments

2017—Subsec. (a)(3). Pub. L. 115–10, § 838(1), amended par. (3) generally. Prior to amendment, par. (3) read as follows: “any other United States space vehicle carrying humans that is owned by the Federal Government or that is being used pursuant to a contract with the Federal Government; or”.

Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 115–10, § 838(2), added subsec. (c).