S. 3661: Space Exploration Sustainability Act

112th Congress · introduced 2012-12-05 · Science, Technology, Communications · Latest: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

Where it came from: introduced 2012-12-05 · official record
Who proposed it: Sen. Nelson, Bill [D-FL] · what a sponsor is
What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
Where it stands now: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Not final yet: this can still change. We check for updates every day.
If it becomes law and spends money: follow the money to money laws, then agencies and contracts and grants.

What does this mean?

Official title

Space Exploration Sustainability Act

Plain summary

Space Exploration Sustainability Act - Amends the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Authorization Act of 2010 to make it: (1) a long-term goal for the National Aeronautics Space Administration (NASA) to sustainably expand permanent human presence beyond low-Earth orbit and to expand economic activity in space, and (2) a key objective of the United States to expand throughout cis-lunar space (the region of space from the Earth out to and including the region around the surface of the Moon) and beyond. Requires the Administrator of NASA to submit to Congress a strategy for achieving the long-term goal of sustainably expanding a human presence beyond low-Earth orbit through robust use of cis-lunar space. Instructs NASA to proceed with the utilization of the International Space Station, technology development, and follow-on transportation systems, including the space launch system and the multi-purpose crew vehicle.

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.

What a vote does

A “Yea” vote

If it passes both chambers and is signed, it becomes law.

A “Nay” vote

If it is not passed, current law stays as it is.

PSI Sci description of the legislative step (not an opinion).

What does this mean? (plain words)

Official text

Space Exploration Sustainability Act

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate)

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The strongest published arguments

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Alternatives

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How did my representative vote? · This bill's floor votes

Officials and money

Sponsor: Sen. Nelson, Bill [D-FL] · 1 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Cosponsors on this site

No linked floor roll calls in our collected records yet. This does not mean the bill has never had a vote. Check the official bill history.

Words on this page, explained (1)

Authorization: A law that creates or continues a government program and says what it may do, often with a suggested spending ceiling. An authorization alone does not provide money; a separate appropriation does.

Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.

Sources

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate)
Congress.gov
Data: GovInfo BILLSTATUS bulk data (Library of Congress), BILLSTATUS-112s3661.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/112/s>

Record fed-us-cong112-s3661 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong112 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong112