PlainBillCongress, translated.Legislation. Context. Public interest.Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
Congressional Research Service
Version 00 · Introduced in Senate · May 24, 2018
Aeronautics Innovation Act
This bill reauthorizes through FY2023 the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate.
The bill expresses the sense of Congress that developing high-risk, precompetitive aerospace technologies for which there is not yet a profit rationale is a fundamental NASA role and states that it is U.S. policy to maintain world leadership in military and civilian aeronautical science and technology, global air power projection, and industrial leadership.
Showing the opening paragraphs of the official summary.
NASA shall:
ensure continuing support for the Aeronautics Strategic Implementation Plan to support the future needs of aviation communities,
establish a national policy for aeronautics research to maintain U.S. superiority in air capabilities and aviation industrial leadership,
establish a low-boom supersonic aircraft program to demonstrate supersonic aircraft designs and technologies to reduce sonic boom noise levels,
establish a new series of experimental planes (X-planes) to demonstrate aircraft vehicle and propulsion concepts and technologies,
continue support of unmanned aircraft (drone) system development, and
establish the 21st Century Aeronautics Capabilities Initiative to ensure that it possesses the infrastructure capabilities and tools necessary to conduct flight demonstration projects across the range of NASA aeronautics interests.
People & committees
Sen. Warner, Mark R. [D-VA] · D–VA
Legislative record
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Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
Introduced in Senate
Primary sources
Text links open the official source. We currently store references to these documents.
Source last updated: Sep 8, 2026. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.
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