51 U.S. Code § 50501 - Definitions

The term “agency” means an executive agency as defined in section 105 of title 5.

The term “anchor tenancy” means an arrangement in which the United States Government agrees to procure sufficient quantities of a commercial space product or service needed to meet Government mission requirements so that a commercial venture is made viable.

The term “cost effective” means costing no more than the available alternatives, determined by a comparison of all related direct and indirect costs including, in the case of Government costs, applicable Government labor and overhead costs as well as contractor charges, and taking into account the ability of each alternative to accommodate mission requirements as well as the related factors of risk, reliability, schedule, and technical performance.

The term “launch” means to place, or attempt to place, a launch vehicle and its payload, if any, in a suborbital trajectory, in Earth orbit in outer space, or otherwise in outer space.

The term “launch services” means activities involved in the preparation of a launch vehicle and its payload for launch and the conduct of a launch.

The term “launch support facilities” means facilities located at launch sites or launch ranges that are required to support launch activities, including launch vehicle assembly, launch vehicle operations and control, communications, flight safety functions, and payload operations, control, and processing.

The term “launch vehicle” means any vehicle constructed for the purpose of operating in or placing a payload in outer space or in suborbital trajectories, and includes components of that vehicle.

The term “payload” means an object which a person undertakes to launch, and includes subcomponents of the launch vehicle specifically designed or adapted for that object.

The term “payload integration services” means activities involved in integrating multiple payloads into a single payload for launch or integrating a payload with a launch vehicle.

The term “space recovery support facilities” means facilities required to support activities related to the recovery of payloads returned from space to a space recovery site, including operations and control, communications, flight safety functions, and payload processing.

The term “space transportation infrastructure” means facilities, associated equipment, and real property (including launch sites, launch support facilities, space recovery sites, and space recovery support facilities) required to perform launch or space recovery activities.

The term “State” means the several States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, the United States Virgin Islands, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, and any other commonwealth, territory, or possession of the United States.

The term “United States” means the States, collectively.