51 USC § 70905 - National laboratory designation

---
identifier: "/us/usc/t51/s70905"
source: "usc"
legal_status: "official_legal_evidence"
title: "51 USC § 70905 - National laboratory designation"
title_number: 51
title_name: "NATIONAL AND COMMERCIAL SPACE PROGRAMS"
section_number: "70905"
section_name: "National laboratory designation"
chapter_number: 709
chapter_name: "INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION"
positive_law: true
currency: "119-84"
last_updated: "2026-04-17"
format_version: "1.1.0"
generator: "[email protected]"
source_credit: "(Pub. L. 111–314, § 3, Dec. 18, 2010, 124 Stat. 3437.)"
---


# § 70905. National laboratory designation

**(a)** **Definition of United States Segment of the International Space Station.—** In this section the term “United States segment of the International Space Station” means those elements of the International Space Station manufactured—

**(1)** by the United States; or

**(2)** for the United States by other nations in exchange for funds or launch services.

**(b)** **Designation.—** To further the policy described in section 70501(a) of this title, the United States segment of the International Space Station is hereby designated a national laboratory.

**(c)** **Management.—**

**(1)** **Partnerships.—** The Administrator shall seek to increase the utilization of the International Space Station by other Federal entities and the private sector through partnerships, cost-sharing agreements, and other arrangements that would supplement Administration funding of the International Space Station.

**(2)** **Contracting.—** The Administrator may enter into a contract with a nongovernmental entity to operate the International Space Station national laboratory, subject to all applicable Federal laws and regulations.

---

**Source Credit**: (Pub. L. 111–314, § 3, Dec. 18, 2010, 124 Stat. 3437.)

| RevisedSection | Source (U.S. Code) | Source (Statutes at Large) |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 70905(a) | 42 U.S.C. 16767(d). | Pub. L. 109–155, title V, § 507(a), (b), (d), Dec. 30, 2005, 119 Stat. 2930, 2931. |
| 70905(b) | 42 U.S.C. 16767(a). |  |
| 70905(c) | 42 U.S.C. 16767(b). |  |