Skip to main content
H.R. 7273 119th Congress House

NASA Reauthorization Act of 2026

Official title: To reauthorize the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and for other purposes.

Introduced: January 30, 2026 Introduced by: Brian Babin Republican · Texas See on congress.gov
Science, Technology, Communications Advanced technology and technological innovationsAdvisory bodiesAgricultural researchAir quality
More subjectsShow fewer subjects
AppropriationsAtmospheric science and weatherAviation and airportsClimate change and greenhouse gasesComputers and information technologyCongressional oversightEducation programs fundingEnvironmental assessment, monitoring, researchEnvironmental technologyGeography and mappingGovernment information and archivesGovernment studies and investigationsHigher educationInternational organizations and cooperationNational Aeronautics and Space AdministrationPublic contracts and procurementPublic-private cooperationResearch and developmentScience and engineering educationSpace flight and explorationSpacecraft and satellitesTechnology assessmentTelephone and wireless communicationWater qualityWater use and supply
Sign in to write a letter Sign in to watch
 Everywhere this bill has been 4 steps
Introduced
In committee
Reported out
Passed House
Passed Senate
To President
Became law
Feb 4, 2026
Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by the Yeas and Nays: 37 - 0.
Feb 4, 2026
Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held
Jan 30, 2026
Referred to the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology.
Jan 30, 2026
Introduced in House
 Ask about this bill AI · grounded in the bill text

Have a question about what this bill does? Ask in plain English; the answer is drawn from the bill's actual text and official record, and it'll tell you when something isn't in the text rather than guess.

AI answers can be imperfect; always confirm against the full bill text.

What's happening now February 4, 2026

Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by the Yeas and Nays: 37 - 0.

 Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service

NASA Reauthorization Act of 2026

This bill reauthorizes through FY2026 the programs and activities of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). The bill also directs NASA to continue planning for the eventual deorbit of the International Space Station (ISS) and to continue lunar and Mars exploration missions.

Specifically, the bill requires NASA to submit to Congress a strategy for research and operations in low-Earth orbit. (Low-Earth orbit generally encompasses an altitude of up to 2,000 kilometers.) With respect to the ISS, which sits in low-Earth orbit, NASA must generally maintain a flight cadence necessary to support productive use of the station through its operational lifetime. The bill provides statutory authority for NASA's acquisition of ISS deorbit capabilities from a commercial entity and specifies that NASA must not, to the greatest extent practicable, reduce or deprioritize ISS activities. (In 2024, NASA contracted with SpaceX for the development of an ISS deorbit vehicle.)

Further, NASA must report on the risk to science and technology research posed by lack of access to a low-Earth orbit platform (i.e., after retirement of the ISS). NASA may continue to enter into agreements with U.S. commercial entities for the development of one or more private, low-Earth orbit platforms.

Separately, the bill directs NASA to continue efforts to support crewed lunar landings and Mars explorations, including through partnerships with the private sector (i.e., the Moon to Mars and Artemis programs).

Finally, NASA must continue researching advanced air mobility, unmanned aircraft systems (i.e., drones), and hypersonic technologies.

 Hearings & markups 1
 Related & companion bills 5
  • HR 6638 To require a report on merits and options for establishing an institute relating to space resources, and for other purp…
  • HR 5122 NASA Talent Exchange Program Act
  • HR 2600 ASCEND Act
  • HR 2313 Celestial Time Standardization Act
  • HR 390 ACERO Act
 Bill text 1 version

Source documents hosted by congress.gov.

 Committees of jurisdiction 1
 Lobbying activity 78

Registered lobbyists who named this bill in their disclosure filings. Source: federal Lobbying Disclosure Act filings.

Bodies those filers lobbied

A filing lists the bills it worked on and the parts of government it contacted in separate sections, so these are the bodies those filers named anywhere in the filing, not a per-bill breakdown.

See all 78 filings →
 Cosponsors 3
All 3 Democratic 2 Republican 1
D
Foushee, Valerie P.
North Carolina · Jan 30, 2026
 R
Haridopolos, Mike
Florida · Jan 30, 2026
 D
Lofgren, Zoe
California · Jan 30, 2026
Cite this page click to expand
APA
U.S. Congress. (2026). H.R. 7273: NASA Reauthorization Act of 2026. 119th Congress. Open America. https://openamerica.io/bill/119-HR-7273/
MLA
"H.R. 7273: NASA Reauthorization Act of 2026." 119th Congress, 2026, Open America, https://openamerica.io/bill/119-HR-7273/.
Bluebook (legal)
H.R. 7273, 119th Cong. (2026), https://openamerica.io/bill/119-HR-7273/.
Markdown link
[H.R. 7273: NASA Reauthorization Act of 2026](https://openamerica.io/bill/119-HR-7273/)
Report a problem